Weary Windows

Windows can be one of your home's most attractive features. Windows provide views, daylighting, ventilation, and solar heating in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. Install Energy Star windows and use curtains and shade to give your air conditioner and energy bill a break. If you live in the Sun Belt, look into low-e windows, which can cut the cooling load by 10% to 15%.

If your home has single-pane windows, as many U.S. homes do, consider replacing them with new double-pane windows with high-performance glass (e.g., low-e or spectrally selective). In colder climates, select windows that are gas filled with low emissivity (low-e) coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain. If you are building a new home, you can offset some of the cost of installing more efficient windows because they allow you to buy smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment.

Here are a few shopping tips when purchasing your new windows:

• Look for the ENERGY STAR label.

• Check with local utilities to see what rebates or other financial incentives are available for window replacement.

• High-performance windows have at least two panes of glass and a low-e (low emissivity) coating.

• Remember, the lower the U-factor, the better the insulation. In colder climates, focus on finding a low U-factor.

• Low solar heat gain coefficients (SHGCs) reduce heat gain. In warm climates, look for a low SHGC.

• In temperate climates with both heating and cooling seasons, select windows with both low U-factors and low SHGCs to maximize energy savings.

• Look for whole-unit U-factors and SHGCs, rather than center-of-glass, or COG, U-factors and SHGCs. Whole-unit numbers more accurately reflect the energy performance of the entire product.

• Have your windows installed by trained professionals. Be sure they're installed according to manufacturer's instructions; otherwise, your warranty may be void.

Happy Holidays!

As the Holiday Season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped to shape our business in a most significant way. We value our relationship with you and look forward to working with you in the year to come. We wish you a very happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with peace and prosperity.

Lowering Your Energy Bill This Winter

This winter, save money and stay warm. Keep your energy bill and your pollution output low this winter by taking a whole-house approach to heating.

• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• Insulate the floor of your attic. Heat always flows from warmer spaces to colder spaces, and that's why you should insulate your attic. Consider adding insulation in unfinished basement walls and crawlspaces too.
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home's temp setting when you are away or sleeping.
• Replace furnace filters regularly and properly maintain and clean heating equipment.
• Weatherize your home—caulk and weatherstrip any doors and windows that leak air.
• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. They cost a bit more, but you can save about $50 over the life of just one bulb.

Earth-Friendly Floor Covering

Looking for earth-friendly floor covering? The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) launched its Green Label program to test carpet, cushions and adhesives to help specifiers identify products with very low emissions of VOCs. CRI designed the Green Label and Green Label Plus programs for architects, builders, specifiers and facility mangers who want assurances that carpet and adhesive products meet the most stringent criteria for low chemical emissions Using scientifically established standards, the Green Label Plus program symbolizes the carpet industry’s commitment to a better environment for living, working, learning and healing. Look for this label to ensure you are purchasing among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive, and cushion products on the market.

Dynamic Domotics!

Energy efficiency & sustainability are important to many of us today. A home automation system can help us achieve a balance between eco-friendly living & enjoying our cool gadgets. Incorporating smart home technology into a new or existing structure makes it easier to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint a home or business creates. Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility, so do your part by making simple changes that not only help the earth, but will also save you money and add convenience to your home. With many new easy to install home automation products readily available, it’s now simpler than ever to automate your home and go green at the same time!

Energy reducing control systems operate only when required & conserve energy – not needlessly consuming energy while on standby. Now, you know you need to turn appliances and electronics off to save energy, but did you know that once you turn them off, they are still using electricity? That’s right – many items in your home continue to draw energy even after they are shut down – items like your computer and its peripherals, your television, stereo, microwave and stove. These items go into standby mode once switched off and create what’s known as a “phantom load” which can add up to 8% to your electricity bill.

It is easier to more fully outfit a house during construction due to the accessibility of the walls, outlets, and storage rooms, and the ability to make design changes specifically to accommodate certain technologies. Want a home automation system in your current home? Not a problem, wireless systems can be installed when outfitting a pre-existing house, as they obviate the need to make major structural changes.

Miffed About Mold?

There is always some mold everywhere - in the air and on many surfaces. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery. Research has linked indoor mold exposure with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.

The key to mold control is moisture control. When water leaks or spills occur indoors - act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow. If you do find mold, it can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Dry the area completely. Be sure to open windows and doors to provide fresh air and wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.

Remember to keep the humidity level in your home between 40% and 60%. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months and in damp spaces, like basements. Be sure your home has enough ventilation. Use exhaust fans which vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home. Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow. Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after flooding. Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products. Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried promptly. Consider not using carpet in rooms or areas like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.

Rollicking Recycling

There always seems to be a lot to clean up after Christmas. Wrapping paper, packaging that gifts came in and more. These items were barely used and are now ready for the trash, and the landfill. How can you deal with it all and make the most eco-friendly choices? Many types of wrapping paper are not recyclable because of foil, dying processes or tape stuck to it. One way to combat this is to buy wrapping paper made specifically from recycled content. You can feel better buying it, and can probably recycle or compost it when you are done. Another option is to make your own gift wrap from butcher paper or brown kraft paper. Get the family together to create your own designs - use crayons, markers or mixed media. Get creative and have fun, this is a great family activity. Let your kids help with all of it and explain why it's important to not just throw everything away.