Oct 19 2007
Green homes can look modern and sleek, but what if you want a more traditional looking home? Like a craftsmen or a cape. Holistic Homes is building four green and energy efficient craftsman style homes in Woodstown, New Jersey that are big on style and luxury and small on cost and energy.
Oct 12 2007
Ditching your commute for a home office may seem like a great way to save money, but working from home isn’t entirely free. Running computers, office equipment, heating/cooling equipment, and lighting all day as opposed to just the few morning and evening hours in a day will increase your utility bills.
Oct 05 2007
Is Radiant Floor Heating For You?
Radiant Floor Heating seems all the rage lately, but how does it work? Why is it used in green and energy efficient homes? And is it a better choice than a Forced Hot Air system?
Radiant Floor Heating can be installed under any type of floor but slab, tile, and masonry floors are the best because they store heat most efficiently. Hardwood floors also work well with a Radiant Floor Heating System, but carpet should be avoided because it essentially insulates the floor, reducing the heat that enters the room.
Sep 28 2007
Windows are important to the overall design of a home. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles in order to give our home the look we want. Windows also provide us with sunlight and beautiful views. But if you are planning on building a green or energy efficient home windows are also essential to the efficiency of the design. Is it possible to have the both of best worlds?
Sep 28 2007
A room used exclusively for taking off shoes and throwing down belongings is great during inclement weather or for a home with kids, but a mudroom is more than just practical. Mudrooms have also proven to be part of a healthy, green home. What is it about this entry room that makes our homes healthier and more efficient?
Sep 21 2007
Planning to build a green home can be confusing.What makes a green home green?What factors are most important and why?
Factors such as, building envelope, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, renewable energy, local conditions and green materials have significant effects on the health and efficiency of our homes. Deciding what matters the most to you and your family is up to you.
Protecting your home from the elements is one of the most important considerations. The building envelope is the separation between the interior and exterior of a home (essentially, it is the outer shell). This separation is usually made up of walls, a roof, and a foundation and is an important factor in the home’s efficiency.
Sep 20 2007
When shopping for an energy efficient washer and dryer, you might find that most washers are front loading (also know as vertical-axis washers).
So, what is it that makes a front loading washer more efficient than a top loading (horizontal-axis) washer?
According to Energy Star, front loading washers are up to 40% more efficient than top loaders.
Top loading washers fill the tub with about 40 gallons of water in order to soak the entire load of laundry.
The tub of a front loading washer rotates so that laundry tumbles into a smaller amount of water (18-25 gallons) at the bottom of the washer, therefore, the tub does not need to be filled completely.
Sep 18 2007
Air infiltration is a top source of energy loss in a typical house. Building a tight house is a great, economical way to prevent that energy loss. But doesn’t a tight house trap air inside of your home?
A common misconception of a “tight” house is that it does not have ample air circulation resulting in a build up of moisture and stale air.
For these reasons a properly built “tight” home requires the knowledge of building science and mechanical air exchange.
Sep 14 2007
Note from Your Green Neighbor: Occasionally I will profile little tasks that are easy to do and yield big benefits when it comes to improving the performance of your home’s efficiency and the environment.
A good way to go green is by starting small.
Sure, recycling cans and bottles is a pretty standard practice and throwing away used batteries is no longer a habit of yours, but what about taking it a step further?
Did you know that replacing incandescent bulbs (typical household light bulbs) in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs (aka CFLs) is a small task with big benefits?
