Yes, oil has dropped 50% in the last year natural gas has been more than cut in half in the last year, so your electric bill will go down…right? I would not count on it and given the political situation in the world today, you must consider the impact your new home or home improvement will have on energy consumption. There is also the
LED GU-10 Lightbulb
possibility you may face large increases in your electric bill if Cap & Trade passes into law. LED lighting is fast becoming a viable option for you to consider in the design phase for your house. LED’s have a solid history of performance in commercial applications. Most traffic signals incorporate LED’s. The typical traffic light will contain 196 LED’s and will draw 10 watts. To produce the same light requirement with incandescent lights would consume 150 watts. Replacing all 260,000 U.S. traffic signals now using incandescent would reduce electrical consumption by 2.5 billion kWh annually. This is just the tip of the iceberg of savings in this one example. Maintaining the incandescent light bulbs in all these traffic signals is far more expensive than the electrical consumption. With and average life of 2,000 hours, a typical signal will have to have the bulbs changed at least 4 times a year. Some LED’s will last 15-20 years. The cost savings from the reduced replacement cycle should justify the cost of replacing the existing bulbs, even with a unit cost for LED’s which runs 50-60 times that of an incandescent bulb. But the savings do not end here. If LED’s started to replace lighting in the broader scope of lighting both residential we would see savings from the reduced need to build new power plants, reduced emission from reduced power requirements for the plants to produce, reduced recycling cost to process the burned out fluorescent and incandescent bulbs and a host of other energy and economic impacts attendant to lighting. They could also solve the dilemma of Mercury in CFL that we al face with the demise of incandescent bulbs slated to occur in 2012. The cost of LED’s is coming down as their use spreads. To date the light output and the color rendition have been the main inhibitors to seeing them spread to general lighting purposes. Both of these issues are finding solutions through research and development. There are lighting solutions for the home now available for residential applications. Quasar makes a fairly broad line of LED light solutions that will work for your home lighting needs. Even if you investigate them and decide they are not right for you, it appears that the industry is looking to make the transition easy once the light source gains greater acceptance. In the mean time, you should look at the possibility of using these in your new home. The benefits are very attractive for the investment. Just imagine if you did not have to change a light bulb for 20 years.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 40% [?]
Tweet This
The decision to install a solar powers system is necessarily open to a great deal of work on your part to determine the economic feasibility and payback period. There is no doubt that a photovoltaic system is quickly becoming a viable method of generating a relatively significant percentage of your power demand. However, the capital costs of such a system are themselves, not insignificant.
In many states there are tax credits and incentives, both public and private to defray the cost. Tracking them down can be difficult. There are a few tools now available to help you do some intial analysis of the costs and benefits in order to establish a preliminary basis for you to advance your search for the answer. One is the Petersen Dean Solar Calculator.
The Petersen Dean Calculator (click the button below to access) factors in location, electric rates and most importantly, know Federal and State incentives and grants to derive a payback, internal rate of return and the impact to home value. to present a rather detailed consideration for you to start from.
Beware still, you need to do plenty more homework in order to make a well-informed decision. There will be many other places for you to investigate and some leg-work to confirm that some of the assumptions in the calculator (Availability of incentives and grants) are still valid. For a free download on evaluating a solar installation for your home see the “Downloads” page. The downloads are free to registered users. You may register on the downloads page or in the “Admin” widget box in the sidebar to the right.
Some may even be interested in building their own solar system. It is becoming more feasible with leaps in the technology. For more information of a technical nature on Photovoltaics see “The Energy Blog“.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 19% [?]
Tweet ThisAnyone can have issues with water accumulating in low spots in your yard. In years where conditions are extraordinarily wet, this can lead to real serious problems and damages from flooding to structures and more expensive landscaping or pools and driveways. if you notice a problem in a give year, you may be well advised to address it before the problem can compound itself. French Drains can be a simple, effective DIY solution to these problems.
Additionally, if you have a sloping lot, the water running across the surface (particularly unsodded surfaces) can cause erosion problems. The solution is to provide a controlled channel (French Drain) for the movement of the water to a retention area for safe and slow absorption back into the ground or draining it along a designated path towards retention beyond your property. You need to be extra careful not to take your runoff and dump it uncontrolled onto you neighbors property as this will only cause you bigger problems.
French Drain Profile
A French Drain is a channel for water to drain away in to a specific spot under controlled conditions. This can be as simple as a trench filled with crushed gravel or stone. But the force of water moving through the crushed stone can cause the fines of the soil to filter into the open spaces around the gravel diminishing the effectiveness of the drain over time. It is better to construct a stage 3 French Drain that will have both a perforated pipe buried in the trench and a fabric to separate the soil fines from the gravel maintaining the effective flow of the water through the drain.
Perforated drains are easy to install and not very expensive. Your largest expense will be the excavation and restoration of the excavated area. If you have had draining water damage the area, this is an expense you were going to incur anyway so it pays to install measure to prevent a recurrence.
First you need to understand how the water flows across the property. If you are not clear about this or it is not easily apparent, do not hesitate to call a professional civil engineer for advice. This may even be a requirement (some jurisdictions require French Drain systems be permitted and be designed by an Engineer). A small investment with an Engineer may save you big headaches later.
Once you determine the slope of the lot and where the water is emanating as a source, you need to determine where you want to direct it to. This could be down to the street, it could be down to a sloping hill that directs the water to safe retainage and in some instances you may even need to install either above ground retainage or underground storage to store the water until it can percolate into the ground naturally or to be pumped to another location.
French Drain Storage Tank
Once you have your plan, determine how big a trench you need – this will depend on the amount of water you want to handle. If you see the gross amount of accumulation that occurred when you had the problem and can guesstimate the width by the length x the depth of the water, it will give you a rough estimate of the amount of water (cubic foot wise) that you have to be able to accommodate. Depending on the planned slope of the trench (suggest a minimum or 1/4″ per foot) you will get an idea of the width, and depth of the French Drain trench and the size and number of perforated pipe you need to put in it. Again, if any of this seems unintuitive to you, call on a Civil Engineer. They may save you from over designing or under designing the system. It is important to verify that the drain is sloping towards your intended direction. Check it with a level as you proceed to dig your trech and as you lay down the stone bed on the bottom of the trench. Verify the slope on the perforated pipe as a final check before laying on the top layer of stone.
The basic components of the system are:
- Perforated HDPE Pipe (perforation sizes and patterns vary).
- Crushed Stone or Gravel (pit run).
- Landscaping Fabric.
Perforated Drain Pipe
Crushed Stone
Landscape Fabric
You may find it easier to rent a light backhoe to dig the trench or possibly a Ditch Witch. Most Importantly, CALL YOUR LOCAL UTILITIES BEFORE YOU DIG – it is the law in most states and it could even save your life. Once you have gathered your materials, laid out the path, located the underground utilites, you are ready to build your French Drain go. Once last bit of advice, wait till the dry season or you will have a royal mess on your hands.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 67% [?]
Tweet ThisMany people have a negative view of concrete as a building material that supports green building objectives. It is true that concrete does take a lot of energy to produce and transport (to smaller sites where on-site batching is not feasible). Concrete does consume water during the manufacturing process. But those are narrow views that do not hold up under critical examination.
LEED sustainable design principles have five disciplinary focuses:
- Sustainable sites
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
Concrete is recognized as a green building material in terms of qualification under LEED certification principles. The five ways that concrete can help support green building objectives:
This is a video that explains how concrete fits these principles:
- Concrete creates sustainable sites.
- Concrete enhances energy performance.
- Concrete contains recycled materials.
- Concrete is manufactured locally.
- Concrete builds durable structures.
For residential construction, the main guiding principle for design over the last 60 years has been on affordability. Trying to match the overall cost to produce the home to the ability of the local market’s economic base to afford the home.
This led to design decisions solely focused on initial costs that did not account for life cycle analysis that would dictate different decisions if the installed and operating and maintenance costs were analyzed over a specific life cycle. If fact, not one has ever sat down and really focused on what is a reasonable economic life cycle to build to when it comes to residential structures for the mass market.
There have been some studies, but the market has never really focused on this previously in establishing a target sustainability for building homes to. The focus has been on costs, profit to the developer, profit to the builder and profit to the financing entity. to be fair, there are so many layered costs dictated by housing regulation, that has made it almost an impossibility to make these considerations very high in priority. Part of that is attributable to the structure of regulations that deal with the development of housing for the larger market.
But, getting back to concrete. Because it creates very durable structures, first and foremost, lands it in the sustainable category. It would be hard to argue that building a home that lasts 2-300 years is not worth the expenditure of resources required to build that home. Properly built and maintained, this is definitely an achievable goal, we have examples all over the United States and Europe towards this end. One thing about concrete is that it is not a very friendly DIY material to work with. The skills, and equipment necessary typically exclude it as a DIY project.
Next, final production of concrete occurs close to the site of installation, again this is in conformance with LEED principles. Concrete can also contain recycled concrete as an aggregate although there are greater opportunities to expand this practice. The highest profile example of large scale concrete recycling back into a redevelopment occurred in the late 90’s and early part of this decade in the redevelopment of Stapleton International Airport from the main airport in Denver into an urban mixed use suburb. All of the concrete from the runways was recycled back into this and other construction projects in the Denver urban landscape.
To be sure, there are new technologies and ways of thinking, such as precast panels used as basement walls.
Precast Concrete Basement Walls
So analyzing concrete as a sustainable material is perfectly valid and in the case of residential foundations and homes built in high-risk areas (Florida and coastal hurricane zones) certainly support green building objectives. There is no currently available material that can offer the durability of concrete under the stresses of soils that are subject to expansion forces that can destroy a foundation. Building a foundation that can be viable for 2-400 years allowing the recycling of the basement over that lifespan, further establishes the viability of concrete as a green building material.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 34% [?]
Tweet ThisInsulated Concrete Forms are a modular structural building system that mimics the Lego concept of pieces that fit together to make a larger structure. The forms are made of either Expanded Polystyrene or Urethane based products. By themselves they will not burn, have been found non-toxic and emit no gasses in place.
Typical Properties of Plastic Foams
|
As part of a system, there are provisions made to support the rebar necessary to hold the concrete together after the pour and to support the attachment of siding and interior drywall for direct attachment of these finishes to the system. Many times, the exterior finish will be a troweled on stucco type finish that will add additional fire resistance to the structure. As the structure is reinforced, solid concrete, the structures have a high resistance to windstorms (hurricane and tornado) and to seismic events. The structure is also fire resistant.
Insulated Concrete Forms Efficiency
Since the systems are engineered, they tend to maximize the efficiency of the concrete needed to support a residential structure and eliminate to typical overuse of concrete for the limited loads involved. A standard formed concrete foundation will have a full 6″ thickness of concrete wall where as an ICF will have 4″-12″ of solid concrete depending on the load you need to engineer for, but you can select that which maximizes the resources for the needs of your specific project.
In addition to having excellent strength characteristics, the insulating qualities of the foam and the solid, construction reduce air infiltration to minimal levels increasing the energy efficiency of the system. The structures also are impervious to attack from insects or mold and are much quieter in urban environments. There is much to recommend them.
Insulated Concrete Forms As a DIY Project
ICF With Corbel
While Insulated Concrete Forms are a project you may undertake as a DIY home building project, get well educated in advance. Because they are the core structure, there is no room for mistakes in planning, and construction of the system so you need to take advantage of all the expert advice you can find from ICF manufacturers and ICF contractors. You would be well advised to hire a professional ICF contractor if you have any doubts as to your ability to do this project, make sure at a minimum that you hire a qualified Engineer or ICF contractor to consult with and most importantly to inspect the forms before you pour the concrete. In many jurisdictions you may be required to have a licensed Engineer inspect the forms before the pour anyway. Spending a few hundred dollars for expert advice could save you thousands of dollars down the road.
The ICF forms are lightweight and assemble like blocks or are sheets that are tied together with pre-designed form ties. The blocks may be simpler for the DIY home builder while the sheet systems can be faster and offer a cleaner surface to stucco over. The system you select will determine the overall complexity.
All of the systems rely on steel reinforcement to tie the structure together, add tensile strength and to distribute temperature stresses throughout the wall. In very cold climes, often times you will see another wall re-framed to the interior to increase the available cavity for adding to overall u-value with sprayed in Icynene foam or standard fiberglass batts and to proved access to install mechanical and electrical systems. Additionally, ICF structure act as a heat sink in the winter, storing heat energy. and can act as a barrier to the transmission of heat energy in the summer months.
Green Aspects of Insulated Concrete Forms
There is some controversy over whether or not concrete supports green building objectives because of the energy intensive nature of its production. But ICF’s have been recognized for LEED points on the basis of their insulating capability and when fly ash is used in the concrete they are an excellent example of recycling waste to produce a high strength structure with maximum durability, another LEED characteristic. The structure will last a long time, with lower maintenance costs, reducing future impacts to the environment from having to rebuild the building say 100 years hence.
This system is becoming very popular here in Florida for their Resistance to storms, fire and for their superior thermal performance compared to CMU. They are certainly a very viable system for you to consider for your DIY home building project.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 30% [?]
Tweet ThisSimply put windows…are what you put in the holes in your house. Think about that. Holes in your house. It seems to me that if you are going to have holes in your house, you want a very good quality window to prevent those holes from letting the conditioned air out and the cold air in and rain from destroying the interior of your house.
There are three basic categories of windows:
- Wood
- Aluminum
- Vinyl
I will discuss wood windows in particular in this post and specifically clad wood windows as very few people wish to put unclad windows in their house due to the added maintenance of having to paint them every 3-5 years. Clad Wood windows are made of wood, (primarily pine) but are sold primarily with a cladding on the exterior to reduce the exterior maintenance requirements that attach to all windows (no painting). The cladding on the clad wood windows is typically Aluminum, however their are increasing options in this regard in the form of extruded and sheet noble metal claddings such as Bronze, Copper and Zinc.
Clad Aluminum Double Hung Window
The last 3 materials are generally sold only on custom windows which are very expensive and typically can only be justified on hard budgets of over $ 400 PSF. If you are like me (and most others) you will not be building a home in this range.
Bronze Clad Door
However, there are a few copper alternatives manufactured by commodity window manufacturer’s that might in fact fit into your budget. I will discuss these in greater detail in a later post. Anyway back to clad wood windows.
Andersen, Pella, Weathershield, Jeld-Wen and Marvin
The best known names in this field (due to huge marketing budgets) are Anderson, Pella, Weathershield, Jeld-Wen and Marvin. They probably comprise about 65% market share between them and each of them have their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Only a careful review of the features and benefits of each window will reveal what is best for your project. A brief description of the features that I consider important when reviewing the various windows follows below:
Anderson – unique in that the wood window made by Anderson is clad with a PVC vinyl cladding. The cladding is bound to the wood substrate with an adhesive type mechanism which has shown effective, but in some extreme climates worries me that it could detach. The window is backed by a top-notch warranty and I have anecdotal experience that the company takes its warranty obligations seriously.
The other features of the window include a proprietary glazing system that will require that you will always have to go to Anderson for replacement and a reticence by the company to put breather tubes in their glazing system (critical in high altitudes). Anderson is the largest manufacturers of windows (under one brand) in the U.S. Anderson sells their product through a dealer network composed of lumber yards, window dealers and home-improvement contractors. Anderson now also sells a line of composite windows made from the waste wood derived from manufacturing its wood windows under the Renewal brand name.
Pella – Pella manufacturers windows, both clad and unclad in Iowa and markets them through primarily authorized distributors although they have recently started to distribute their builder grade line through Home Depot. The Pella product is distinguished by the availability of built-in roll-down insect screens, between-the-glass window blinds and and an exclusive distributorship for the clearest window screening material made in the United States.
Pella’s clad system is roll-formed and loosely attached which can cause problems such as “oil-canning” in very hot climates and the possibility of condensation forming underneath the cladding in high-humidity locales. Overall Pella makes a good quality window. Pella now manufactures a line of composite windows which show promise from a performance perspective.
Jeld-Wen – sells wood windows under a variety of brand names including Jeld-Wen, Pozzi, Wilmar and a few others. All of these brands were more or less regionally well-known brands and Jeld-Wen has made a weak effort to unify the brands either from a marketing perspective or from a manufacturing perspective from what I can tell. The various brands have quality reputations that you will have to judge for yourself. The Jeld-Wen moniker is a holding company for a broad range of construction products that make Jeld-Wen a very large presence in the construction products category, a great many of them in the commodity category. They are an excellent manufacturer. One special feature of Jeld-Wen windows is their Auralast brand of wood preservative treatment. If you select this optional treatment, you will get a 20 year limited warranty against wood rot on the window.
Marvin – is an old line family owned firm that manufactures a broad line of wood windows and composite windows. One of the distinguishing features of the Marvin brand is that the aluminum clad version is actually an extruded aluminum sash with a Wood insert to the interior. This scenario is also a feature of the Weathershield line and the Window Technologies (now defunct as of 5/2008 source: Window and Door Magazine) line in the Midwest. This method makes for a more rigid sash, and eliminates the possibility of oil-canning and reduces the chances of moisture forming under the cladding. It also places a barrier insulating air space underneath the sash which should add somewhat to its performance in cold climates.
An up and coming brand that traces its heritage back over 50 years is Windsor Windows and Patio Doors. Windsor has completely redesigned their product line to an extruded cladding design over the last few years and have focused on high performance windows available with a high degree of customization.
Among all these companies discussed, their is a strong commitment to supporting green building objectives. They have all submitted to the most stringent testing protocols and all of these manufacturers carry Energy Star qualified windows and doors. It will be critically important that you look very carefully at the energy efficiency of the windows that you select.
The cost of installing high-efficiency glazing systems has fallen to the point that the payback is as low as 3-4 years. As energy costs rise, this payback period will shrink lower still. Look for Energy Star qualified windows suitable to the zone you live in. Select those with the lowest U-Value if you live in the colder climes and select the lowest SHGC if you live in the sunbelt. Your home will be more comfortable, you will use 20-30% less energy over clear glass and you might just be able to obtain tax credits from your state or rebates from you local utility to help pay for the upgraded glazings. For more information on glazing systems see the Efficient Windows Collaborative Selection Tool.
These are the (5) largest manufacturers of wood windows in the United States based on market share. The relative value of their products is affected by a range of factors that will make your choice dependent on your specific needs. There are also a great many regional manufacturers, that make good quality windows that will be equally prevalent in your locale.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 74% [?]
Tweet ThisHome Building starts with the foundation. The foundation of your house is…. well your foundation. If your foundation was laid out wrong, or you are having problems with water or expansive soils around your foundation, you will see them manifest themselves in other areas of the structure. Whether your project is DIY, or you have hired a building contractor, you need to understand the terminology and the pitfalls of each foundation type to make sure you cover all the issues and account for the proper handling of water infiltration and Radon infiltration.
If your foundation does not have an adequate waterproofing system to drain excess water and you do not have a sufficient water barrier on the exterior basement walls, you will have a damp or soggy basement and subsequently, this will lead to mold. In basement foundations, water infiltration is controlled with perimeter drainage systems tied to either a sump pump or daylight drain and a waterproof membrane either sprayed on or mechanically affixed to the perimeter walls.
Perimeter Perforated Drain system - DIY Green Home Improvement
Although basements are popular with a great many people, they are not always feasible. In Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, etc. – sub-surface water is too close for portions of the year to control the possibility of water infiltration to the basement. So in these areas the preferred foundation has become the slab-on-grade.
Slab-on-grade is a foundation where you pour a mattress of concrete (usually with thickened portions at the perimeter and at interior load bearing locations). These are typically 4-6 inches thick and are both very economical and reliable and the easiest to control water issues with. They are preferred when dealing with low-bearing capacity soils and areas with water tables close to the surface (less than 10 feet). You will notice if these are the predominant type of foundation in your area. just look at the building lots in your area when construction begins and you will see what type of foundation is there.
Another issue with basement foundations or crawl-space foundations is the bearing capacity of the underlying soil and the expansiveness of the soil. Expansive soils expand as the take on moisture. If not accounted for, they can destroy a foundation is short order because of the pressures they exert on the concrete. They require special attention to drainage , backfill and sometimes the addition of caissons drilled into rock to support the walls. The caissons are drilled down to rock and the walls are supported on the caissons with a void form underneath to allow for expansion of the soils. In any event, most basement foundations will have a concrete slab for the floor.
Concrete Void Form - DIY Green Home Improvement
Another issue that is important to the safety and health of your family is to plan to mitigate Radon. Radon gas is now recognized as a very serious threat to the health of those who endure long-term exposure. It has been linked to lung cancer and other serious illnesses. It is also present in about 80% of the country. So you need to incoprorate systems to mitigate its presence in the foundation. We will talk about this in detail later.
Lastly, if the foundation is not laid out square, you will have problems with framing the upper portions to a square condition and thus problems with interior finishes etc. It is important to pick a competent and diligent concrete contractor to build the foundation and it even more important to have an engineer design the foundation to ensure that the proper type of foundation is put in place on the site you have chosen. If you do not sufficient expereince and skill to perfrom this project, it will be best to leave it to a pro. It is highly likely, given the need for concrete forms, that you will not be able to justify tackling the foundation as a DIY project. Visit the American Concrete Institute for further information.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 15% [?]
Tweet ThisDIY Green Home Improvement is dedicated to providing the DIY homeowner builder and project warrior, information, tips and resources regarding home improvements and green building techniques and methodologies. We cover all facets of home building systems and home improvement projects and green building objectives. Previously registered users may login through the link in the Meta widget in the right sidebar.
In the pages herein, you will find detailed coverage of home building, green building techniques and methodologies, green building methods, green building products, structural systems, foundations, roofing, siding, HVAC systems, plumbing, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, real estate and project management and financing.
What to Expect at DIY Green Home Improvement
This site is intended to be a gathering spot for people passionate about home improvement, home building and green building issues. In the last few years, everyone has begun focusing on “green building” and “green technologies”. While this has the potential to trigger strong emotions and opinions. In reality, we as Americans have always been known for maximizing our resources and using what has been entrusted to us with care and efficiency. The efficient use of resources is a concept that all of us can agree is in our best interests whatever your personal opinions about the issues of “man made global warming” and “climate change“. Despite the outcry of impending doom, smart, realistic decisions on the use of technologies and methods are best made in a calm, deliberative manner to avoid poor choices or decisions not based on sound analysis of the promise and cost of any one approach.
There are no magic bullet solutions to the myriad of problems we face regarding the use of fossil fuels, only a vast array of solutions that in toto will produce a dramatic increase in energy efficiency and sustainability that is necessary to preserve the quality of our lives. As we expend 30% plus of our total energy usage to heat, cool and light our homes, it is very important we make considered decisions on the technologies, methods and practices we employ in the building of those homes.
This will not be a political forum and we will always endeavor only to discuss the validity of technology and techniques in the framework of do they make sense from a usability and economic standpoint. It is my belief that by focusing on what benefits us as individuals will always lead us to make the most community beneficial choices in methods, practices and economics as it relates to the use of energy sources and choices.
This does not mean we will not debate some of the barriers to implementing new technologies and techniques. There are realities of the the market that we need to understand that can prevent the widespread adoption of viable, desirable technologies and we will discuss those here. We hope you will join in on these discussions and participate where possible as the site develops.
People who looked at this item also looked at…
Related items
Popularity: 2% [?]
Tweet This
