Until sub zero (or sweltering) weather, a three-digit utility bill or chilly drafts start to come, and you start thinking about it a lot!

At home, you ponder whether it’s worth the time and expense to add it to your ceilings, walls and basement.

At the store, you ponder which type, thickness, width and density to buy. And when you install it, you wonder just how good is “good enough.”

Careful installation increases the insulation’s R-Value by over 20 Percent. Leaving 5 percent of a wall uninsulated will reduce the entire wall’s R-value (resistance to heat flow) by 20 percent. It doesn’t take much more time to install fiberglass insulation properly.

Install wall insulation so it completely fills each cavity side to side and top to bottom. But remember, packing and compressing insulation reduces its effectiveness.

Insulation is rated according to its R-value, or resistance to heat loss: the higher the R-value, the higher the insulating value. Standard fiberglass insulation has an R-value of about 3.5 per inch of thickness; this provides an insulating value of R-11 for 2×4 walls and R-19 for 2×6 walls.

But if you’re serious about energy savings, you can buy better-performing products. High-density types of fiber-glass insulation, with more fibers and air spaces per square inch, offer R-values of up to 4.25 per inch. Some provide R-15 for 2×4 walls and R-21 for 2×6 walls.

There’s also high-density insulation for ceilings and attics. You’ll wind up paying more and in many cases you’ll need to special-order it, but high-density insulation delivers up to 35 percent more insulating value per inch.

The first 3 in. of insulation you add to a bare ceiling or wall will yield huge savings. Adding another 3 in. will increase energy savings, but not to as great a degree. For charts showing the Department of Energy’s optimal amounts of insulation to install, go to www.certainteed.com or www.owenscorning.com. Their recommendations are based on climate, fuel costs and other factors. Adding more will give you a diminishing return on your investment.

The payback period for retro-fitting insulation varies greatly, but studies show that added insulation usually pays for itself in saved energy costs within 5 to 10 years. One typical two-story Minnesota home was fitted with blown-in wall insulation, additional ceiling insulation and rim joist insulation at a cost of $1,890. The result was a $325 savings in yearly heating costs, which represents a payback period of slightly less than six years.

Pay back in more temperate areas takes longer, but remember that insulation reduces air conditioning costs too.

When You Insulate Attics and Crawlspaces, You’ve Got to Vent Them Too! Since insulation changes the way attics and crawl spaces “breathe,” it’s critical that you maintain or install proper ventilation.

At first, it seems odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely create ventilation “holes” for cold air to enter. But if you don’t do this, you’re setting yourself up for moisture problems.

Make sure to follow these steps in installing your attic insulation:

• Lay plywood across the joists and hang a temporary work light. You should leave insulation in its wrapper until you're ready to use it. Insulation is packaged in a compressed state and expands greatly when the wrapper is opened.
• Begin laying batts or blankets at the outer edge of the attic space and work towards the center (this will allow more headroom in the center of the attic for whatever cutting and fitting there is to be done). Lay in long runs first and use the leftovers for shorter spaces. Insulation should be installed around wiring taking care not to disturb it. Be sure to butt insulation tightly at joints for a complete barrier to heat flow.
• Insulation should extend far enough out to cover the top plate of the walls but should not block the flow or air from the eave vents. For best results, install ventilation baffles at the inside of the eaves.
• Insulation must be kept three inches away from recessed light fixtures unless the fixture is marked 'I.C.' (insulated ceiling) – a fixture designed for direct insulation contact. Insulation placed over an unrated fixture, like a recessed light, may cause it to overheat and start a fire. Fill the space between a masonry chimney and wood framing with noncombustible material such as unfaced Fiberglas insulation. If you are insulating around a metal flue, do not place the insulation flush to the flue. Always leave at least a three-inch space.
• Ends of batts should be cut to fit snugly around cross bracing. If a second layer of insulation is needed and the cavity has been completely filled, the additional layer should be placed at right angles to the joists.
• When adding to existing insulation, unfaced Fiberglass blanket is recommended. If the unfaced type is not available, use the faced type but remove the vapor barrier or slash it freely with a knife (then install the insulation with the slashed facing down). Do not leave faced insulation exposed. The facings on standard kraft- and foil-faced insulations will burn.

While some of these ideas require a little up front investment, many are easy to follow without spending a dime.

Here are the top 10 energy saving tips you should consider:

1. It is time to switch your old light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Compared to their conventional counterparts, these energy-efficient light bulbs utilize 75 percent less energy. In addition to this, they last longer too. Replacing incandescent lamps with energy inefficient bulbs is a simple way to take part in environmental conservation. Even though they cost higher than traditional light bulbs, thinking about their advantages such as lasting ten times longer than other bulbs and being energy efficient makes them worth the extra money you have to shed.
2. Breaks and fissures at doors and window seams let the heating and cooling pass through them. Cutesy gap blockers are used to stuff these cracks. These blockers are chiefly long, cylindrical tubes filled with stuffing and are available in the market. However, you can create your own gap blockers by sewing a matching home décor fabric to go with your room’s theme. If you don’t have the skill nor the time to make one, you may use a tube sock then stuff it with rice and fasten the ends. In addition to this, energy efficiency can be achieved by replacing old, worn-out caulk and weather stripping with fresh ones.
3. Purchase new drapes. Buy insulated curtains because they not only help you during summer but also during winter. Your abode soaks up more heat when you keep the drapes open when the sun is shining on one part of the house. However, by closing the curtains, you prevent the heat from escaping. During summer, leave your drapes closed during the day to make your house cooler. The curtain will obstruct much of the heat from coming in.
4. Do not leave your appliances plugged in when not in use for extended periods. An appliance, even when it is turned off, makes use of electricity as long as it is plugged in. So don’t leave anything plugged. See to it that you don’t forget to unplug your gadgets such as TVs, toaster and even cell phone chargers. Unplugging will conserve a lot of energy and at the same time save you some bucks.
5. Make use of appliances tagged with the Energy Star label. Do you know that the older models of appliances can consume twice as much energy as the newer ones So change now your old refrigerator with a new energy star model to conserve more energy. Iceboxes are not the sole appliances that are Energy Star certified. Other appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, even water heaters are now carrying this kind of certification.
6. Take note of your air conditioning’s thermostat. To save on energy and trim down your air conditioning bills, reduce heat in your house, especially during summer months. You can conserve around 7 to 10 percent of your cooling expenses for each degree above 78 when you turn the temperature a bit higher. When you go out of the house, be sure to switch off the air conditioning or turn the thermostat up a few degrees.
7. Support your air conditioning by adding a ceiling or a handy fan to supplement it. It only takes half a cent per hour to operate a fan and yet it can lift the temperature of the room three to four degrees cooler, thus allowing you to set your thermostat a few degrees. Supporting air conditioners with fans will definitely increase your savings. This method is ideal for occupied rooms because fans cool people, not rooms.
8. Instead of installing single-pane windows, use double panes. Switching from single-pane windows to double-pane ones will aid in heat gain in summer and heat loss reduction in winter. Another advantage of double-pane windows is that it blocks noises from the street, thus making your home peaceful.
9. Reduce water consumption and water heating cost by as much as 50 percent. How? Set up low-flow toilets and faucets.
10. Save water and energy by taking a shower! Yes, you can! Replacing baths with showers can conserve 4 to 5 gallons of water. Also, increase your heater thermostat to 120 degrees; 140 degrees if your dishwasher does not have a booster. In this way, you not only saved water, you also saved energy by needing your water heater less.

The air we breathe inside our homes need to be fresh and clean. The quality of your air indoors however depends if you have clean air ducts. These air passages convey cooled or heated air inside your homes. As air comes from outside, dust, mites and other microscopic dirt can find their way inside air ducts.  Filters though prevent these from getting indoors.

These materials however get stuck and accumulate inside air ducts. Over time, removing them becomes necessary. Otherwise, you’d be breathing unclean air inside your home where you spend most of your time. Who would have thought that unclean air ducts can bring peril to your family? That’s clear and present danger right in your very own home.

As materials accumulate inside air ducts, they may react with other elements in the air particularly moisture, bringing about harmful results adversely affecting air quality. Resulting fumes which may be harmful exposes you to danger. If such are odorless and colorless, you won’t even know that you are already at risk. Moisture inside air ducts may even cause the growth of harmful micro-organisms.

Why Regular Air Duct Cleaning Matters

Accumulated materials act as the medium. These organisms may then release toxic elements that go inside your home. Your air becomes deteriorated. It may cause various respiratory sicknesses and allergic reactions. Your health is a perfect reason why you must have clean air ducts.

Another issue you should also consider is how materials could possibly block air from flowing inside your home. Keeping your air ducts clean makes your heating and air conditioning system as efficient as possible, reducing energy costs.

It may seem that it can take forever before these minute materials totally block air passage. But accumulated materials inside won’t immediately stop air ducts from functioning. So much material must first accumulate before they clog your air ducts. Even so, air may not be totally blocked as it can still force its way to your home. In this case, the amount of energy needed increases in forcing air through clogged air ducts. The efficiency of these ducts goes down when these are obstructed.

Heating and Air Conditioning Efficiency

More power is needed for an air conditioning or heating system to force air through blocked air ducts.  In many cases, cooling or heating takes time before desired temperatures are attained.

What could be worse is that your desired temperature may not be attained at all even if maximum power is used. Your air conditioning or heating system may even bog down completely. This happens when compressors are forced to work at maximum capacities. You can just imagine how much it would cost you if you don’t have your air ducts cleaned.

So how often must you have your air ducts cleaned? Some make it a point to have theirs cleaned on a periodic basis. This is one sure way to have clean air ducts all the time. It may be costly however to have it based on schedule. To save on maintenance cost, you may have your air ducts cleaned based on necessity. But you should consider certain factors to ensure that the quality of your air always remains in good condition.

One factor is the location of your house. If you’re located in a place where dusts abound, your air ducts should be cleaned more frequently.

Moisture and Other Accumulation in Air Ducts

A location having frequent rainfall will also necessitate a more frequent cleaning of air ducts. More rainfall means more chances of moisture finding their way inside your air ducts. Another factor is the presence of animals or household pets near or inside your home. These are sources of mites and loose fur which may find their way inside air ducts. More animals could mean more frequent air duct cleaning.

Another important factor is the age of your air ducts. Older air conditioning or heating systems generally require more frequent cleaning. The number of occupants of your home is also a factor. The more family members there are, the more frequent air ducts should be cleaned.

You can see that air duct cleaning must become part of your home maintenance program. If health considerations take priority, air duct cleaning should take priority as well. It may be costly. But its returns in terms of health benefits will far outweigh the costs.

Some shady contractors wishing to cut corners in order to keep the bottom line low for their clients will leave out these options often, but pipe insulation is essential for the performance and long service-life of piping systems.

So it is often these kinds of additions that homeowners will want to consider doing themselves. Pipes and ductwork need insulation just as much as your exterior walls do.

Poorly insulated ductwork can lose heat, reduce air conditioning effectiveness and cost you money in heating and cooling bills. Not to mention the fact that if they freeze and burst, those repair bills are often astronomically high. Un-insulated pipes usually sweat, leave watermarks and make your water heater work overtime.

Naturally, pipe insulation is most important in areas where there is the potential for pipes to freeze and burst. But even in the southeast, where I live, we have days and nights below freezing and people’s pipes burst.

The cost of both piping and insulation is small relative to the damages when a pipe breaks. While it is obvious that outdoor pipes (under the porch, etc) need to be insulated, other pipes can still freeze even if they run in a temperature-regulated part of the house.

If the electricity goes out for several hours, or you go on vacation and don't expect the temperature to drop as much as it does, you may return to a huge mess. Proper pipe insulation can reduce, if not eliminate, the chance of your pipes freezing.

Insulation has a tremendous impact on your home's energy use. With rising energy prices, as well as environmental concerns, it is becoming even more important to pay attention to how you consume energy.

Proper insulation improves the thermal efficiency of your home, limiting heat transfer and providing a vapor barrier against moisture. Proper piping and insulation materials also eliminate condensation formation, which accelerates pipe deterioration.

Fortunately, insulating your pipes is a simple home improvement job that even someone like me can do.

To insulate your pipes, you will need:

• Pipe insulation
• Duct tape
• Rag
• Mild cleanser
• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Mask
• Gloves
• Safety goggles

Pipe Insulation Steps:

1. Begin by removing any dirt or grease from the pipes with a rag and mild cleanser. Make sure you allow the pipes to dry thoroughly before continuing with the installation.
2. Choose the insulation. Foam, foil or fiberglass insulation can be wrapped around the pipe with a 1/2" overlap. Secure each end of the insulation with duct tape. If you are working with Fiberglass insulation be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves.
3. Make sure to cover the entire pipe when wrapping around corners and bends and wrap with duct tape. When working with fiberglass insulation, wrap the fiberglass in plastic to keep the pipes from dripping condensation.
   The easiest pipe insulation to install is tubular sleeve insulation. It comes in a variety of sizes and is the easiest to install. Simply cut the sleeve to length and wrap it around the pipe. Be sure to duct tape the seam where the pipes meet.
4. When insulating around corners or T-joints, cut slits or make miter angles where necessary, and secure these areas with duct tape.

Insulating cold-water pipes will prevent them from dripping condensation, and insulating hot-water pipes will prevent costly heat loss and save on energy bills.

Caulking and weather-stripping prevents air from entering or escaping the home, and also prevents the spread of moisture around pipes, drains, and faucets.

Replacement weather-stripping is usually available at most building supply and hardware stores.

The most popular types of weather stripping include foam rubber, EPDM rubber, felt, bent metal, and plastic.

When selecting weatherstripping, you need to consider the durability of the material as well as what would work best for what you are weather stripping. For example: bent brass and aluminum is found on many older doors and are durable, but they conduct heat easily, don't usually seal that well, and are easily damaged by being bent the wrong way or through poor installation.

Bent metal weather-stripping is also one of the most expensive weather-stripping materials.

Bent plastics are similar to the bent metals, but are less expensive. They are also less durable.

Most rubber and foam materials stay flexible for years, are inexpensive, easily replaced and effectively seal air leaks. Don’t forget to choose the appropriate door sweeps and thresholds for the bottom of the doors as well.

For the best possible results from your investment, you should make certain that the weather-stripping material will stay flexible under extreme weather conditions. Also be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
In general, you should: 1) weatherstrip the entire door jamb; 2) apply one continuous strip along each side; 3) make sure the stripping meets tightly at the corners; and 4) use a thickness that, when the door closes, the stripping tightly presses between the door and the door jamb without making the door too hard to close.

Before you begin the installation of the weather-stripping you need to conduct a visual inspection to locate caulk that is cracked or deteriorated and weather-stripping that has gaps in the seal.

You may also be able to tell if a window or door needs better weather stripping by trying to rattle the door or window, or by looking around the edges to see if any light penetrates through the cracks.

In order to install your weather-stripping you will need to purchase caulk. Caulk comes in cartridges that will be inserted into half barrel caulking guns.

For small caulking jobs, you can find it in small squeeze tubes or ropes. Expect to use about a half-cartridge per window or door and four cartridges for the foundation sill, and at least one more for around faucets, vents, pipes, and electrical outlets.

Types of caulk generally used on houses include:

• Oil or resin-based caulk – This is the least expensive caulk, but also the least effective. It is readily available and will bond to most surfaces. It tends to harden and crack after 2 to 4 years.
• Latex and butyl-based caulk – A little more expensive, but much more durable than oil-based. It lasts from 6 to 20 years and holds up well to building expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature.

Before applying caulk or weather stripping, the area should be cleaned thoroughly and any old caulk or weather-stripping should be removed.

Directions for application will be on the tube and should be followed carefully. In general, about a half inch of the caulking cartridge nozzle should be cut off at a 45 degree angle and the tip should be punctured.

Once the caulk is applied, you can finish the surface with a moistened finger or something smooth.

Apply caulking to all fixed joints, including:

• Around windows and doors where frames meet siding
• Between window sills and siding
• Between frame wall plates and the foundation
• Around all holes for pipes, ducts, or electric conduits through outside walls
• Around all holes through walls, separating heated and unheated spaces, such as attached garages, storerooms, or attics
• Between unheated porches and the main body of the house
• Where the chimney or masonry meets the siding
• Around outside water hose faucets

Weatherstripping is similar to caulking, but is used for areas like the bottom of a window or door where the seal will be formed.

Installing weatherstripping is a simple process. All you will need is the contents of the kit you buy at a home improvement store. Keep in mind that this is being applied to a movable surface so you don't want to purchase a flimsy product that can wear easily.

If the kit you purchase does not include the screws, you should have several types and sizes of screws available as well as a utility knife or something to cut the weather stripping with, and screwdrivers, and possibly a hammer.

Installing Weatherstripping:

1. First measure the length of all seams to be weather-stripped, add a couple of inches for each seam and add the numbers together.
2. Next, cut the weather stripping to fit each seam, plus extra. Apply the stripping all the way around a window by using nails, screws or adhesive.
3. Attach the stripping to the jamb or the stop- the placement varies with the type of weather-stripping you selected.
4. Then, apply the stripping to the sides and the tops of doors. Use a weather-tight threshold or door sweep to seal the bottom.

Plastic foams, rock wool, cellulose and even cotton insulation are readily available. Insulation materials come in many forms. They are sprayed, stapled, blown, nailed or simply laid in place.

The choices can be difficult to sort through, but cellulose insulation is one of the most energy efficient and green solutions available for insulation.

Cellulose is “green.” It’s made of 80% post-consumer recycled newsprint. The fiber is chemically treated with non-toxic borate compounds (20% by weight) to resist fire, insects and mold.

The Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (CIMA) claims that insulating a 1500 ft2 house with cellulose will recycle as much newspaper as an individual will consume in 40 years.

If all new homes were insulated with cellulose this would remove 3.2 million tons of newsprint from the nation’s waste stream each year. There’s room to grow. Fewer than 10% of the homes built today use cellulose.

Cellulose earns “green” points because it requires less energy than fiberglass to manufacture. Disciples claim 200 times less petro-energy than fiberglass. More realistically, Environmental Building News reports that fiberglass requires approximately 8 times more energy to make when adjusted to reflect energy cost per installed R-value unit.

Choosing the right insulation material is important. However, the quality of the installation is critical. Efficient insulation systems need thoughtful preparation.

Armed with a trusty caulk gun and spray container of insulating foam, seal all penetrations in the structural envelope prior to insulation.

Seal all gaps in the wall sheathing and framing. Fill narrowly spaced studs and headers. Seal around window, electrical, and plumbing penetrations. Once all leakage points are sealed you are ready to install the cellulose insulation.

Blown Cellulose

Blown cellulose can be installed in new or existing structures. It is popular in retrofit applications because existing wall finishes are not removed to install the insulation. It is favored in attic applications because you can blow unrestricted depths of fiber to achieve deep coverage with very little labor.

Blown cellulose is shredded newsprint that is installed with special equipment. Construction-savvy homeowners should be able to install blown cellulose in open attics; not walls or cathedral roofs, which should be left to serious DIY homeowners or professional insulation specialists.

You can use blowing machines from rental centers and building material dealers that sell cellulose insulation. But in general, this is a job for pros.

On paper the application is simple. Dry cellulose fiber is blown through a hose into open attics or into enclosed wall, floor or cathedral-roof framing cavities.

Two people are required to run the equipment. One person feeds dry fiber into a hopper; breaking up clumps of cellulose as it is passes into the blowing system.

The hopper and blower can be located inside or outside the house. The other person operates a hose that is attached to the blower and extends to the locations where insulation will be deposited.

The ratio of air to fiber is adjustable and with some experimentation the right balance is struck. A 3-inch diameter flexible hose is typically used to blow fiber into open attics.

If an attic floor is already installed, remove some of the boards or drill holes at strategic locations to fill the floor cavities with insulation. If the floor cavities are already filled, blow an additional layer of cellulose directly over the floor sheathing to improve the level of protection. The job is dusty and wearing a mask is required.

Blowing fiber into enclosed wall and cathedral framing cavities is different. Here a smaller 1- or 2-inch diameter fill tube is attached to the end of the larger hose. The fill tube is inserted into enclosed cavities through a series of strategically placed holes.

The general idea is to drill a series of 2-inch holes horizontally across the structural surface so that the holes are centered in each framing cavity. One or more holes per framing bay are required depending on the length of the framing cavity and the applicator’s fill technique.

Filling walls and cathedral roofs from the outside is the typical practice. Pieces of siding or roofing are removed, holes drilled and insulation fill tubes inserted. Air pressure is cranked up for cavity-fill applications to provide a more densely packed injection called dense-pack cellulose.

The narrow fill tube is inserted into the holes and pushed to within a foot of the far end of the enclosed cavity as the blowing begins. When the packed insulation becomes dense enough to stall the blower, the hose is backed out a bit. The blower gears up and filling resumes.

The process is repeated until the framing cavity is filled. Then jump over to the hole(s) in the adjacent cavity. The injected fiber compacts tightly around wires, plumbing, and other penetrations providing an airtight insulating blanket with a slightly elevated R-value approaching R-4 per inch. The holes are plugged and the siding and roof covering is patched or reinstalled when the blowing is completed.

Cellulose can be blown into wall or cathedral roof cavities from the inside as well. Remove interior trim, drill – or simply drill holes through the interior drywall surface – and blow.

Replace trim and patch the holes after the cavities are filled. In new construction, walls must be enclosed with fiber-reinforced plastic sheeting or drywall before cellulose can be blown into the framing. The plastic sheeting doubles as a vapor barrier. Choose whichever strategy makes the most sense for your situation.

If you have a home that was insulated years ago with inadequate levels of insulation, you are not out of luck. Skilled cellulose professionals can snake fill tubes into a wall already filled with fiberglass batting.

The installer fills the cavities with dense-pack cellulose in a way that crushes the existing insulation without balling up the batts, achieving a full uniform application of the new cellulose fiber. The goal on any application is to assure complete coverage that is installed at a density that will not settle over time.

Concrete forms offer the same wind and fire resistance, but also offer an additional built in layers of foam insulation.

Homes built with insulated concrete forms offer homeowners greater energy efficiency and less noise pollution from outside.

An insulated concrete form is basically a form for poured concrete walls that stays in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly.

The forms, made of foam insulation or other insulating material, are either pre-formed interlocking blocks or separate panels connected with plastic or metal ties.

The left-in-place forms not only provide a continuous insulation and sound barrier, but also provides a backing for drywall on the inside, and stucco, lap siding or brick on the outside.

Within these two basic ICF types, individual systems can vary in their design:

• "Flat" systems yield a continuous thickness of concrete, like a conventionally poured wall.
• The wall produced by "grid" systems has a waffle pattern where the concrete is thicker at some points than others.
• "Post and beam" systems have just that – discrete horizontal and vertical columns of concrete that are completely encapsulated in foam insulation.

Whatever their differences, all Insulated concrete form systems are engineer-designed, code-accepted and field-proven.

Energy savings and comfort are built into every ICF system. ICF’s start with a high R-Value. Four inches of ASTM C 578 polystyrene foam insulation, combine with a five inch concrete wall a typical ICF system – are rated above R-17 at 75o mean test temperature. Other insulating form configurations and materials also exhibit high R-values.

The concrete walls of an ICF home have high thermal mass, which buffers the interior of a home from the extremes of outdoor temperature during every 24-hour cycle. This reduces both peak and total heating and cooling loads.

This combination of high R-values and high thermal mass is believed to account for the amazing 25% to 50% energy savings of ICF versus wood or steel-framed homes.

In sound transmission tests, ICF walls allowed less than one-third as much sound to pass through as do ordinary frame walls filled with fiberglass. With double-glazed windows in ICF walls and beefed-up roof insulation, you will rarely hear street noises or airport traffic.

The high-mass walls of an ICF home not only give it a remarkably solid feel, but they also make it safer for the family. And make it a remarkably solid and secure investment, too. Concrete homes have a proven track record of withstanding the ravages of hurricanes, tornadoes and fires, when all the stick-build houses around them are in ruins.

In fire wall tests, ICFs stood exposure to intense flame without structural failure longer than did common frame walls. The polystyrene foam used in most ICF forms is treated so it will not support combustion. Also, tests show that its tendency to transmit an outside flame source is less than that of most wood products.

A Healthier Home & Environment

Building with ICFs is healthier for the environment in a number of ways: by minimizing the number of different building products involved in construction, by reducing the amount of waste generated on the construction site, and by lowering energy requirements for heating and cooling.

ICF homes provide a healthy indoor environment, too. Nothing held within or ordinarily emitted by an ICF wall is toxic. The measurement of the air contents of actual ICF houses shows an almost complete absence of any emissions.

The Energy Star program is a voluntary labeling program sponsored by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Energy Star label helps businesses and consumers easily identify highly efficient products, homes, and buildings that save energy and money, while protecting the environment.

Appliances labeled with the Energy Star logo save you money by using less electricity and water than other appliances. Although energy efficient models sometimes cost more to purchase initially, any extra up-front cost can often be made up with savings on your utility bill.

Home improvement products found with the Energy Star logo include appliances, heating & cooling equipment, home electronics and lighting. In terms of appliances, the Energy Star program includes clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and window unit air conditioners.

An appliance receives the Energy Star rating if it is significantly more energy efficient than the minimum government standards. The amount by which an appliance must exceed the minimum standards is different for each product, and depends on available technology. Energy Star rated products are always among the most efficient available on the market.

The refrigerator is the single biggest energy user in most households, aside from the heating and cooling system.

A typical refrigerator made around 1990 uses over 900 kilowatt hours per year—that’s the same amount of energy you would use by leaving a 1,250 watt hair dryer on for a month. And the older your refrigerator is, the more power it burns. Energy Star refrigerators incorporate a number of advanced features to save energy while keeping your food fresh.

To make a better refrigerator, manufacturers use:

• Better insulation
• More efficient compressors
• Improved heat transfer surfaces
• More precise temperature and defrost mechanisms

With improved insulation, the compressor needs to run less often. Since the compressor runs less often and therefore produces less heat while it is running, the kitchen remains cooler. This in turn reduces the need to air condition as much to maintain the same comfort level. Energy Star refrigerators must exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption by at least 20%.

Energy Star dishwashers save by using both improved technology for the primary wash cycle, and by using less hot water to clean.

Construction includes energy efficient motors, and other advanced technology such as sensors that determine the length of the washing cycle and the temperature of the water necessary to clean the dishes.

A significant savings can be realized by minimizing the amount of hot water needed. Dishwashers use built-in electric heaters to heat water to a temperature hot enough to clean the dishes effectively. Energy Star dishwashers minimize the amount of water needed, saving the energy required to heat it in addition to other efficiencies.

Water heating represents between thirteen and seventeen percent of residential energy consumption, making it the third largest energy end use in homes, behind heating and cooling and kitchen appliances.

Water Heaters are the only major appliance that the Energy Star program does not address. The U.S. Department of Energy is in the process of establishing an Energy Star residential water heater program.

Also not directly addressed by the Energy Star program is cooking appliances such as ranges, cooktops or ovens. This is because these use less energy than refrigerators and freezers, which run 24-7, or dishwashers, which have to heat a lot of water.

Here’s another fact to think over; if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, enough energy would be saved to light more than 3 million homes for a year, would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gas build up equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. These light bulbs are called Compact Florescent bulbs, and can last for years and use up to 70% less energy than traditional light bulbs.

So, remember to look for the Energy Star label when shopping for major home appliance products to be sure you get the most efficient models available. You’ll save money and help conserve our natural resources!

Neither is living green, but you can make the effort to help save our environment for future generations!

With all the buzz and confusion over green homes, organic homes, chemical free homes, recycling, energy efficiency, and green decor, it can be a daunting task to know exactly what you can do to lessen your family’s ‘carbon footprint’ on the world.

But take heart; here are some easy tips to make your life and home decor environmentally friendly by living green:

1. Freecycle – no, it’s not a typo of recycle, but rather a grassroots movement to reduce landfill waste. We have all done these things; taken an old fridge that may still work to the dump, or that broken appliance, or printer or computer we upgraded.

Sometimes, we are even so lazy as to toss old clothes rather than take the time to take them to the thrift store and donate them.

Now you have a new option; simply post a subject like “Free Sofa” and wait for someone to send you an email saying they would like it. Then, come up with an agreeable time for them to come and pick it up.

I am the owner of our local Freecycle group, and have given away computers, printers, baby clothing and equipment…all sorts of things. The catch; everything must be free and legal. Visit www.freecycle.org to find a group near you.

2. Start a compost pile – all the icky garbage (banana peels, apple cores, leftovers, coffee grounds and stale bread) don’t have to go to the dump.

Gone are the days where a compost pile automatically assumes the vision of a huge pile of decomposing trash in the corner of your yard.

Today’s compost bins can be as small as a couple of square feet, to large commercial compost bins. The best thing about composting is no more pitch fork to turn the pile over; just a quick roll of the handle (think of a barrel on a stand, held at each end.). Even better; no odor!

3. Replace your existing light bulbs – with compact florescent light bulbs. These energy efficient light bulbs use 75% less energy than their traditional counterparts. And they last longer. I just recently replaced all the light bulbs in my home with these energy saving ones and it was an easy way to help the environment.

4. No more paper towels – whether you use regular kitchen towels (you can buy huge packs at discount stores really cheap) or microfiber towels, you are helping to reduce the amount of garbage your family produces.

Along the same lines, use cloth napkins with your meals. Not only do they give a nicer, more refined home decor statement, they are also washable and reusable.

5. Block the drafts – most of your home’s heating and cooling is lost through gaps and cracks at door and window seams. You can buy cutesy gap lockers, which are basically long, cylindrical tubes filled with stuffing, or you can make your own.

To make your own you can sew them, using a coordinating home decor fabric to tie in whatever theme is in the room, or for those less crafty, take a tube sock, fill it with rice, and tie the ends.

As a side note, the sock method is also great for sore shoulders; just zap it in the microwave a few seconds.

6. Give soy a try – soy candles burn longer, and cleaner than traditional wax candles. Traditional candles emit smoke in the air. Since these candles are petroleum based, that means chemicals are being emitted in your home.

Soy candles are made from soybeans, and come in just as many scents as traditional candles. Another plus; soy candles burn slower, meaning they also last longer.

7. Say “night, night” to your computer – turn it off when you get off of it for the day. Your screensaver is a screensaver, not an energy saver. When you see your favorite photos flashing across the screen, the computer is still using all of its power.

Turn your PC off or set it to hibernate after, say 30 minutes without any use Be sure you buy Energy Star compliant computer and electronic equipment, which make energy conservation simple. You’ll save some money, and conserve energy.

8. Don’t throw away your cell phone – either give it away on Freecycle, or donate it to a local abused women’s organization. These organizations give these phones to abused women to help them find work, and give them a way to call for help if they need it. Most office supply stores have drop off bins for recycling old cell phones into new products, as well.

9. Put a lid on it – your garbage, that is; wind, stray cats and dogs and wild animals love to rifle through the trash can. Putting a tight fitting lid on your can will keep the wind and animals out, and your trash in. Plus, it saves you from having to clean it up every day.

10. Recycle – the most obvious step to you can take to help the environment! Newspapers, catalogs, junk mail, soda cans, milk jugs and even metals. This single step is one of the most important and can make the biggest impact on our environment.

They attract many people because of their high insulation value and the ease and speed in construction.

Foam board wall panels can be used in homes, or in garages. In my last home, we used them to insulate our detached garage.

Rigid foam or foam board wall insulation can be used to insulate almost any part of your home, from the roof down all the way down to the foundation.

They provide good thermal resistance and often add structural strength to your home.

Foam board wall insulation reduces heat conduction through structural elements, such as wood and steel studs.

Foam board insulation panels are slabs of foam insulation sandwiched between two facings, or "skins." These skins include metal, drywall, and/or structural wood composition sheathing, such as plywood, waferboard, or oriented strand board (OSB).

The greatest advantage of these panels is that they provide ample insulation for a home’s outer structure, and often provide homeowners with a higher R-value per inch compared to other more traditional styles of insulation.
When constructed and installed properly, they also are more airtight than stud framing. This inhibits energy loss in the winter and summer, making the home very energy-efficient and saving on your utility bills.

The two basic types of foam-core panels are structural and non-structural. When used in house construction, structural insulated panels may make up the primary structural support. These panels are remarkably strong: a wall with two, half-inch thick OSB skins is nearly three times stronger than a conventional 2´4 inch stud wall.

Although non-structural foam-core panels are not designed to provide primary structural support, they may be used to enclose curtain-wall structures like timber frames. Sometimes drywall is the only interior sheathing option for these wall panels.

Foam core panels are a key component of "panelized housing," where specific fabrication occurs in a factory. The builder needs only to assemble the pieces on the site. It takes as little as one to three days to fully erect and weatherproof the shell of a foam-core, panelized house.

Openings in the panels, such as for doors and windows, may be precut at the factory or cut with standard tools by the builder at the construction site.

Foam core wall insulation panels use a rigid-insulation core made of one of three plastics:

• Expanded polystyrene (EPS)
• Polyurethane
• Polyisocyanurate, a polyurethane derivative

Manufacturers are examining ways of using cementitious or fibrous core insulating materials in place of the plastic insulations.

Foam-core panel walls are superior to conventional walls in a number of ways. Foam-core panels combine a high level of insulation with speed and ease of construction.

Unlike certain types of insulation, which lose some of their insulation value when exposed to moisture, normal home moisture levels do not significantly affect the R-value of foam-core panels.

The solid foam core virtually eliminates air convection within the walls and thermal bridges through wood studs and insulation voids. The panels also reduce air infiltration that, with proper installation, makes a tightly sealed house.

Installing rigid foam wall panels is fairly easy, as long as there is no drywall hung over the area you need to insulate. Installing the foam wall insulation boards is as easy as screwing it over the existing wood studs, or in-between them, and then finishing the wall with drywall and paint.

And unlike typical insulation, there is no need for protective gloves. In our garage, we simply screwed the foam wall insulation boards over the studs in the walls and ceilings, cutting out access points for the electrical boxes and outlets and tracking system for the garage door opener. In a 20X20 garage, we did the project within a day.

It is a simple, cost-effective way to increase your home’s comfort, energy-efficiency and overall appearance.

Insulating window tints add year round comfort to your home. They reflect the sun’s heat in summer. As a result, your home feels cooler and your air conditioner runs less. Insulating films also retain up to 55 percent of your home’s heat in winter.

Window tints provide comfort you can feel and savings you can see in your utility bills. In addition to increased comfort and lower utility bills, insulating films reduce fade damage to your home’s furnishings, floors and window treatments by blocking out up to 99% of UV rays.

Insulating window films are affordable, energy-efficient improvements for all existing residential windows, including dual-panes and can pay for themselves in less than a year. They improve the comfort of your home and reduce your utility costs by reducing your top source of heat gain.

Glare reducing window tints help reduce the glare and provide the flexibility of being removable and reusable. These films prevent television and computer screen washout and can improve the look of your home.
Glare reducing window tint should be applied to the inside of single-pane windows and to the outside of dual-pane windows.

Privacy window tinting helps create privacy for you and your family. Frosted privacy films are translucent and allow light to pass through while providing 24-hour privacy.
Mirrored privacy films provide daytime privacy. They allow you to see outside, but stop others from seeing in during the day.

The most important step in installing your own residential window film is to start with professional film, not the consumer grade films found at home improvement stores and other discount sources. Consumer grade films won’t give you the same ease of installation, durability and lifetime guarantees as professional grade window films.

Materials:

• Window film
• Spray bottle
• Measuring tape
• Straightedge
• Marking pen
• Small utility knife with breakaway blades
• Razor blade scraper
• Broad knife
• Squeegee
• Credit Card
• Coffee filters

Instructions:

1. Select professional quality film for your window tinting project. A variety of residential window films is available, including dark film for privacy, reflective film to keep your house cool in the summer, bronze film for soft lighting and frosted film for a translucent look. Many films also have a low-E coating that resists the passage of heat.
2. Mix cleaning solution; 1 ounce liquid detergent and 12 ounces distilled water. Avoid household window cleaners that contain ammonia or vinegar as they can dissolve the film’s adhesive.
3. Spray entire window with the cleaning solution.
4. Scrape off any dirt or paint using your razor scraper, and spray the window again.
5. Using squeegee, make downward strokes to remove the solution from window.
6. Wipe any accumulated dirt and grime from the window gasket with a coffee filter or a lint-free cloth, repeating the process until the window is completely clean.
7. Unroll film on a flat, clean surface. Measure the window, and use your straightedge to cut the film, leaving it about 1 inch larger than the actual dimensions of window.
8. Spray the inside surface of the window once more with your cleaning solution, leaving it wet this time.
9. Remove the backing from the window film. It helps to have another person hold the film as you remove the backing. A good idea is to apply pieces of transparent tape to the top corners of the backing and then use them like “handles” to pull away the backing smoothly.
10. Now, spray the adhesive side of the film to prevent any static cling.
11. Start at the top of the window and apply the adhesive side of the film to the wet glass, using your hand to remove any wrinkles, bubbles or creases.
12. Go ahead and spray the entire surface again. Then, use the squeegee and pull outward from the center of the window toward the edges to remove any remaining bubbles and excess water.
13. Use the broad knife and a utility knife to remove the excess film, cutting carefully along the edges of the window.
14. Spray the entire surface a final time, using the squeegee to remove the cleaning solution. You can use a credit card wrapped in a coffee filter to squeeze out water near the edges of the window film.

Almost all of us have worked in offices where the glow of fluorescent lights hummed overhead! In recent years, however, compact fluorescent bulbs that can be used interchangeably in sockets originally designed for incandescent light bulbs has brought the use of functional and decorative fluorescent lighting into the home both inside and out.

For years fluorescent lighting makers focused on fluorescent lighting fixtures that held elongated tubes. These fixtures are common in many public buildings and facilities. They can be installed in exterior areas that need strong illumination, for instance under a covered porch or patio. The intense white light from these tubes can be harsh, however, and unnatural and may not be the best choice for your home lighting needs.

A better solution would be the new compact fluorescent bulbs that are interchangeable with normal incandescent bulbs. Especially when placed in fixtures with colored or shaded covers, the light from these bulbs is gentle and pleasing, offering a variety of potential uses. Green shaded lights cast on plants, for instance, will enhance their appearance in the evening.

You can use blue lights outside around a pool, and soft amber lighting is nice for areas where people will congregate or sit and talk.

Beyond their ability to lower energy costs and the fact that they are environmentally friendly, fluorescent strip lighting and other kinds of fluorescent bulbs emit less heat than incandescent bulbs. This helps keep your electricity bill under control. Also, if used on your porch or deck on a summer night, the bulbs won’t produce much heat.

With the stress on our electrical grids and power supply concerns; more and more homeowners are opting to use solar heating for either part, or their entire home heating needs!

Solar heating harnesses the power of the sun to provide solar thermal energy for solar hot water, solar space heating, and solar pool heaters.

A solar heating system saves energy, reduces utility costs, and produces clean energy.

Many people opt for solar heating for their outdoor swimming pools, which can take huge amounts of energy to heat.
The efficiency and reliability of solar heating systems have increased dramatically since they were first introduced, making them attractive options in the home or business. But there is still room for improvement.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its partners are working to design even more cost-effective solar heating systems and to improve the durability of materials used in those systems. This research is helping make these systems more accessible to the average consumer and helping individuals reduce their utility bills and the nation reduce its consumption of fossil fuels.

To help more Americans benefit from these systems, the U.S. Energy Policy Act implemented a 30% tax credit for consumers who install solar water heating systems. To be eligible for this tax credit, the systems must be certified by the Department of Energy’s non-profit partner, the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC).