Snappy Green » Renovating

New Build Homes Should REALLY Consider “How to Reduce Utility Usage First”.

DavidPopoff — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:59:38 +0000

When considering building a new home one should look at how to reduce the need for heat and cooling loads first. One of the easiest ways is to consider a better thermal envelope or if you like blanket around the whole of the house.

In general the insulation cost of a new build is under or around 1% of the total cost of construction. It would not take much more to improve your insulation barrier and thus reduce your heating and cooling loads a considerable amount. Once you reduce your heating and cooling loads this would also require smaller mechanical, HVAC system, and thus lower you construction costs a little as well.

The second major culprit in heat and cooling loss is due to air leakage or also known as air infiltration. Sealing all holes is very important. Some of the biggest culprits of this are the rim joist, sill plates and top plates in new construction along with doors, windows and holes cut for various pipes, wires and mechanicals.

The PassivHaus, Passive House, requirements are an advanced; some say extreme build design but they achieve great results. Depending on what Passive House website you go to you will find different insulation values but in general they suggest:

Walls R-60
Roof R-80
Floor Slab R 60

I was recently at a Passive House seminar and they used the Rideau Residence in Ottawa, Ontario as an example. This is the first certified Passive House in Canada (and as well is a LEED Platinum Home) which cost about 10% more to build per square foot than a similar home but uses 90 per cent less energy than the typical Canadian home.

The total construction cost for this 3300 square foot duplex ran approximately $250 per square foot compared to the average custom home in Ottawa will cost about $225 a square foot.

At the seminar they said that total utility cost for the year are about $400 and compared to a typical similar Canadian home would save $30,000 over 10 years. The super thick insulation added to this home cost an estimated $20,000. Insulation is just one of the many components that go into building a sustainable green home but is a great example of how today’s building science is evolving.

Remember to first look at how you can reduce your usage of natural resources, this is the key to sustainable living, and then adds to that reuse, recycle and renewable sources to make a complete circle of responsibility to achieve a green healthy lifestyle.

William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Darien

Event: Solar Electric & Solar Thermal Installations

ctgreenrealtor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:39:39 +0000

Title: Solar Electric & Solar Thermal Installations
Location: St. Bridget Church (School Cafeteria) 80 Main Street, Manchester, Connecticut
Link out: Click here
Description: This seminar will help you get started toward understanding what is needed for designing and installing well-performing solar systems. Architects, builders, designers, building managers, & policy makers should especially benefit from this workshop. Please register in advance by calling (860) 233-5684 or (860) 649-9827 or (860) 489-9555 or (203) 613-4363 or (845) 669-8341.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION NECESSARY. No Charge for Members of the Solar Energy Assoc of Conn OR of NESEA . Others $5 This event is presented by the Solar Energy Association of Connecticut, a NonProfit, Educational, Public-Awareness Organization. For directions and details , please see www.SolarEnergyOfCT.org.

Start Time: 02:00
Date: 2011-02-12

Cork: From Bulletin Board To Floor

ctgreenrealtor — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:26:55 +0000

by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

When I first saw cork flooring I thought it would never be resilient enough for the floor but if you think about it the cork on a bulletin board manages to still look good even after being repeatedly poked with tacks. So in doing some research I discovered that cork, a adurable and highly abrasion resistant substance, is often used in high traffic public buildings including schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, shops and offices.

In addition to being tough, cork is a healthy, energy saving & environmentally friendly choice. Cork detracts bugs, mites and mold (& supposedly even termites). It reduces heat loss in rooms because it naturally maintains a comfortable temperature and it is a renewable resource harvested from the outer bark of the tree. There is a negative and that is like bamboo, cork does not grow locally in our area and country. Therefore it uses fossil fuels to be transported most likely from Portugal or other Southern areas in Europe and Northern Africa. However, of further benefit cork is also naturally fire resistant and absorbs sound, making it suitable for playrooms and music rooms. All around, cork is a flooring product worth considering.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com William Raveis Real Estate

You Can Even Buy Recycled Carpet

ctgreenrealtor — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:42:15 +0000

by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

Between four and five billion pounds of carpet are replaced every year in the United States alone, but less than 1% of this is recycled. In other words, 99% of old carpet is sent to landfills instead of being recycled and made into new carpet. About 60% of carpet manufactured in the U.S. is made of nylon which can easily be recycled back into carpet or into raw materials for car parts, etc. Plastic bottles and textiles can also be reduced to their basic material level and used to weave new carpets. Despite the variety of materials, recycled carpet is very similar in look and feel to standard carpet.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com William Raveis Real Estate

Bamboo Hot Trend For 2011

ctgreenrealtor — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:24:34 +0000

by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

Two years ago JWT Intelligence said gluten-free was on the rise and now every mainstream food market has a substanital gluten-free section. Betty Crocker even has gluten-free brownie mix & a line of baking products. Here’s what J. Walter Thompson has to say about Bamboo in its report ’100 Things to Watch in 2011′

Is there anything bamboo can’t do? It’s being touted as the sustainable building material of the future, and now Garnier Nutrisse Hair Color is touting the bamboo extract in its HerbaShine as imparting “radiant color.” Expect to see more bamboo everywhere from bicycles to clothing to kitchenware.

Below are pictures of the bamboo floors at the Healing Sanctuary in Fairfield CT

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com William Raveis Real Estate

For more on bamboo see:
Bamboo Flooring Quick Facts