Save Hundreds on Your Utility Bills...

....With a Few Minutes of Your Time – and a Piece of Tape

Every day, you’re bombarded with energy saving ideas. Replace your windows. Buy a new furnace. Install solar panels. Drive a hybrid. It’s too much. But what if you knew that you could save hundreds of dollars on your utility bills with just a few minutes of your time – and a piece of tape?

Studies by the Department of Energy show that the average home loses 25%-40% of its energy due to leaky furnaces and ducts. Whether a home is old or new, leaky ducts waste hundreds of dollars of energy every year.

The great news is that YOU can spot and fix the worst of these leaks, and it won’t cost more than a roll of special tape and a few minutes. No contractors necessary!

Let’s take a look at how Joe and Tina cut their utility bills in half and made their home more comfortable.

Tina thought that the air in their house always smelled bad. Wendy, their daughter, would wake up crying with nose-bleeds. And Luke, their son, was always complaining that the temperature in his room was uncomfortable.

Even though the heating system had been serviced recently by a contractor who told her it was working great, Tina decided to go up to the attic to check it out. She immediately noticed the air filter sticking out the side of the air handler – and a big gap where attic air was whistling in! She looked closer and found a family of dead mice in there. Yuck! No wonder why the house smelled so bad!

After a quick trip to the hardware store for the right filter and a roll of foil tape, Joe cleaned out the mouse debris, and Tina put in the new air filter and covered up the hole with foil tape.

The amazing this is that Joe and Tina just saved themselves 30% on their heating bill. This “little detail” was robbing them every day by sucking dirty attic air into the system.

That night, their daughter slept soundly – no more nose-bleeds! The next day, Tina noticed that the house was less dusty. And the air – no more stink! It was like living in a new home.

Encouraged by their success, Joe and Tina decided to look around their attic some more. This time, Joe noticed a duct that wasn’t attached properly. When he touched the duct, it fell off!

Joe just found the most common problems with flexible ductwork – ducts that aren’t properly attached and sealed.

Tina traced the duct across the attic and saw that it went to Luke’s room. “That’s why his room is always cold! All these years, and it’s just been a loose duct!”

Tina found that the best way to seal ducts is with “Duct Mastic” or “Foilmastic” tape, so she purchased some online along with giant zip-ties designed to secure ducts.

Tina used a zip-tie to attach the duct tightly and taped over it to seal it air-tight to the sheet metal. Then, she put another zip-tie on the insulated portion to hold that on, too. “I discovered that you have to seal the outer lining to stop condensation from forming when you run the AC.”

That night, Luke and Wendy slept comfortably in their bedrooms, and Joe and Tina had just saved themselves another 10% on their heating bill. “We should have done this years ago!” said Joe. “It’s great to think of all the money we’re saving – and our house is cleaner and more comfortable!”

Whether you live in a new home or an old one, it’s worth your time to inspect your air handling system and ducts. You could easily save hundreds of dollars on your utility bills while making your home cleaner and more comfortable.

For detailed tips on making your home more energy efficient, see:

http://www.virescentcommunities.com/fixit

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

Ted Inoué, CSBA, is an energy auditor, Lecturer and board member for the National Sustainable Building Advisor Program. He is certified by the Building Performance Institute as a Building Analyst and Shell Specialist. His is also a certified Building Science Thermographer.

Ted lives in New Hope, PA. He is co-founder of Virescent Communities, a non-profit organization that helps make entire communities more energy efficient.

Ted Inoue

Energy Testing & Consulting llc.
New Hope, PA 18938
215-760-0211
http://www.etccreations.com/


Source:

Superior Woodcraft, Inc.
Superior Woodcraft Blog

The Making of a Sustainable Home in Chester County - 2nd Update

It has been almost four months since our last blog entry relating to the journey of making a sustainable home in Chester County, PA - our paradise we call 60 Bragg Hill.   Please join us on this wonderful journey and explore the making of a sustainable home located in the Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania.  Here is a recent excerpt from our website:

House Design Takes Shape


As the schematic design phase of the project concludes, our new home is starting to take shape. The design we agreed to peruse was influenced by elements from all four concepts. Our decision to zero in on Plan C was made collaboratively by the entire design team. A simple, single...Read more....

Source:

Superior  Woodcraft, Inc.
Superior Woodcraft Blog

CWB - FEATURE ARTICLE ON SUPERIOR WOODCRAFT'S CUSTOM CABINETRY

Helen Kuhl, Editorial Director, for Custom Woodworking Business (CWB) spends an autumn day in Doyletown, PA visiting Superior Woodcraft, Inc.  Ms. Kuhl's mission for her visit was to disect, understand and report on Superior Woodcraft's finishes that  are used on the company's custom cabinetry and its finishing operations in general.   The end result of her study is printed in CWB's article - Superior Woodcraft Specializes in Custom Finishing.
See what one industry expert has to say about Superior Woodcraft's custom finishes for its custom cabinetry.

Superior Woodcraft specializes in custom finishing
By Helen Kuhl -- Superior Woodcraft, a custom cabinet manufacturer in Doylestown, PA, takes custom finishing to an obsessively high level.... It is somewhat of a challenge to describe the steps involved in the finishing process, since virtually every shop operation to produce the cabinetry takes the finish into consideration....Obsession for Detail...
Read more...

Source:
Superior Woodcraft, Inc.
Superior Woodcraft Blog

Superior Woodcraft of Doylestown Hosts - The Great Toy Exchange

ANNOUNCING

THE GREAT TOY EXCHANGE

What: Every parent knows how quickly children develop and move on to new toys. Every parent also knows that the older toys develop into clutter and new toys are costly. This is where The Great Toy Exchange can help. The Great Toy Exchange is a way for parents to exchange their children’s toys that are no longer age appropriate or played with by their child for other toys that are age appropriate and will interest their child. The Great Toy Exchange will help you reduce clutter, save money and provide your child with new and different experiences to help with their development and interests.

How: Simply bring your clean, unbroken and generally good conditioned toys to The Great Toy Exchange. Place them in the area of estimated value. Then review the other toys at The Exchange and select toys that are of the approximate value to what you contributed. Parents will be using the honor system and The Great Toy Exchange is free a program open to the community; so please always apply the golden rule.

Where: Superior Woodcraft, Inc.,
             160 N Hamilton Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 – Showroom -
             Directions

When: Monthly (Saturday) 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. - check Superior Woodcraft Blog for specific dates or call
            215-348-9942.

Specifics: The Great Toy Exchange will only accept clean, unbroken, reasonably used toys that have not been subject to any recalls. Stuffed toys will not be accepted. Toys with fabric might not be accepted. Toys that are dropped off and have not been chosen can be picked up at 10 am at The Great Toy Exchange during the day of the exchange. Any toys remaining after 10 am on the day of the exchange will be donated to charity. Neither The Great Toy Exchange nor Superior Woodcraft, Inc. provide any claims, warranties, or guaranties concerning the quality or safety of the toys that are part of the exchange. Parents should contact the toy manufacturer directly concerning any quality, safety or other concerns pertaining to a toy. The Great Toy Exchange is a non-profit community service program provided & administered by Superior Woodcraft, Inc. for the benefit of the families and children in our community. Neither The Great Toy Exchange nor Superior Woodcraft receives any monetary, financial or other similar benefit from The Great Toy Exchange.

If possible please leave children at home.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING.

THE MORE THE MERRIER!

Source:

Superior Woodcraft Inc.

Superior Woodcraft Blog

Superior Woodcraft Supports Doylestown Hospital's Circle of Life Auction

Up for bid, a chopping block table handcrafted by the artisans of Superior Woodcraft, a local producer of fine, custom cabinetry. This one-of-a-kind table features mortise and tenon construction, carved columns and a butcher block top of solid hard maple and will be sold at the Circle of Life Auction to benefit the Doylestown Hospital Cancer Center and Hospice Program. Auction will take place at the Doylestown Country Club on Friday, November 6th at 6:30 pm.


The Cancer Center at Doylestown Hospital is a member of the University of Pennsylvania's Cancer Network, a leading cancer treatment facility where the focus is to improve the lives and well-being of patients. Doylestown Hospital Hospice is a non-profit organization, serving approximately 300 patients and their families each year from Doylestown and surrounding communities.

About Superior Woodcraft, Inc.

Superior Woodcraft designs, handcrafts and installs heirloom-quality custom cabinetry with environmentally sound practices and materials; providing a locally made, sustainable product of lasting value, utility, beauty and harmony. Founded in 1967 by master cabinetmaker Karl H. Geiger, Superior Woodcraft is committed to preserving the time-honored skills, traditions and integrity of old-world cabinetmaking. This philosophy transcends every style and thematic design when producing the highest-quality custom cabinetry for your entire home. View their online portfolio at http://www.superiorwoodcraft.com/

Green Cabinetry - Limited Budget - Great Service!

When looking for a cabinet maker to design and build new kitchen cabinets, a major priority for us was that "green" practices be followed and that it fit into our limited budget. Superior was recommended to us and the entire experience with them was outstanding. From the personal design service and expertise of Michelle, the tireless work to coordinate colors and learn about eco friendly materials with Amanda, and the technical expertise and installation assistance from Steve have resulted in a highly functional and beautiful kitchen for our family. Superior's build quality is top notch, their personal touch is unique, and professionalism builds confidence in the process. We would highly recommend them for any project that you may have.

Easton Kitchen

More testimonials for Superior Woodcraft can be found on Kudzu's review page.

Source:

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