Being A Grandparent

My Grandmother was born in 1895. She witness miraculous changes – the introduction of automobiles and electric lights, the New Deal and the March on Washington -- and horrid social catastrophes – WWI, WWII, 1929 crash, Viet Nam War. We lived close by and would often spend a Sunday afternoon at her home, until her death in 1973. She was born in the 19th century and here I am living in the 21st.

That realization – that three generations of a family can have their feet in two or three separate centuries -- came to me when I was watching one of many TV documentaries that describe the effects of Global Warming by the year 2100. Scientists are predicting that the planet is going to be a lot hotter then, possibly 3 to 4 degree hotter on average. A hotter plant means rising sea levels, destruction of forests and crop lands, social upheaval. Can that be possible? What will Bucks County be like then? Like my Grandmother trying to imagine my 2008, it is hard to relate to those global impacts that will be common place in the 22nd century.

If my kids have children (which they claim they want, thankfully not for a few years), it’s pretty certain that those grandchildren of mine will have feet in 2100 and beyond. It might be hard to imagine what the 22nd century will be like, but Imagine We Must! Not only imagine, we have to act now to do something about it. The unborn grandchild who someday I will undoubtedly hold in my arms, is going to be living the consequences of what we now do or now don’t to to protect our planet. Just as my Grandmother’s generation had to severely adapt to war and economic crashes, this generation must change our habits to the realities of diminishing oil, increasing CO2 levels, inequitable distribution of resources and wealth and a warming planet. The immediacy of our predicament may not be as readily apparent as it was to my Grandmother in those difficult times, but the consequences are as, if not more, grave for us and our grandchildren.

All change starts with the individual taking personal responsibility and acting on it. Here are a few suggestions that can help save energy, save you some money, do something for the planet and the grandkids.

1) slow down in the car: it’s safer and saves a lot of gas and money.
2) Turn up the AC and down the Heat for a few hours everyday.
3) Get an Energy Audit of your home. This will identify areas where air is
infiltrating into the house envelope and strategies for filling the voids.
If you are considering adding insulation to your attic, make sure you search
for holes where air is coming up through the ceiling into the attic. Get a
hatch or attic stairs cover. Look into dense pack cellulose and spray foam
insulations. Floors are not as important as walls and ceilings in terms of
payback.
4) Look into LED and
florescent lighting. Most major lighting manufactures have lots of variety
in florescent. We recently completed a Green kitchen remodel which used
nothing but LED and florescent to good effect.

Getting in touch with the future grandparent in me has put a lot of what I do on a daily basis in perspective. I know that I am not going to make it to 2100, but I will pretty soon know someone who will. Let’s do something great for them – Stop Global Warming and get off Mid East Oil.

This article was contributed by Thomas G. Wells

THOMAS G. WELLS CONSTRUCTION L.L.C.
105 Pennsylvania Avenue
Yardley, Pa. 19067
Tel: 215-321-4818
Fax: 215-321-2179
Cell: 215-378-4048


Source: Superior Woodcraft, Inc. - Custom Cabinetry

Insulation R-Value: the minimum allowed or as much as possible?

I recently reviewed a beautiful house that was in the process of being built. Clearly, no expense was spared to make this a beautiful home. During the walk-through, I asked the builder how much insulation was being used in the attic. He replied ResCheck (a code compliance energy modeling tool) says R-30." He seemed quite proud of that and we continued our evaluation.

The Department of Energy has been studying homes and insulation levels for decades, and they recommend R-38 for our area. In fact, most green minded builders prefer even more due to the very high temperatures found in attics. And yet builders are only looking to satisfy minimum code requirements.

While the argument is often made that adding more insulation doesn't appreciably reduce the total energy required to heat and cool a home, the fact remains that the recommended R-38 attic insulation results in 27% less energy loss through the attic than does R-30. This affects your utility bills as well as your family's comfort.

In fact, the real situation is worse than the numbers show. Fiberglass batts, by far the most common insulation material, are difficult and time consuming to install properly, so most builders install fiberglass in a way that can reduce the R-value significantly. to do it right, the fiberglass must be carefully cut and fitted so that it isn't compressed or gapped. In addition, while not widely known, fiberglass loses R-value as the temperature drops, so it provides, about 30% less R-value when it is the coldest outside.

If you are planning to insulate your home, there are other insulation products that can be much more effective than fiberglass. Blown in products such as dense packed cellulose and spray foam give more consistent R-values in typical installations. They also block air movement, greatly reducing the actual energy loss.

So when you're considering how much insulation to use and what type, remember that there's a lot more than the R-value printed on the paper facing. While it may be "acceptable" to the code officer for you to install R-30 fiberglass batts, wouldn't you rather use the r-value recommended by decades of research? Wouldn't you prefer a product that actually keeps insulating when it gets really cold or hot out? Once you close up the walls and ceiling, you're not going to want to change the insulation. So think carefully about it. Insulation isn't sexy but it affects your quality of life every day you're in your home.

This article was written by Ted Inoue of Energy Testing & Consulting LLC.

Ted Inoue
Energy Testing & Consulting llc.
New Hope, PA 18938
215-760-0211
www.etccreations.com

Barbeque Season is Upon Us

This is the time of year where we all get the itch to throw some burgers on the fire and enjoy the evening daylight. Each Spring, consumers venture out to purchase a new grill with high hopes for finding the unit that is perfect for them. Unfortunately, the overabundance of models on sales floors can make that a challenging goal. Prices can range from $300 to $5000. Here are some things to know before you make that decision to purchase your next outdoor cooking appliance.

The first step is determining where you plan on keeping the grill. Will the model you select be a built-in unit? Or will it be a freestanding? Built-in models can really add some flare to the patio area, but will often times guarantee you are purchasing a mid to high-end grill. Be sure that you measure the outdoor area before assuming you can fit the 53” Viking Grill outback.

After you have chosen where you want your grill, it’s time to consider how and what you will be cooking. Is the flavor of a charcoal grill important? Or is the convenience and control of a gas model on your list? Grills can come with enough BTU’s to heat a home. Many models offer infrared “Sear” burners that can achieve temps over 1500 degrees. But is that what you need if your idea of a BBQ is a pack of hotdogs? Rotisseries are available, but are only worth the cost if you cook an entire bird or roast outdoors. Think of how you cooked with your last grill each Summer and decide if you can live without the extra features or could have used them all along.

Convenience is a word we hear more often from consumers, especially as our lives continue to become more cluttered. Some models of grills now offer electronic ignition, much like an indoor stove. Should the wind blow out the flames, they re-ignite on their own. There is no need to worry about the battery going dead on the ignition with some models, because they plug right into the nearest outlet for the power source. Doing so also allows those grills to offer lights over the cooking area, meaning you can cook well into the evening hours. Again, just keep in mind that each of those features will add a cost to the BBQ. Ask yourself if you are an outdoor enthusiast or just spending money.

Finally, the one question most consumers forget to ask is about the warranty. While the high-end manufacturers price their units much higher, they typically follow that up with longer, more inclusive warranties. If you choose to have your grill built into an island, you want to be sure that it will last. Examples of warranties range from 1 year to Lifetime, so be certain to ask. The $3000 grill is expensive, but still cheaper than replacing the $500 every 5 years. It also happens to have many more of the features you might have on your wishlist.

The next time you walk into the grill aisle, keep your needs in mind. Don’t get mesmerized by the looks. Ask about the details. Think about your particular situation and find something that suits you for the price you can afford. Make this purchase something you can enjoy.

This article was contributed by James Bender of Bill Vandegrift, Inc.

Bill Vandegrift, Inc
450 E. Butler Ave
New Britain, PA 18901
215-345-1892
www.billvandegrift.com

Your House As a System

The energy crisis has reminded homeowners that there are many ways to use energy and lose energy around the house. In addition, the current economic conditions have everyone thinking about cutting their expenses, especially those they have the most control over. It’s obvious that energy prices are going up in the near future when PECO rates are deregulated and the economy picks up again. Even with crude oil prices low, gasoline is above $2.00 again. Where is the best place to start to get the best value for your money?

The good news is that many of the costs associated with saving energy in your home have a very short pay-back period and a high return on investment (ROI). There was a time when putting money in the stock market yielded (over the long haul and with luck) 8 to 10 percent ROI. Well, the stock market is not doing that right now, but your house can match or beat those numbers easily. We recommended a course of action in the attic of one of our Newtown readers, who will reap a 13.4% ROI with a 2.4 year pay-back on their heating bills by sealing and upgrading the insulation in their attic.

Your home is made up of interrelated systems. Each is affected by the other. When you do something to one part of the house it has implications for other parts of the house and your wallet. Our Newtown client, for example, had recessed lights added to a soffit in their kitchen, only to discover that lots of cool air infiltrates around those lights, contributing to a rise in their heating bill. The systems involved in that example might be these: incompletely installed house wrap, poor detailing on the sheathing installation, gaps in the wall insulation and vapor retarder, a chimney-effect that pulls air in at the first floor level as it goes up through the ceiling lights on the second floor. One system affects many systems.

The solution is to close up the air leaks. A common approach to tighten up your home is to install new Energy Star windows and doors. This might allow the installation of a smaller capacity furnace. In another, sealing the attic so that no air leaks in from the rooms below also has the benefit of keeping moist air out of the attic area where it might condense on the plywood or rafters. The way we use our homes can cause new issues. For example, as children become teens they take longer showers which result in substantially more moisture in the attic if the bathroom exhaust fan is not used (or even installed).

You might be wondering where to start. Typically one starts by looking at the various systems in the house to quantify the strengths and deficiencies. Of course an Energy Audit is a must. If something dangerous is found, fix that first. Then start with air sealing. This means plug up as many air infiltration holes as possible – at the band joist in the basement, the access doors, the attic, and around windows both inside and out. Then add insulation – I like spray foam and dense pack cellulose the best. These two strategies will give you the best ROI. After a couple of years the money you don’t have to spend on your energy bills will be in your savings account waiting to be invested in the stock market – if the stock market can match the returns your house will give you!

Tom Wells is a Green Remodeler and energy efficiency expert. E-mail him at thomasgwells@aol.com

This article was contributed by Thomas G. Wells

See Related Article: HERE'S HELP TO BECOME GREEN

THOMAS G. WELLS CONSTRUCTION L.L.C.
105 Pennsylvania Avenue
Yardley, Pa. 19067
Tel: 215-321-4818
Fax: 215-321-2179
Cell: 215-378-4048