Residential Remodelers has been building “Green” long before it became a trendy buzzword. Building Green isn’t necessarily easy or the cheapest way to run a remodeling company, but for us, it’s the only way.

                In recent years we have seen drastic increases in energy costs across the board.  It has become painfully obvious that we will continue to see more of the same as long as we are content with the status quo.  There will always be a need for energy and we constantly strive to do what we can to help our clients  minimize that monthly burden. Residential Remodelers has always believed in promoting energy efficiency to our clients, however, we feel this isn’t enough.  Res. Rem.  is constantly looking for ways to lessen the impact of these  rising costs.

                When building a home addition, we have control over what is going into the project in terms of energy efficiency and green aspects.  We have been able to provide our clients with exceptionally efficient  and healthy spaces.  The problem that arises is the inefficiency and unhealthy nature of the existing home.  This is where we have been placing much of our focus as of late.  In the interest of doing what we can to make the existing home more efficient, we have recently introduced Energy audits as an invaluable service for our clients.  These comprehensive audits incorporate the use of Blower Door Tests and Infrared Cameras to determine weak spots in the home’s exterior envelope. Once these weak links are identified, steps can be taken to rectify them.

Services for Existing Homes
Heating and cooling a home is typically the largest expense involved in homeownership outside of the mortgage payment. Whether your house was built at the turn of the 20th century or the 21st century everyone wants a home that is comfortable, energy efficient and affordable.  Various signs of an in efficient home are.

• Windows with condensation and frost or even rotting wood
• Drafty or frosty door sills
• Drafty rooms and Ice dams
• Mold

Residential Remodelers is your connection to determining your homes energy performance.  We perform diagnostic testing in the pre-construction phase that evaluates your existing home performance and will perform the same tests in the post construction phase to demonstrate the increased efficiency.

Diagnostics
 
 
Successfully constructing high performance homes is challenging.  Residential Remodelers employs the following diagnostic tools to to help add value to your building.

• Blower Door Testing
• Duct Leakage Testing
• Infrared Scanning
• Combustion Safety Testing
• Room to Room

Tax Rebate/Incentives
Exel Energy and offers rebates when a efficient water heaters and cooling and heating systems are installed.

Home Energy Saving Tips

No-Cost or Low-Cost:
_ Lower your thermostat at night and whenever the house is
unoccupied. Close off and don’t heat unoccupied rooms (unless
you have a heat pump). If you consistently set your thermostat
back at night 10 degrees Fahrenheit, you may reduce your
heating bill by 10-20 percent.

_ Lower the thermostat and dress warmer. As little as 1 to 3 degrees (F) makes a
noteworthy difference in energy consumption.

_ Lower the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 (F) degrees. Turn it
off when leaving for extended periods of time. Electric water heaters can be set on
timers; gas heaters must be set manually.

_ Set refrigerator temperatures between 37 and 40 degrees (F). Clean the coils. Keep
the refrigerator stocked; it takes more energy to cool an empty refrigerator.

_ Consider replacing your older model refrigerator, especially if older than 10 years.
Older models can often use over 3 times the energy of newer models.

_ Wash full loads of dishes and air dry.

_ When washing clothes, use warm or cold water and rinse with cold. Air dry clothes,
but not indoors as this creates unwanted mold and moisture problems.

_ Shut off lights, computers and other electronic appliances when you’re not using
them. Many computer monitors have a sleep mode setting which, when activated,
greatly reduces energy consumption.

-Use power strips for shutting off electronics.(TV, DVD’s,Stereos)

_ Always use the bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans while showering or cooking and
baking to avoid potential moisture problems.

_ Use a microwave or toaster oven for smaller items.

_ Install a low-flow showerhead. Showers use less hot water than baths; also consider taking shorter showers.

_ Close your fireplace damper and seal the opening shut when not in use.

_ During the heating season, open south-facing window coverings (e.g. drapes, blinds, etc.) during the day. Close all window coverings at night to keep the heat in.

_ Install foam gaskets behind electric-outlet and switch-plate covers.

_ Examine and adjust, if necessary, weather stripping, door sweeps, and thresholds.

Steps that cost more, but pay for themselves in two years or less:

_ Install an automatic setback thermostat that adjusts
room temperature according to your daily schedule. If
you have a heat pump, be certain to use a special
thermostat designed specifically for heat pumps.

_ Install do-it-yourself weather stripping and caulking to
seal air leaks. Seal all perimeter wall penetrations and
ceiling and floor penetrations to stop all air movement
between heated and unheated spaces.

_ Install do-it-yourself storm windows that cost less than $1/sq.ft. such as flexible vinyl glazing.

_ Use motion sensors or timers for outdoor lighting.
You’ll still have security and save energy.

_ Replace incandescent light bulbs in common areas
(where lights are on most of the time) with compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or LED’s. They use a fraction of
the energy.

_ Replace the halogen torchiere floor lamp with a CFL
model. They’re safer, use 70 percent less electricity and
produce as much, if not more, light.

_ Tune up the furnace annually.

_ Replace furnace filters. The dirtier they are, the harder
the fan furnace works. Clean filters are essential for
heat pumps – airflow is critical and can add years to
the life of your heat pump.

_ Add water heater tank and hot water pipe insulation
especially if in an unheated space. Don’t cover the
thermostat or, for natural gas models, the air inlets.

_ Install a sheet metal fireplace cover, especially if the
flue damper does not fit tightly.

Home energy improvements that pay for themselves in two to five years:

_ Increase attic insulation to R-38 (the current
requirement for new homes).

_ Insulate floors over unheated spaces to R-19.

_ Insulate and seal ducts in attics, crawl spaces, garages
and other unheated areas-potential big energy savings!!

_ Install do-it-yourself storm windows that cost less than
$3/sq.ft. such as rigid acrylic glazing.

_ Perform low-cost fireplace modifications, such as fluetop Damper

Home improvements that take more than five years to pay for themselves:

_ When it is time to replace a home appliance, purchase
an energy-efficient model. These appliances cost more
initially, but you will save both money and energy over
its entire life. An appliance that is cheaper to purchase
will have higher operating costs, and savings you’ll
accumulate from using an EnergyStar appliance will be
substantial.

_ Energy Star® clothes washers save energy, water, and
detergent.

_ Energy Star®windows only cost ~$0.50 /sq.ft. more than
standard windows, save energy and increase comfort.

_ Look for and purchase Energy Star®labeled electronic
goods, and lighting bulbs and fixtures.

_ Add do-it-yourself insulated (quilted) window covers
(minimum R-3 and costing less than $5/sq.ft.) or install
blinds, drapes or other window coverings.

_ Wall insulation should be added especially when the
wall cavity is made accessible during home remodeling.
Depending on your siding type, consider blown in
insulation, applied from the exterior.

_ Furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioning and water
heaters all have high efficiency models available and
should be considered when replacing these appliances.

_ Invest in commercially installed storm windows or
insulated glass.

_ Replace conventional oil burner (oil furnace) with a
more efficient flame-retention burner.

_ Install a fireplace insert or wood stove in the fireplace.

_ Install a solar water heater.

_Install renewable energy whenever possible.