If you have allergies or find your home air quality is poor, there are steps to preform to make sure your homes airflow is healthy.

Having allergies can be uncomfortable, but what if your home is adding to the problem?.  The air that is circulating throughout the house should be as clean as possible. If your home is certified green, you are way ahead of the game. Your duct openings were sealed during the construction process. The air conditioning unit was properly sized to the home and proper filtration installed. If your home is not certified green by one of the recognized standards, there are things you can do to improve your indoor air quality. Cleaning your ductwork can range from $650 and up depending on the size of your home and the amount of ducts. Dirt and drywall plaster dust collects in the ductwork during construction, and then circulates around your home each time your AC comes on. If you ever notice that your home seems particularly dusty, this would be my first guess. Furthermore, as you live in a home more than 90% of all the dirt in the ducts will be skin cells. Ducts are dark and cool so it makes a perfect breeding ground for mold to grow if there is a food source. (i.e. skin cells)

There are two types of duct cleaning. One uses a rotary brush to scrub the inside of the ducts and push the dirt out. The other system uses a high velocity vacuum with a HEPA filter to remove the dirt and dust completely from all the cracks and potential nooks.  Make sure the company cleaning the ducts also sanitizes the ducts after they are cleaned. This helps to prevent mold spores from settling and forming mold colonies.

Once your ductwork is cleaned you should assess your budget and see if you can afford to purchase an ultraviolet light, which is mounted in the duct right next to the condensation pan. In hot humid climates, these pans are reservoirs for mold colonies.

Mold, bacteria, and virus growth inside ductwork are the primary contributors to Sick Building Syndrome. The moisture and warmth found in around air conditioning coils and within ductwork create an excellent host environment for any number of bacteria and disease, most notably Legionella. The simple installation of an ultraviolet light can prevent a host of potential problems. The cost of a UV light system is around $650 but if you are doing the duct cleaning at the same time you can probably get a package deal.

Another area you will want to consider is if you are going to paint the rooms in your home. You will want to use a Low or No VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint. This paint will not “smell” or off-gas.

If you are using wallpaper or a wallpaper border make sure it is perforated wallpaper, which allows the walls to breathe and the paste to dry completely. Wallpaper is one of the biggest culprits for mold growth. It provides an ideal environment for mold to feed on past and grow behind the wallpaper. You will want to stay away from vinyl wallpaper (VOC’s are given off by the vinyl) and make sure the paste does not contain pesticides.

One last area you will want to look at is the floor. Depending on the type of flooring, it could be the cause of indoor air pollution. If you have carpet, you will want to check to see that it is a green label product. The pad must also be green label to prevent VOC’s. A better solution is to have wood or tile flooring which is easier to clean and reduces harmful bacteria.

Hopefully, after these steps you can breathe better and feel better about the air quality in your home.

-Mr. Green

Saving energy during the winter is the greenest thing you can do, easily!

Coastal living is great! Beautiful summers and mild winters, but when it comes to preparing for winter it doesn’t hurt to take a few notes from our northern friends.  Many of the technique’s used to save energy during the cold winter months in the northern states can easily be applied to any home in any climate.  

Windows:  Let’s get this one out of the way.  Cost per dollar savings for windows is going to be the least cost effective choice to save energy.  Dual Pane windows are great upgrade to a home, but unless you have broken windows your money is better spent on more effective cost per savings ratios.  The best thing to do for your windows is to make sure the caulking and weather-stripping is still good, if not redo the caulking and weather-stripping.  During the day, make sure southern facing windows are wide open to allow the home to absorb all the natural heat gain.  In the evening close the drapes to trap in the daytime heat gain.

Insulation:  Having a properly insulated home will help in both warm and cold temperatures.  Ceilings should at least an R-30 value and at least an R10 in the walls.  The further north the heavier the insulation should be in the walls.  Insulation is the best value for your dollar spent on improving energy efficiency for you home.  A common mistake made by builders and architects is to place the air conditioning ducting outside of the insulated house space, by placing them above the ceiling’s insulation in the attic. This means that the cold air in the ducts must travel through hot ductwork. If ductwork is located in the attic, then the ceiling of the attic should be insulated to a level of at least R-30.

Blower Door Test:  This is a test that will check for leaks in your home and in your ductwork.  With this test, you use the test along with an infrared camera to find out if your ductwork is leaking and which points in your home need attention to seal up large leaks.  Contact a local energy rater to perform this test.

Thermostat:  A programmable thermostat can help control the use of heat throughout the day. For every degree you reduce on the thermostat you can expect about 3% savings on your fuel bill. Optimal indoor temperature is 68 degrees during waking hours and 5-8 degrees cooler while you’re sleeping. Set your programmable thermostat and forget about the 70s.

Water Heater:  This tip is both a energy saving tip and a safety tip.  Make sure your hot water heater is set no higher than 120 degrees.  By reducing your water heater down 20% you will save 10% on your utilities bill.

Ceiling Fans:  Ceiling fans are great for the hot months, but they can be equally as helpful in the winter months.  Reversing the fan to push air down will keep the warm air towards the occupied area instead of the ceiling.

Switching your bulbs:  The days are shorter during the winter season and the use of light bulbs increase with shorter time for daylight.  Switching your light bulbs to energy star rated bulbs will help save energy & money.

All these tips combined together will drastically reduce your energy bills and make you home more comfortable to live.  You can feel good about the savings on your pocket book and reduction of environmental resources used to keep your home comfortable.

-Mr. Green

What are the top Green Features to look for in a home?

When looking for new home the best way is to look for a home that holds some type of regional or national certification.  While there are many builders out there not all build to these current practices, but may claim that their homes are "Green".  Keep in mind a certification holds the builder to a building level and requires third party verification to prove that a home is green.  Without that anything a builder may tell you is hearsay.  A newly built home must meet minimum state and local "standards or codes".  Simply buying a home that meets the standards is not really enough these days.  Buying a home is a big investment and if you plan on keeping your purchase for a long time or want a good return on resale value you want a home that is going to demand a premium.  Just like when you buy a car there is the base car no frills car, middle of the road car, the car that is fully equipped, and now more recently a hybrid option of the same model car.  There is an argument out there that you are paying a premium for the hybrid option and the cost of that premium does not justify getting a hybrid.  Some have the same perception about green homes.  The “premium” does not justify the payout in return.  For a home these perceptions are false.  Green built homes do show a return if you pick the right features.  If you can't get a certified home or want to update your current home make sure you pick the features that are going to have the best rate of return.  Here is a quick rundown on which areas to focus on in you home purchase or rehab.  

HVAC/Insulation & Air Quality/ Low or No VOC Paints: Having what we consider a “tight” Heating Ventilation and Air condition system teamed with a soy based spray foam will help you increase home efficiency and decrease equipment costs.  When a home has sealed ductwork and good insulation you can reduce the size of mechanical equipment such as A/C nits and heaters.  By having the correct fit system usually means you can get a smaller system that can save you money.  In turn that money can be used for other money saving green features.  Having the correct fitted mechanical system will also prolong the life of your equipment.  If your mechanical equipment is over or undersized this creates stress on the systems and leads to frequent repairs and inefficient performance.

Since we are talking about mechanical systems it feels natural and easy to add on air filtration.  An air filtration system will make sure the air quality in you home is healthy.  On average most homes have more pollutants inside than outside your home.  Keeping the air clean will help with allergies and other air borne health issues. Along with the home filtration making sure the builder is using paints, stains, and carpets that have zero to no VOC (Volatile Organic Compound).  Typically the affects of VOC’s are not seen immediately, but over a life time they and can start to develop chronic illness or fatigue over a prolong exposure. Having clean indoor air will make your home a healthy place to live.

Energy Efficient Windows/Bulbs/Appliances:  If you are buying a home having energy efficient windows are an easy add on and should be standard.  If you are upgrading you existing windows to energy efficient window, it probably the least cost efficient upgrade for your rate of return on investment.  You best dollar spent would be on insulation.  If your windows are broken or you have the funds it still is a worthy upgrade.

Bulbs play a big role in your electricity costs.  CFL’s have been the go to item in the bulb category.  More recently LED bulbs are hitting the market in a wider available bulb types and lower entry cost.  LED bulbs typically are going to cost more up front, but in the overall life of the bulb it will save you hundreds per bulb.  One LED bulb will last anywhere from 15-25 years.

Energy efficient appliances will help on your electric and water bills.  The amount of water used in high efficiency washers are much less that of the wash machines built just 7 years ago.  Look for an Energy Star logo on the appliance and you can’t go wrong.

Sustainable yards:  Having your yard work for you, means you won’t be working hard in your yard.  Most of the time the landscaping is one of the last items you think about or put extra money into when buying a home.  Having a sustainable yard that is in tune with your local ecosystem puts less strain on daily, weekly, and yearly maintenance.  Many sustainable yards require no or little up keep.  Using grey water from a cistern to maintain your yard will save you on your monthly water bill.

Water Conservation:  Cisterns are great!  Using rainwater for yard irrigation or filtered grey water for non-consumable/cleansing activities will save greatly on your water bill.  Cisterns come in all types of shapes and sizes and can easily be hidden.

Alternative Energy-Wind/Solar:  Alternative energy is great, but the cost and return on investment is a longer period of time.  Solar panels or you may hear the term pv are mostly considered a luxury green item.  If you are looking for a “net zero” or “off grid” home, solar is typically the way to achieve this.  A net zero home is a home that does not pull energy from the local power company.  In some cases a net zero home may produce enough energy that it actually feeds energy back into the grid.  Depending on your location you may receive money back, but more likely a credit to be issued to your account.  In the months you are not feeding the grid you then have reserves built up on your account to apply to that months of high-energy expenditure.  Wind is starting to be a viable alternative energy for residential homes with new products coming into the market.  Like in some solar situations and surrounding areas you neighbors may not appreciate your energy efficient products.  Most neighbors don’t like to look at solar panels or large wind turbine.  The choice of using alternative energy largely depends on you geo location, architecture, neighbor hood and financial commitment.

Is there a wrong green feature?  I would say no, but you want to be wise on with your funds and make sure that you truly are getting what you pay for in your home.  This is an exciting time and the green movement is finally in a good stage of adoption.  Everyone’s combined effort in making smart green choices will not go unnoticed, allowing future generations to enjoy a cleaner environment.

-Mr. Green

Is building green a lifestyle of sacrifice or a lifestyle of premiums?

Typically, there have been two perceived schools of thought on the green lifestyle.  The first is the fully immersed individual; they go to the extreme in the green movements with items like a compost garden, is interested in public transportation and committed to the use of natural products.  The second perceived notion of being green is an expensive endeavor that requires you to pay a premium.  This individual drives a hybrid vehicle, installs solar panels on their home and is willing to pay a premium for “green” products.  

In their own regards, both groups are committed to their lifestyle and at times one group feels disconnected towards the other in the method in which they achieve their green lifestyle.  While each lifestyle is committed to their actions in being green they often don’t understand each other’s means to getting to their green ends.  It then becomes a power play on which lifestyle is the true green lifestyle.  The sacrificial lifestyle resents the premium lifestyle for using their money to achieve their green lifestyle and the premium lifestyle mocks the minimalist for being unrealistic in their everyday needs. The current green awareness on television, in our schools, and in our community is astounding. The participation level is at an all time high with more individuals getting involved in their own way.  I believe a vast majority of municipalities at least have a recycling program, fifteen years ago there was very little recycling being done via municipalities.

The green movement is so popular that a high percentage of products are now marketed to you solely on their “greenness”.  While some of these marketing techniques are designed to make you feel better about your purchase it all is starting to add up and getting the next generation and the generation after that more involved and aware of their impact on the environment.

The fact is that most consumers don’t fall in either extreme category.  Many individuals are in the middle.  When it comes to being green or building green you can do it on any budget, to any extreme.  Every little bit helps to make this planet better.  Don’t worry if you feel you can’t be an extreme.  Just do your part to make this a better environment now and for the future.

-Mr. Green

Should I invest in a wind turbine for my home?

You need to ask yourself a few questions before flying down the path of wind turbine ownership.  

Do I have the correct geographically location?  Most homes have the ability to install solar panels in some manner on the home.  The sun is going to hit your home eventually unless you are deeply covered with trees.  Wind on the other hand is not going to be good for every home type.  If you do live in a mature neighborhood, trees can play a factor in how much wind is flowing around you home.  If you live in a wide open area you have a better chance for longer more frequent bursts of wind.

Will my investment payoff?  The U.S. Department of Energy has surveyed the entire United States with averages available for your geographical area.  The surveys are done at an 80-meter height.  On average the state of Florida generates 6.0 m/s, which converts to 160 kW.  Utility bills are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).  The wind turbines are also calculated by size in kW.  In Florida you would not need a turbine larger than 10 kW.   Companies and industry groups state the average power usage for a home is about 10,000 kWh.  If we use the Florida daily average of 160 kW, times 365 days a year, the calculated output is 58,400 kW per year.  These numbers look good, but this is assuming that you are having 6.0 m/s winds for everyday of the year.   There are so many factors to consider if your system is actually going to sustain the full daily average.  There is also power that is lost with in the system during conversion.   The costs of home wind turbine systems have been reducing every year.  The average system can be bought for under $15,000 per turbine.  Currently The U.S. government provides a 30% rebate on installed systems.

At this point or in the future the cost of these systems will keep decreasing and your return on investment will payoff that much sooner.  If you meet the geographical, financial, and finally the NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) factor of your neighbors or homeowners association I think it is becoming a viable option for alternative energy for the average residential home.

-Mr. Green

What certifications are out there and which one is the best?

Mr. Green-You write about green certifications a few times in your articles.  What certifications are out there and which one is the best? –Frank V. Parrish, FL  

Thanks for your question Frank.   As a green consultant I am never going to say that there is a bad certification.  All the recognized national and regional certifications provide value to a home and a consumer.  The programs that you need to watch out for are the builders that have developed their “own” programs.  They may have a home package that have marketing names like “Energy savers plus or Green upgrade.”  You need to ask what they are actually doing in these packages and how is it benefiting the home.  Ask for proof that their packages work.  Some builders actually do include certifications in their “marketing packages.”  It is always best to ask.  If the home is being built to a specific certification, you as buyer need to state that you want the home certified before it is built.  You cannot get a certification on the home after it is built.  The recognized regional and national certification process starts before ground is broken and is verified by an independent certification consultant.  The certifier checks the process throughout the construction to make sure it complies with the certification that is being spec’d out for the home.  If your home is being built to certification and not being certified you are leaving valuable perks on the table.  A couple added perks would be reduced mortgage rates and higher resale value.  A home can have more than one certification.  Each certification is tailored differently depending on what you want to achieve and there are levels of certifications within the respective certifications for example (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum).  The “green” movement is growing strong.  We should give credit to the organization that actually gave creditability to the movement.  It was actually the American Lung Association that should get credit for the starting the green certification movement. They developed a Healthy Home program back in 1996, specifically designed for indoor air quality, which became one of the key factors for all the green home standards across the country.  Below is a list of the ones used in the state of Florida.

FGBC Green Home Certification – Specifically developed for Florida and the unique hot and humid climate. It is also the most recognized certification in Florida. It is affordable and flexible allowing for focus areas.  For example you can concentrate on energy or water throughout your project.  FGBC (Florida Green Building Coalition) was the first green home certification recognized by the Florida Home Builders. It was also one the first formats used in the country and was the basis for other certifications including NAHB and LEED.  www.floridagreenbuilding.org

NAHB Green Home Standard – Designed for states that did not have a green certification. It was designed with track homebuilders in mind wanting to procure certifications across the United States.  It has also been ANSI – (American National Standards Institute) certified. In the state of Florida, large track homebuilders or builders/homeowners looking for a national certification at a reasonable cost use the NAHB standard.  www.NAHB.org

USGBC LEED Home Standard – Designed specifically for those builders, homeowners and track homebuilders that want to achieve a higher standard in green home certifications. According to USGBC it is for only the top 25 percent of all green homes. It is a national certification. It costs more to achieve and requires builders to apply additional funds into the building process.  www.USGBC.org

Energy Star – Designed specifically for reducing energy usage within a home. This is not a standalone green certification; it is typically used in conjunction with one of the aforementioned green certification programs to procure points. It does not take into consideration the entire housing envelope inside and outside of the home.  www.energystar.gov

Water Star  –  Designed specifically for reducing water usage inside and outside of the home. It is not a standalone green certification; it is typically used in conjunction with one of the aforementioned green certification to procure points in water conservation. It does not address the construction process. www.sjrwmd.com/floridawaterstar

-Mr. Green

If you have a question for Mr. Green, please email, facebook or twitter us and; we may answer your question right here.

Please add the following contact info:

Twitter: @TwoTrails

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TwoTrails

CFL- Warm-up

Mr. Green:  I’m doing my part and switched out my bathroom fixture bulbs with CFL bulbs.  My only complaint is the warm up time takes longer than I would care to wait.  What can I do? –Judy McKee  

Did you know that if every American home replaced one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

I think most people understand CFL and LED bulbs are better and will save you money in the long run.  The problem is sometimes the short run is equally important at the moment you are buying a bulb.  While the price of CFL bulbs have declined over the years when compared to a regular bulb, it still is more expensive.   The savvy shopper in all of us looks at the bulb and compares them to the other brand of CFL bulbs.  They all have the same numbers in performance, so like many of you I too would buy the one on sale or the cheapest one out of all the brands.  Unfortunately that is where the mistake happens.  My son recently fell into this problem as well.  He went to his local super hardware store and bought the one that was most abundantly displayed and cheapest.  Just like any product CFL bulbs are made all over the world and in variable levels of quality.  Some of the bulbs are massed produced for the large chains so they can meet a good margin on the product.  I don’t typically like to promote one brand over another but the brand names that are known for quality in this arena still apply, like GE.  Judy, I believe from the description that you purchased a lower quality CFL.  There is nothing wrong with these bulbs you may just want to move it to a less performance based location and into an area like the basement were warm up time is not a factor.  If you search Google there are reviews on CFL bulbs, but unfortunately there are not many on the warm up time.  This is one of those personal preferences you have to figure out by trial and error, but a good place to start is a higher quality bulb.  Thanks for the question Judy

-Mr. Green

If you have a question for Mr. Green, please email, facebook or twitter us; and we may answer your question right here.

Twitter: @TwoTrails

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TwoTrails

What is a building envelope and why is it important?

A building envelope is commonly defined as the separation of the interior and exterior of a building.  It helps facilitate climate control and protect the indoor environment.  Overall it is the entire exterior building system.  It includes doors, windows, roof, foundation, floor, siding and all the components such as structural masonry and insulation. In the past articles we have discussed or you are aware of energy efficient bulbs, energy efficient appliances, and updated mechanical systems such as heating and cooling systems.  If the building envelope is not in good shape all the updates to other systems will not matter.  The reason for this is the building envelope can account for a substantial amount energy loss if not properly attended.

The benefits of a good building envelope include reduced stress, wear and tear on mechanical systems.  This results in turn to reduce energy bills.  This is an attractive benefit to you and the resale value of the house to prospective buyers.

Unfortunately the building envelope is not just one component, but a variety of independent parts that make the system.  Replacing one part of the system will increase your efficiency, but to a minimal degree if you do not address all parts of the system your efficiency will not be as high as it should be with all components operating efficiently.

If you have an older home remember homes were designed in an era where energy was less expensive.  I have mentioned in the past windows and doors are actually one of the highest cost ratio items to upgrade in a home for the return on investment and savings ratio.  However, when it pertains to the building envelope windows and doors are a critical component to the envelope and should be replaced if needed.  While windows and doors are the most expensive item to upgrade the easiest way and least expensive update for this would be caulking and weather-stripping.  The upgrade helps seal what suffers the most wear and tear.  This component is often overlooked, but can have a massive impact on a homes efficiency.  The exterior wall and fascia are often not insulated.  The exterior should be checked to make sure it is performing to the standards of ventilation originally intended for the home.  Technology has advanced over the years to correct ventilation and moisture issues if it is present.  The last component is the wall system.  Wall systems include brick, wood, siding or concrete and the materials that connect these materials.  Wall systems have a very long life expectancy.  However, if there is air infiltration, insects, transfer of temperature, or water intrusion the wall system may need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

The first step before adventuring into any of these components of the building envelope is to contact an energy rater in your area.  The energy rater can perform tests on your home and give you a better starting point to which components need to be addressed.  Having a properly functioning building envelope will benefit you for the life of the home.

-Mr. Green