Posts Tagged ‘Green Builders’

A pretty home in a quiet suburb, kids playing on the porch, toys littering the driveway and a large backyard with a pretty garden. This is usually the picture most homeowners want when they are remodeling their homes. In particular, the large backyard with a pretty garden is very common, especially for those with kids. While it may seem to be the perfect addition to a green home, a garden that is not well-planned can actually do more harm than good to the environment, by causing you to waste water.
Going water-wise is not just limited to toilets and faucets. If you have a garden, a large amount of water goes down there too, sometimes much more than is necessary to keep your garden green. Thus, we often suggest water-efficient landscaping and gardening when we remodel homes. This does not mean tearing up your garden from hearth. Although it is always easier to do over the entire garden, water efficient practices can also be integrated with the way your current garden is. And this can be done quite simply:
• The first way to limit the amount of water you put into your garden is to choose the plants you water carefully. Some plants tend to survive longer with little water and ideally these should be your first choice. This does not mean you turn your garden into a cacti exhibit. Most of the plants that grow naturally in your surroundings are your best option. Trying to grow and maintain an exotic garden can prove to take up a lot of water and money and effort.
• Soil preparation is an important part of creating a water-efficient garden. After the climate, your soil is what will determine what kind of plants will grow best, with less water. Planting ones that suit your soil or treating the soil accordingly before you plant will ensure that your garden works well with the natural weather and minimal water supply.

1. Shades, Awnings, Blinds, Curtains and even foliage around the windows can affect solar heat gain and can also be a cheap way to cool the house.
2. There are five parts of a window that affect its energy efficiency: Glazing technology; Frame; Operating Type i.e. how it opens and closes; Low-E coatings; Gas fills; Spacers. You need to check all these aspects of a window and ensure that they are the best suited for your climate.
3. Depending on the kind of problem you think you’re likely to have, focus on each of the six parts mentioned above. For instance:
a. If you live in predominantly warm and sunny climate, then you will need to focus on Glazing, Low-E coatings
b. If your weather is humid, then attention to spacers, frames and operating type will keep condensation and leakage problems in check
c. In cold climates, glazing, frame, spacers and gas fills need to be checked well before buying
4. Energy-efficient mortgages are a way of paying for energy efficient windows, which typically cost more than regular windows. This actually turns out to be quite cost effective, because the savings on energy and utility bills arising out of energy-efficient homes offsets the monthly mortgage payments. To get more details, visit the energy department in your state.
5. Important: Get your energy efficient windows installed by a professional. If not installed properly, they will be less efficient than even regular windows. . Make sure your installation expert has experience in installing windows and is familiar that particular manufacturer.

There are two ways that windows help in heating and cooling – by preventing heat loss from the room, and by taking in heat from the outside. The former is measured by a window’s U-Factor and the latter by SHGC. U-Factor measures how much heat is lost through the window. The actual math gets quite complicated – U-Factor tells you how much heat is lost in one hour for one square foot at a certain temperature. A low U-Factor value (usually of 0.35 or lesser) means less loss and thus better insulation. Conversely, some windows may even mention an R-value, which is a measure of insulation. A low U-value corresponds to a high R-value.
SHGC is a value between 0-1. The lower the value, the less the amount of heat a window admits. Depending on the climate and your heating/cooling requirements you will need to pick a window with the right combination of SHGC and U-value. In cold climates, you want a U-value lesser than 0.35 combined with a high SHGC of around 0.60 or higher. This will considerable reduce the load on your heating system. For warm climates, you want the opposite – a low SHGC of less than 0.40 with a high U-value.
Does this mean you will have to change windows to match the seasons? Not necessarily. A metallic oxide layer (called a low E coating) applied on the outside keep the heat out, lowering the SHGC and when applied on the inside decreases the U-value. Even tints work well, though they only reduce the SHGC value.
Does material matter? Very much so, windows made of wood are not very good on insulation, while vinyl and fibreglass frames have the lowest U-values. Metal should be your last option when looking for insulation.

1. Adaptability: GHP can be used in a variety of climates and conditions. With air-source pumps, the general external temperature matters quite a bit. However, regardless of surface temperature, the temperature beneath the earth’s surface remains more or less warm, constantly. This makes it possible to use GHP in different geographical regions with different temperatures. Add to this, there are four different types of GHP installations available, depending on different soil, climate and installation costs. The local installer will be able to guide you to the best option for you.
2. High Efficiency: Because the earth’s temperature is more or less constant, GHP provide you with better heating cooling without having to create any heat in the first place. For moving heat, GHPs use only 50-75% of the electricity used by other heat pumps. This makes them extremely efficient, with a rate of 300-400%. They’re also very efficient at controlling humidity, which works great for a wet weather like ours.
3. Durability: GHPs have no moving parts, and the parts are rarely exposed to weathering or destructive elements. As such, with a proper installation, the entire system can last up to 25 years (and certain parts up to 50)
4. GHPs are much quieter that other heat pumps, require less space and can be configured for use in a new home or old one. Plus, it is also possible to control the heat supply and therefore the temperature of different rooms with GHP.

There’s quite a fraction of people reading this series on LED lighting who will nod their heads in disagreement. You’ve probably heard from your friend’s that they are very-expensive, very-chic, or that LED installations go bonkers after a few months. The problem is not with LED. LED is one of the best lighting options for residences, when used correctly. An inexperienced electrician and incorrect buying decisions can do a lot of harm to the lighting of the house, to you and your pocket. Here’s what to bear in mind:
1. Buy the right type of LED for your requirements. There are low wattage LEDs, which will work on 1mA (very little) of electricity and there are also new High-Power, high wattage LED which will work on more than 1A (100+ mA) and produce over 1000 lumens. The low wattage ones are used singularly to create different effects, usually for decorative purposes. The high wattage ones are used in place of a light bulb, or used in an array to provide enough light for an entire room.
2. Both types of LED lighting have different requirements. Low wattage LEDs burn out very quickly if not used with the right kind of voltage. They require much less than what is available by default in homes. High wattage ones, on the other hand can work with what we have in homes but need adequate heat sinks that will absorb the extra heat they will produce. If heat sinks are damaged, the lighting will burn out in seconds.
3. LEDs are quite affected by ambient room temperature. Installing them into walls which are not properly ventilated or in rooms that tend to get warm affects their life expectancy, causing them to fade out faster.