Replacing Old Windows is a Great Green Step

As Michigan homeowner Rob Fanjoy knows, replacing older windows with new, Energy Star rated ones, can be a great step towards cutting energy costs and boosting home value.  Last year, Fanjoy replaced his 50 year-old windows with energy-efficient Simonton windows, and one year later, saw a 18,300 cubic foot decrease in the gas used to heat his home.  Not only that, Fanjoy additionally shaved 1,660 kilowatt hours from his electric bills due to lower air conditioning costs.

Fanjoy is among a growing number witnessing the energy-saving and value-boosting benefits of new window systems.  From companies such as Simonton and JELD-WEN, a number of Energy Star rated products with Low-E glass (a glass coating that keeps heat inside in the winter, and outside in the summer), are becoming available on the market that not only boost the curb-appeal of homes, but also drastically cut the energy costs.

These products and their benefits only support the findings of a recent poll published in the July issue of Green Building Product Dealer, in which an estimate 73% of homeowners would be willing to pay more for building and remodeling products that offer green or energy-efficient advantages.

First Steps Toward a Greener Home

An environmentally friendlier home (emphasis on the “friendlier) should be the goal of every homeowner and builder, says Nick DiCosola, president and founder of the Chicago-based custom-homebuilding firm Distinguished Dwellings (www.distinguishedwellings.com). And according to DiCosola, most of the upgrades that can make a home greener and more energy efficient won’t affect its traditional appearance. In fact, visitors to your home won’t even notice most of the green upgrades you make.

Of course, if you want to provide visual statements to your commitment to green building, you can opt for bamboo flooring, countertops made from recycled materials, and similar materials that will make your home look good as well as more efficient and eco-friendly. DiCosola calls these “aesthetic green” improvements, and draws a distinction between them and “functional green” improvements, which are relatively inexpensive and easy to incorporate in any home, no matter its design or location. Some of DiCosola’s functional green home improvements include the following:

• Insulation: Use as much as you can appropriately fit in any given space. There are many new insulation choices available today, ranging from recycled newspapers and denim to injected foam. High-absorption insulation also slows the flow and leakage of heat.

• Furnace: Install a power-vented, dual-stage furnace with an efficiency rating of 90+ percent.

• Hot water heater: Install a tankless, on-demand hot-water heater, which is 20- to 25-percent more efficient than a traditional hot-water tank and takes up much less space.

• Low-flow toilets and washing machine: An older toilet can use three to seven gallons of water per flush. Today’s standard low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush and save thousands of gallons of water a year. Dual-flush toilets, widely used in Europe, are the next step in efficiency

• Low-E and argon-filled windows: These produce the best R-factor (degree of insulation) and minimize the escape of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. Triple-glazed or paned windows are the ultimate in energy-efficiency

• Energy Star heating and cooling products: The EPA says that if 10 percent of households used these energy-saving appliances and products, we could keep 17 billion pounds of pollution out of the air.

• Build tight with ventilation: Homes that are built tighter are more comfortable and less drafty. However, it is important to bring in fresh air through mechanical means such as a heat-recovery ventilation unit.

Now is the time to incorporate energy-saving features, DiCosola says, as the expense of building green is on the decline. While it used to cost at least 15 percent more to build with green products, it will now only add one to three percent to construction costs.

Creative Countertops

When it comes to kitchen countertop materials, homeowners have a wide range of options from which to choose, including wood, butcher block, ceramic tile and laminates as well as marble, granite, quartz, engineered stone, soapstone, solid surface, concrete, stainless steel and recycled-glass terrazzo. Now you can add two new materials to that list – bamboo and recycled commodes.

That’s right – a company called EnviroGlas, based in Plano, Texas, has developed a way of taking crushed porcelain from recycled toilets, sinks and tubs and mixing it with resins of various colors to create a terrazzo called EnviroMODE, a durable, eco-friendly material homeowners can use as countertops. The material is heat- and scratch-resistant, is highly resistant to common household stains and is easily cleaned. It’s also free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and does not require a seal.

EnviroMODE was developed by Tim Whaley, principal of EnviroGlas, who was approached by the City of Dallas and asked if he had any ideas for using old toilets the city wanted to recycle. Having had experience in creating terrazzo surfaces using recycled glass, Whaley saw a way to use the crushed porcelain to create a similar material. The crushed porcelain used in the countertops has “a beautiful pearl-like finish,” notes Sherlyn McAnally, recycling manager for the City of Dallas. EnviroMODE is also available in planks for use as flooring.

Speaking of flooring, bamboo has become a popular flooring option in the last few years, thanks to its beauty and durability as well as its sustainability. Now, after conducting extensive research, Totally Bamboo has introduced its new solid bamboo kitchen countertops.

The bamboo countertops are constructed with cross-band laminates called Multilam, which greatly reduce twisting and warping and result in a countertop that is 16 percent harder than maple, according to the company. In addition, the countertops are non-toxic and formaldehyde-free. Flat grain, vertical grain and parquet end grain patterns are available, in sanded and unfinished planks, with standard thicknesses and lengths. The cost is about $30 per square foot. For more information on EnviroMODE: www.enviroglasproducts.com. For more info on Bamboo Countertops: www.totallybamboo.com.