Archive of posts tagged floor
Paint
A main issue with household paint is that many ingredients are added to improve the look, longevity and ease of application of the paint. Some of these ingredients are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). According to the EPA, VOCs can cause respiratory, skin, and eye irritation; headaches; nausea; muscle weakness; and more serious ailments and diseases. […]
Air Sealing
The pictures here show very clearly the common spots where warm air from inside the house can leak outside and cold air from outside can leak inside. Leaks from ducts will not only waste money in heating or cooling, but will also introduce undesirable air into the living spaces from attics and crawlspaces which are […]
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals such as formaldehyde. They come into the household in different ways As binders or glues for engineered products such as particleboards As solvent and color pigment in paints, varnish and coating. Depending on the product, the VOC may take a short time to disappear or may take much longer […]
Energy Efficiency Rises from the Ashes
My story started six years ago in Moraga, California. All was well. The kids were out of the house, two on their own and one in college. Work was good. All the saving and planning was paying off. We had saved enough to do the kitchen remodel that we planned years for. With me doing […]
Conservation Comes With Comfort
A couple of months ago, I visited an early adopter of green remodeling in the Bay Area. She has been making changes to her home since over a decade ago, before energy efficiency gets on the minds of most people. Starting in the late 1990’s, she had windows changed to dual pane units, installed attic […]
The Terry Project: Sustainability Measures
The final step in air sealing the house was to take care of the old flooring in the kitchen area. It turns out that there are gaps between the old floorboard slats. These gaps will be completely taped up to prevent air or moisture moving from the crawlspace into the living space. A new floor […]
An Integrated Approach to Home Energy Improvement
As a general contractor and energy assessor, I believe understanding both the local and global impacts of energy consumption are important. As a traditional home builder I have always built with quality craftsmanship. While this served me well for many years, it was not until three years ago that I began to really explore in-depth […]
The Terry Project: Cellulose Insulation and Energy Modeling
The latest work done on Cathy’s house is the application of insulation. They have decided to use blown cellulose to fill the exterior walls and the cathedral ceiling. The cellulose insulation is expected to yield R-13 for the walls and R-38 for the ceiling. The