Tag Archives: Insulation

Another example of style + green

Custom Banquet in Bay Window addition

A couple years ago, our Sandy Springs clients first asked to help them reduce their energy bills by adding renewable energy to their house. We did a solar evaluation and decided that we need to look at other solutions since there were too many trees blocking the sun. We came up with a plan to upgrade their regular HVAC to Geothermal HVAC, and to change our all of their windows to high performance Marvin windows.  They also added spray foam insulation to their roof line and encapsulated the crawlspace to keep the basement dry.  We finished the energy upgrades at the beginning of the summer and they are telling us that their house is not only more energy efficient, it is much more comfortable as well.

 

While we worked to upgrade the systems on the house, they presented us a set of plans to make their existing home functional.  While their house was on a great street in a great neighborhood, it did not fit all of their needs.   We did a complete tuneup of the houses design on the main level and the upstairs.

First we started with new windows and doors.

Custom Marvin windows were used to replace the existing non energy efficient windows

We chose custom Marvin windows since we needed windows that could be made to a custom size and maintain their high performance attributes.  With custom aluminum cladding and low-e glass, these windows will help block out harmful uv rays and drafts that could increase energy bills.

The cladding is a great alternative to all wood windows since aluminum will not rot and will not need replacing for many years to come.

Custom library with new mahogany exterior doors

Another area that we focused on was the library.  It started will a simple enhancement to the existing cabinets and when we finished, they had a complete new custom library with built in storage.

We also took out the windows and installed new custom mahogany doors with low-e glass.  The floors were refinished and we installed all new stain grade crown molding to match the cabinets.

The designer selected a custom stone top to break up the lower and upper cabinets and to provide a durable surface that will never need refinishing.

 

In the end, our clients were very happy with the outcome of both the green upgrades and the craftsmanship that gave them a space that better fit their current needs.

 

 

This post sponsored by SawHorse, “The Sign of Renovation in Your Neighborhood ®.”

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Review of Atlanta Home Improvement Magazines’s Top 10 Eco Items

Full disclosure- I (Matt Hoots) write a monthly column for Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine in their green section. I try to give good green tips for your home and I do get comments every now and them from readers about how they would have done things differently.

I was updating our articles on our SawHorse news section and I came across a list on AHIM’s site what I was porting over an article that I was quoted in.

Their article was- Our Top 10 Eco-friendly Building Materials

Here they are with some of our comments on each of them:

1. Bamboo- this one did not make my list of top 10 mainly because of the energy it takes to get it to the US. There are many locally grown woods that are just as green if not greener since they are actually grown locally and are part of our culture. Bamboo is a fad. Oak hardwoods have been in some houses for over 100 years and still look great.

2. Reclaimed materials- I am okay with that choice. Reclaimed can look great especially if you are building new and need to add some character to the house. I personally love older furniture and distressed flooring to bring in a sense of time to a space.

3. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified wood- Would be a good choice if it was actually grown in the South. There are other green certifications for wood in the South. Again, what is the cost of fuel to transport a sustainably grown price of wood out of a managed forest? Do try to buy green wood if possible and definateley avoid wood that is exotic and cut out of rainforest un-sustainability.

4. Recycled steel- If you use steel, up to 97% is recycled. Much cheaper to recycle than mine ore and process it. Same goes for aluminum. Shame on you for now recycling any metals. Shame on those who recycle the Copper out of your house without permission.

5. Radiant barriers- According to the EPA- they are a not great ROI for your home. They recommend spray foam on the roofline before instead. Radiant barriers are just a seasonal solution, while spray foam give your year round benefits.

6. Weather-resistive barriers- absolutely- especially in the South where we have a lot of moisture to deal with. Protecting your house from the elements is a wise choice that will save you in maintenance costs down the road.

7. Bio-based spray-foam and recycled-content insulation- I am okay with any type of open cell foam when applied correctly. I do like fact that many of them including Icynene are adding bio based products to their foam to be greener. This is a benefit to the environment since these products can be grown while oil cannot.

8. Recycled-content concrete- For residential purposes, I am not sure why it is not mandatory for fly ash to be added to concrete. It is the leftover waste from burning and it does not cost more. Next time you order concrete- ask for fly ash to be added to it. You can also use ground up concrete as a substrate instead of gravel.

9. Permeable pavement- great way to reduce runoff. Just need to get the city of Atlanta on board now to recognize these and other measures to keep the water on the lot when considering permits.

10. Low-E glass windows- thank God they are code now in GA so we don’t have to up-sell them anymore. I love a level playing field. The Low-E coating blocks the UV rays which can heat up your house in the Summer and increase your cooling load on your house which cost your more on your power bill.

Top 10 by Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine, comments by Matt Hoots, CEO of SawHorse and Chair of the GAHBA Green Building Council

This post sponsored by SawHorse, “The Sign of Renovation in Your Neighborhood ®.”

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Update on green incentives for GA Power and City of Atlanta

So I heard that solar was too expensive and going green was only for the rich.  Nice try.

Here is an example of a rebate matrix for a job we are starting next week.  This is an example from a real SawHorse client that opted for a new solar thermal water heater, help fixing their ductwork and upgrading their insulation.  They are getting back 89% of the upfront cost in rebates and tax credits for the solar thermal and 67% of the cost of the insulation and air sealing.  On an $12,790 contract our clients will be getting $10,158 back in incentives.  See our custom matrix below to see what is possible.  If you are interested in getting this type of return as well, call us before the money runs out at 404-256-2567.

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Q. What do you recommend for weatherstripping around a side entry door in Atlanta?

Just got a good question from one of our potential clients that I would like to share with you.  The questions was- “What do you recommend for weatherstripping around a side entry door?”

Overall the amount of energy loss is not as great as the amount lost through your attic or crawlspace, however the drafts that you feel can affect your comfort.

The type of weatherstripping you will need depends on the on the style of door and if it was designed already to accept it as part of the jamb.  Here is a picture of a door that has weatherstripping designed as part of the door jamb.  As the assembly ages and gets used the weatherstripping can wear out, crack there for loosing the seam necessary to keep the weather out.  The first picture shows the weatherstripping fully installed.  The second picture demonstrates  how it can be removed so it can be replaced.

If you have an older door that does not a jamb designed for weatherstripping you still have several options.  You can install a metal strip inside the jamb so when the door closes it forms a little better seal.  This is the type that you see on older homes and on front doors since it not seen from the inside or outside when the door is closed.  A more effective solution if a metal strip with a rubber/ foam seal that is fasted to the jamb on the outside of the door.  While it is not ideal for a front door since it is not as aesthetically pleasing as the kind that is hidden, it does perform better.

The best way to see which ones are right now you visit your local hardware store.   Most big box hardware stores have half an isle dedicated to insulation and weather-sealing.

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Home Performance in Atlanta- Paper/ Scissors/ Rock style

As a home performance contractor, it is great to see the concept become more popular and almost to the point of becoming a commodity.  When we first started offering Home Performance with Energy Star services over 6 years ago, we had to explain what home performance meant, not everyone else is doing that for us.  We were the first remodelor in the program and the market was very young.

While I am happy to see it becoming more popular, I am worried that many companies are offering this as an add on to the services instead of making it standard.  The other issue that I see is HVAC, insulation and general contracting companies selling home performance ONLY from the point of view of the product they sell.

That’s is how I came up with the paper scissors rock approach to Home Performance.  As a kid, the game “Paper/ Scissors/ Rock” was played to see if you could guess which item that you opponent would select and hopefully, you would select the item that would trump theirs.

Scissors- would cut paper- would beat rock- which would crush scissors- which would cut paper…

So how does this apply to Home Performance?

Insulation- has a faster ROI than HVAC- which should be sized based on insulation- which cannot be installed with certain types of HVAC- which must be altered for better insulation- which should be installed before adding solar power- which is a great option for heating water- which is the 2nd leading use of power in the house- which can be reduced if you use less hot water…

As you can see, nobody really wins in home performance if not installed properly, they all must be designed to work together.

Keep in mind:

An HVAC guy makes money based on equipment sales

An insulation guy makes money selling and installing insulation

A solar installer make money by creating power for you

However a home performance contractor gets satisfaction out of a finely tuned house that they designed so you can have insulation and HVAC engineered to work with each other and other options that are designed to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.  You will also tells your friends more often about a home performance contractor verse a single product installer.

Bottom line.

It’s not paper/ scissors OR rock it’s: HVAC, insulation, AND moisture management- The complete Home Performance package.

Fresh World the performance division of The Hoots Group is Atlanta’s leading home performance contractor with hundreds of improvement and thousand of assessments to date.

Find out more about us here, check out our videos, and become a fan of us on Facebook!

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