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 — BY TERRI L. JONES —
GREEN HOME
Give your home the makeover that makes sense – and dollars.
Any remodeling project can be daunting, but the choices and complexities of “going green” can leave even the most seasoned homeowners scratching their heads. But the good news is it isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, according to Stephanie Ackermann, owner of EcoLogic, a retailer of “environmentally responsible” remodeling products, operating out of a “green” rehabbed building on West Main Street in Richmond.
“Every little thing that you can do makes a big contribution,” she says. Through seminars and advice to homeowners coming into their store, Ackermann and contractor husband Fred can lay out the many green options for you and help determine which ones fit comfortably into your lifestyle.
filters to clean the air inside your home. Better
GET SMART ABOUT ENERGY
Every green move is a move in the right direction. However, in the green scheme of things, even the most environmentally conscious products and processes will never compensate for a home that’s an energy hog.
There are plenty of “passive” strategies requiring no extra maintenance, like insulation and energy-efficient windows and doors.
These strategies help your home retain warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer as well as keep outside air from sneaking in. In fact, says green architect Scott Kyle, principal at Full Scale Architecture, “making a house airtight and insulating can cut energy bills in half.” And a combination of Low-E glass in windows and exterior elements like landscaping, roof overhangs and shutters helps keep the sun from heating up your home — and the resulting increased demand on your cooling system.
Another savvy investment is Energy Star® appliances, which meet strict energy guidelines set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star reports that using these energy misers along with their best practices help consumers cut their utility bills by about 30 percent and in turn, their carbon footprint. And while most people know that compact fluorescent and LED bulbs are energy-efficient, what many don’t realize, says Kyle, is that they are also cooler than incandescents. That takes some of the heat off your cooling system as well.
 KEEPING THE AIR CLEAN
No doubt that a tight building envelope can keep your home from leaking energy. But “creating an airtight compartment can create new challenges in the area of indoor air quality,” notes Kyle. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, air pollution can be two to five times greater indoors than out.
The culprits are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) or chemicals used in paints, cabinet adhesives, carpet and other building materials that become gaseous at room temperature and can remain in the air long after installation. When your home is sealed airtight for energy efficiency, these chemicals, as well as more common irritants such as dust, mold and animal dander, can become trapped and can wreak havoc on your health.
Your first line of defense, of course, is keeping these chemicals and irritants out of your home. (Ackermann cautions that while paints may be marketed as “low- or no-VOC,” sometimes pigments can add VOCs back in. Be sure to ask before you buy.) You can use electronic or media air filters to clean the air inside your home. Better yet, a balanced ventilation system (the “V” part of your HVAC system) that both ushers in new air and exhausts the old will refresh the air you breathe. And by using the energy from the outgoing air to condition the air coming in, a balanced system can also save you energy.
DO UNTO THE EARTH …
Sustainable harvesting and responsible manufacturing are important considerations in choosing what you include in your green remodel. However, they shouldn’t be your only criteria.
Another important piece of the puzzle is carbon footprint. For example, “When granite is quarried, it uses tons of energy and can often travel long distances,” says Blue Crump, principal of Cityspace Construction, Inc., a Class A general contractor specializing in green remodeling. “Instead, we buy a lot of slate from supplier Buckingham Slate in nearby Buckingham County.”
Another environmentally responsible remodeling product, notes Ackermann, is earthen plaster. Made from recycled postindustrial aggregates and clay, earthen plaster doesn’t require high-energy kilns or reactors to produce, contains no VOCs, and prevents moisture and therefore mold from forming.
Using materials on their second life like recycled shingles and insulation and reclaimed wood from abandoned mills, barns and other structures allows you to not only minimize your impact on the environment but also reduces waste. But this spirit of reducing waste must also extend to the job site. Cityspace Construction has frequent recycling pickups on their jobs and donates reusable items to Habitat for Humanity.
 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE?
It’s easy to believe that our water supply is infinite, but it’s not. Based on the most recent study conducted by the Awwa Research Foundation in 1999, the indoor residential water usage for each American is 69.3 gallons per day. When you install more efficient fixtures in your home, according to the
Handbook of Water Use and Conservation by Amy Vickers, you can cut your water usage by about 35 percent. Consider water-saving low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucet aerators for maximum effectiveness. You can also minimize your impact on municipal water sources using simple steps like repairing leaky fixtures, waiting until your washer is full before running and using rainwater collection systems.
Afraid remodeling green means you’ll also have to shell out a lot more green stuff? According to Ackermann, “Now that the green building movement has picked up speed, the costs of most green building materials are really quite competitive with what you can buy everywhere else.”
And once you’ve gone green, you’ll find you’re cutting back in other ways, too. Crump likens it to buying a hybrid car and the inclination to drive less. “Once you’ve remodeled green, you start thinking about your choices more and you start shifting your lifestyle.” And that’s when the real benefits begin!
Terri L. Jones is a freelance writer living in Richmond.
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