Archive for February 6, 2006

Buyers Want Items That Look Good, Add Value to Home

February 6, 2006 at 11:54 pm · Filed under Green Building Tips, Home building on the Web, Smart Home Building

From Residental Architect:

Buyers want items that look good, add value to home. We recently attended the International Builders Show presented by the National Association of Home Builders, which gives builders, remodelers, architects and other building industry-associated occupations a peek at the latest in building materials and technology.

One of the benefits of composite building products is the reduced demand on natural resources and the green building movement another fundamental theme of this years event.

Manufacturers are responding to consumer demand for maintenance- free products that use environmentally friendly technology.

For example, one of the biggest growth categories in composite building materials is decking and railing systems. The last several years have produced products that remarkably mimic the look of dimensional lumber. Most of the leading products in the category have several styles, patterns and colors from which to choose. Most products are handled like wood; they can be cut with a saw, nailed or fastened with screws. The better products hold up well to ultraviolet rays and require nothing more than periodic cleaning.

Manufacturers are responding to the other side of the green coin as well: energy efficiency.

Skyrocketing energy costs have sent consumers scrambling for building products that will improve personal comfort and lower their utility bills. In response, most manufacturers with products that affect comfort and energy use are putting their R&D pedal to the metal to come up with increasingly more fuel-efficient products that will keep consumers from going into hock to pay their utility bills.

Insulation with better R-values, more energy-efficient windows and doors, and state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems lead the pack of products that are making a big dent in utility bills. Photovoltaic energy systems where homeowners use the sun to generate their own power are the rage.

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Green becomes mainstream

February 6, 2006 at 12:08 pm · Filed under Green Home Building, Home building on the Web, Smart Home Building

From TimesDispatch.com :

Home improvement chain stores sell paints and other natural products with little or no nasty compounds. But shoppers must wade through toxin-laced products and know what they are after, green industry experts say.

Sure, high-efficiency double-paned windows with argon gas are more expensive than standard windows. So are compact fluorescent light bulbs compared with their incandescent cousins.

But the savings add up over time. Compact fluorescent bulbs, for example, put out the equivalent light of a 60-watt incandescent bulb but use only 15 watts.

“Energy cost is a very big factor in getting people’s attention,” said Annette Osso, executive director of the Virginia Sustainable Building Network, a statewide organization that promotes environmentally sound building practices.

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BASF Launches www.betterhomebetterplanet.com

February 6, 2006 at 10:04 am · Filed under Basement, Green Building Tips, Green Home Building, Home building on the Web, Smart Home Building

BASF Launches www.betterhomebetterplanet.com: Financial News – Yahoo! Finance

The www.betterhomebetterplanet.com website steps the visitor through the home using a systems approach that integrates the three key elements to high performance building — the building exterior, mechanical HVAC and solar power.

The website allows the user to navigate the Near-Zero Energy Home in minutes and take from the experience real solutions and resources.

“The launch of www.betterhomebetterplanet.com and the demonstration home are in keeping with BASF’s long standing commitment to sustainable development and bringing cost-effective solutions to the building and construction industry — especially in cities like Paterson, N.J., where cost savings achieved through improved energy efficiency and low-maintenance durability are most needed,” according to Jack Armstrong, business manager for BASF’s Styropor® and expanded polystyrene business in North America.

Once the construction and demonstration phases are completed, the Near Zero Energy Home will be donated to the nonprofit St. Michael’s Housing Corporation as a home for a local family with a quadriplegic son. The project showcases elements of universal design to accommodate the family’s special needs.

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Healthier Laundry – 13 ways to launder with less and save more

February 6, 2006 at 12:54 am · Filed under Green Home Building, Home building on the Web

Found at Gaiam – Healthier Laundry by Geoff Davis:

Switching to alternative detergents and other healthier laundry products, however, is only half of the solution to a dirty laundry room. It’s just as important to make sure yours conserves water and energy. Here are some tips to help:

  • 1. Only use the cold or warm water settings on your washer. Since 85% of the energy used by washing machines is devoted to heating water, this simple step will save more than just money.
  • 2. Wash only full loads. Washing one large load is more efficient than washing two small loads.
  • 3. Use the delicate cycle whenever possible-even on non-delicate loads. Its gentler agitation uses less energy, is kinder to clothes, and quite effective for most dirty duds.
  • 4. Don’t use extra detergent- the increased suds only make your machine work harder. If clothes are super dirty presoak them or use the soak cycle instead.
  • 5. If you’re thinking about buying a new washer, new federal regulations in January 2007 will require all new machines to be at least 35% more efficient than models made before 2004.
  • 6. Consider buying a front-loading washer which typically uses up to 36% less water and 60% less energy.
  • 7. After your refrigerator, your clothes dryer is the biggest energy user in your home, one that typically costs over $1,000 to operate during its lifetime. Cut those costs by line-drying whenever possible.
  • 8. Locate your dryer in a dry heated space. Dryers in cold and/or damp locations have to work harder.
  • 9. Clean the lint filter after every load.
  • 10. Dry loads composed of similar clothes and/or fabric types for maximum efficiency.
  • 11. Dry two or more loads in a row to take advantage of retained dryer heat.
  • 12. Use the cool down cycle so clothes finish drying in residual heat.
  • 13. If your dryer has a moisture sensor, use it to make sure that loads get only the heat they actually need.

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EcoWorx® backing is flipping perceptions of carpet

February 6, 2006 at 12:33 am · Filed under Green Home Building, Home building on the Web, Interior Design Ideas

Found at metropolismag.com

Forget the colors, the patterns and the textures for a moment. Flip your perceptions. And think about what’s on the underside.

If it’s EcoWorx® backing from Shaw Innovation, then it’s something truly remarkable. Because EcoWorx can be recycled into carpet backing again and again. Never going to a landfill. Always coming back as the same high-quality carpet backing. That’s the real meaning of Cradle to Cradle.

EcoWorx backing is a PVC alternative made from Polyolefin. That’s why it can be endlessly recycled, and why the EPA recognized it with the Presidential Green Chemistry Award.

Shaw is doing everything possible to ensure that every bit of EcoWorx gets recycled. In fact, each carpet tile with EcoWorx backing is printed with a toll-free number to call for pick up and recycling, free of charge.

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