Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy Act of 2009

There is a proposal before the House of the United States Congress called the Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy Act of 2009 – also known as the HIRE Act of 2009. It has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and will be taken up when the House reconvenes on September 8th. This bill is meant to stimulate the economy by giving homeowners a tax deduction on the purchase of home furnishings and building supplies, as well as the cost of the labor to install these items.

The deductions are $1,000 for single tax payers and $2,000 for joint filers. These amounts are doubled if the products purchased meet “recognized environmental standards”. These “environmental standards” are “LEED, Green Globe, Energy Star, and any other widely recognized national or industry environmental standards having a positive life cycle analysis.” From my investigation of Green and Sustainable building products, most industries have some kind of certification or labeling or independent verifying body which attests to the products’ wholesomeness. Just make sure the product is covered by the HIRE Act, if you want the deduction.

Some items for your home are not covered under the HIRE Act. Those not covered include “home electronics (including televisions, radios, entertainment systems, and computers), home appliances (including refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers), house-wares, artwork, photographs, and other home decorations, and property for which depreciation (or amortization in lieu of depreciation) is allowable.”

The big question is whether or not the HIRE Act will come out of committee and get passed. We in the 8th District (which is all of Bucks County and a sliver that goes over to Willow Grove and Roselyn areas) are served by Representative Patrick Murphy. I know he would love to hear from you in support of the HIRE Act.
What is the best way to let Rep. Murphy know your opinion? If you go to one of his town-hall meetings you can tell him. Another way is to visit his web site and from there send him an email.

Here are some suggestions from govtrack.us about the best way to get your voice heard on this issue: Visit your representative's website – in this case www.patrickmurphy.house.gov -- and look for a "Contact Me” button, click on it. You'll find a form to fill out. Congressional staffers say the following things are important to making your message influential: including your name, address, and ZIP code so the staff can verify you are a constituent of the Member of Congress, referencing specific legislation by bill number and title –- this would be HR 3382, the HIRE Act of 2009, talking about the impact of the bill on the district or state, and your own reason for supporting the bill. While 90 percent of Congressional staff thought these items were helpful, less than 68 percent of staff thought personal stories were helpful. One well-respected organization recommends being: personalized, short, targeted, and informative. Writing a letter is not the best way to get your voice heard. Try email.

For those readers who do not live in Pennsylvania's 8th District you can determine your representative's contact information by visiting Project Vote Smart.org. Simply input your zip code and the website will list all of your policital representatives.

One final note about Energy Efficiency: Have you had an Energy Audit of your home yet? KeystoneHelp is still giving great loans to get the efficiency work done, there are still the Energy Star Federal deductions and now potentially the HIRE Act to help you afford the work. You will probably save a lot of money on your heating and cooling bills. We have air sealed and insulated a number of houses recently, in some cases reducing infiltration by 50%.

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 Blog
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Website

Why Energy Star?

Everywhere you look these days, “Energy Star” is the new designer label.

Consumers know that the name is synonymous with quality, much the same as a brand-name product. But what does Energy Star really mean and what does it guarantee?

The Energy Star program is a joint venture between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the program is to protect the environment and help consumers save money though energy efficient products and practices. In 2008 alone, the government estimates the program saved American consumers over $19 Billion in energy costs!!

When a consumer is ready to make a purchase, they should factor the cost of ownership for their appliance choice as part of their cost. Here are some statistics provided by the Dept. of Energy to show how consumers save money when purchasing Energy Star rated appliances.

-Upgrading all Energy Star rated appliances can save a homeowner approximately $2,200 per year

-Replacing a washer that was manufactured prior to 1998 with an Energy Star rated washer can save over $150 per year. At that rate, most washers will pay for themselves after only a few years of use.

-Replacing a refrigerator from the 1980’s will save over $100 per year. Replacing a refrigerator from the 1970’s will save over $200 or more per year.

-Energy Star rated appliances save anywhere from 10% to 50% in energy costs as compared to non-Energy Star rated units.

In addition to purchasing Energy Star appliances, there are some important things the Dept. of Energy recommends that consumers can do to help reduce energy costs. One of the easiest steps is to vacuum the dust from the coils on your refrigerator every 3 months. This helps reduce energy costs on perhaps the biggest energy hog in the home. Another tip is set your washer to rinse the clothes in cold water, as opposed to warm or hot. Finally, do not pre-rinse your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Not only will you save hundreds of gallons per year, but your dishwasher will perform better and last longer.

Now that you know how to save money, you can be a more educated consumer. If you have any other questions, you can learn more information at www.energystar.gov or by consulting with a knowledgeable local appliance dealer.

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


Source:
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Custom Cabinetry Blog
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Website

Ultra-efficient building - Using the Sun

The most efficient use of energy is to use no energy at all! With energy efficiency, you make the best of what you have by building a tight, well insulated home that utilizes natural heating, cooling and lighting as much as possible.

The use of passive solar design has been around as long as people have sought out shelter. The Anastasi cliff dwellings are classic examples of good design - they face south to take advantage of the sun for light and heat in the winter. The have large overhangs, to block the high summer sun, reducing unwanted heat in the summer. And, being built into cliffs, they are surrounded by a mass of earth, keeping the living space at a relatively constant temperature year-round.

You can take advantage of these same principles in your home to reduce your energy use. Minimize wasteful north facing windows which are cold and energy wasting in the winter. Put the majority of your windows on the south side of the house, where they can collect light and heat during the day and use ample overhangs to shade the windows during the summer.

Block unwanted heating even more by placing large deciduous trees to the south of the house to shade the windows and roof from the summer sun. This reduces the need for air conditioning by shading the home during the summer while allowing solar heating in the winter. Likewise, avoid sun-rooms or other large expanses of glass on the west side of the house where the hot afternoon sun is difficult to block and leads to excessive heating. Or, if you do have western windows, plant large shade trees to minimize the unwanted heating.


If you do take advantage of passive solar design and have good overhangs and shading to keep out the summer sun, remember that you want to let the sun's heat in during the winter. In order to do this, you do not want heat reflecting glass on the south side of your home. Most energy efficient windows today (i.e. low-e, thermal pane) are designed to reject much of the heat from the sun, defeating the purpose of passive solar design. The SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) on the window tag is a value from 0 to 1 that indicates the fraction of the solar heat that gets through the window. For solar heating, higher SHGC is better for south facing windows.

Remember that glass is the worst building material with regards to insulation. Windows loses three to five times as much energy as the corresponding area of insulated wall. So, while beautiful, they can sap your home of energy. Careful consideration of the number and placement of windows is very important to the comfort and efficiency of your home.

Good passive solar design helps you create a much more comfortable and energy efficient home. Work with your natural resources and you'll experience reduced energy bills and a more pleasant home year round.

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

Source:
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Custom Cabinetry Blog
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Website

References:
The Efficient Windows Collaborative - windows and ratings

Southern Windows: High solar gain, low-e, Argon/Krypton window specifications

Western Windows: Low solar gain, low-e window specifications

Benefits of Ground Covers

Ground covers serve many purposes in the landscape including weed control and aiding in the prevention of erosion. Ground covers prevent weeds from invading planting beds. The ground cover smothers the ground surrounding your plants thus inhibiting the growth of unwanted weeds. It also acts as a protective barrier while protecting beneficial earthworms from predatory birds. In the same way your lawn keeps the soil beneath it in place, the roots of ground cover also keep the soil beneath it in place. Hillside situations require deep-rooted ground covers that provide erosion control to stabilize the slope. In addition to preventing erosion, these roots also prevent the lose of water through evaporation. Planting ground covers in your garden also conserves water by shading the soil beneath from direct sunlight. Shallow rooted ground covers planted under trees and shrubs will break up the soil thus improving the porosity of the soil and also nutrient intake for the taller plants. When selecting a ground cover choose a variety that best suits your garden. Various species are adaptable to sun or shade and typically do not grow than six inches. Ground covers typically require little or no fertilization and most become drought tolerant once established. Besides the most popular ground covers such as pachysandra, ivy and vinca there are other ground covers to consider. For example, creeping thyme, creeping phlox, low growing sedums, liriope, wild ginger, ajuga and sweet woodruff also make great ground covers. 

This article was contributed by Shane Holderer of Landscape Plus LLC

Shane Holderer

Landscape Plus LLC

4734 Applebutter Road

Pipersville, Pa. 18947

215-646-1235

Landscape Plus LLC

Source:
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Custom Cabinetry Blog

Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Website

Always in Good Taste

A dining room in which you'll be proud to entertain.

No matter what level of formality you choose for your dining areas, we can create a room for you that is beautiful, comfortable, and a place where your guests will want to linger.

Five Course Dining, a Golf Course View

A newly retired couple with a passion for golf decided to renovate their golf course home of twenty years, and create a simple but elegant dining area overlooking the fairway. Solar shades provide light control and energy efficiency without obscuring the view; simple valances with a curved bottom echo the arched entrance into the room. The design used much of their existing furniture, artwork and accessories to create a beautiful new "Ralph Lauren blue" dining room for entertaining family and golfing friends.

DINING IN STYLE

Your probably think the dining room is the easiest of all rooms to furnish. Once you have your table and chairs, that's all there is to it! And while that's the biggest part of your overall dining room plan, it's far from all. It's important to provide for the comfort of your guests, and the convenience of you, the host and or hostess. I have found that there is usually a big problem unique to this room! Any ideas what that might be? To me as a decorator, it's keeping the overall décor of this room warm and inviting despite all the inevitable wood that usually ends up taking center stage. Providing a successful mix of wood dining room pieces, along with window treatments, area rugs and lighting takes careful consideration and planning.

Chairs alone are a far from simple choice. Massive ones take up too much space, so you must find well-designed chairs that are comfortable as well. Upholstered armless 'slipper' chairs are a wonderful addition and mix well with any wood tones.

Tables, too, come in all shaped and sizes. The size should fit both the room and your family, and, ideally, be designed for easy expansion. Round and oval dining room tables provide for an ease of conversation that most of my clients find very appealing. Also, expandable tables, with drop leaves, built-in extensions, board inserts, and the like are all practical. One of the companies I like allows you to choose the number of leaves you prefer. Today's designs take up little "closed" spaces, and can instantly be enlarged when guests are expected.

It's also extremely easy and convenient to have silverware, linens, and serving pieces stored right in the room. A sideboard, chest or armoire will give you the storage, and provide another wonderful decorative element. To create interest, this piece does not need to 'match' the rest of the furniture.

If your design style tends to lean toward the traditional, then draping your windows in luxurious side panels or even a variation of an elegant swag and cascade treatment, will help provide this room with another great focal point. If you prefer comtemporay, flank the windows with tailored panels installed on fantastic drapery hardware.

What is the most common question I receive? How high off of the table should I hang the chandelier? General rule-- for an 8 foot ceiling place the lowest point 30 inches off of the table. For 9 foot - go 30-34 inches off of the table. And do not forget the ceiling for creative treatments.

Bon Appetit!!

Joyce

This article was contributed by Joyce Doebler of Interiors by Decorating Den.

Joyce Doebler

Phone: (215)368-2259
Interiors by Decorating Den

Source:
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Custom Cabinetry Blog
Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Website