The New Southwest / Re-greening your desert dwelling

Re-greening your desert dwelling

By Martine Mathewson

Tucson Green Times – February 2010

“There is no mystery to green construction and remodeling. It is really just applied common sense.” – Hank Hrzysik, LEED AP

You don’t have to uproot your life to have a green home. Savvy consumers can reduce their carbon footprint, make a significant savings impact on energy costs and stay on budget with a “re-green” remodel of their existing home.

Numerous studies now show that when new homes are built with modern “green” techniques and materials, not only do the inhabitants enjoy a healthier, less toxic living environment, the extra costs in buying sustainable materials today can save as much as $1 million in total costs over a 30-year mortgage term.

Home mortgage companies are savvy to this, and have opened many new doors for their customers to “green up” existing homes. For the homeowner, building green is a solid investment. For the nation, it’s a step toward energy security. And for everyone on earth, green homes mean less toxins in the air and water and conservation of rapidly diminishing natural resources.

If a full remodel is more than you’re planning this year, consider replacing toxic and energy wasting components in small steps throughout the next several years. If your remodel will involve more than replacing light bulbs and dishwashers, it might be time to call a professional. Tucson is home to numerous green remodeling and construction specialists, as well as eco-friendly interior design companies.

“Everybody’s house has got potential to be upgraded and be greener,” says Evan Brinton, a licensed general contractor who specializes in re-green-style remodels.

REGREEN, a brainchild of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is a program that provides “a seamless compilation of green strategies and case studies for the homeowner, builder and design professional.”

According to Pamela Portwood, an allied member of ASID, buildings account for nearly 40 percent of energy use in this country. “Interior design, like building construction, can make a tremendous difference in the carbon footprint in our society,” she says.

With a blossoming range of eco-friendly products flooding the market, just knowing where to begin a green upgrade of your home can be confusing.  The REGREEN program suggests you start with an energy audit, which is a detailed inspection that helps homeowners identify potential energy savings areas.

“If you called me for an energy audit, I would send you a little homework,” says Curtis Leroy, an independent building analyst who runs the local company Certified Energy Audit. His homework consists of a two-page questionnaire on client energy-use habits. Leroy also provides educational resources. Helping Tucson homeowners find ways to reduce their overall energy consumption by 10-20 percent after analyzing their home’s audit report is Leroy‘s goal in conducting energy audits.

Audits also are tools for identifying potential safety issues in the home. “For example, are your hot water heaters burning properly, and properly ventilated?” asks Leroy, who also tests every area for carbon monoxide.

The audit involves a series of scientific tests inside your home, including running a blower door that forces air through the entire house to check for leaks in the structure and ventilation system.  ”Quite often, as much as 30 per cent of the heating or cooling cost in your home gets blown out of your house because of leaks in the building,” he says.

After an energy audit, homeowners are better equipped to move forward with their green remodel.

Portwood recommends starting with simple things, such as caulking around window frames to minimize the loss of heated and cooled air.

Upgrading, notes Leroy, could simply mean buying a programmable thermostat for your heater or air-conditioning unit so you can keep tabs on the temperature even when you’re not home.

Household appliances can be real energy hogs, especially washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and dish washers, says Hank Krzysik, a LEED Accredited Architect in Tucson. “Eighty percent of my projects right now are conscious green remodels, because of the benefits people can see by moving forward,” says Krzysik. “Green remodeling is truly an investment. So what you’re truly doing is putting an investment into your home and into tomorrow.”

“Buy Energy Star appliances” is a sentiment echoed by most all building and energy professionals. Energy Star is a program established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy that certifies eco-friendly and energy efficient appliances and products for home and office use.

“You typically will always see lowered utility costs by upgrading appliances,” says Krzysik. “You can also take a look at when you use the washing machine, because electric rates are different during different parts of the day.”  He recommends calling your utility company to learn more about their plans for energy savings. Most companies, he and his peers agree, will be happy to help you lower your energy bills.

If replacing appliances isn‘t in the budget, Krzysik has another suggestion: “Take a weekend and change all of your lights to compact fluorescent. That’s done, it’s over and you’ve made a step forward.”

According to the EPA, if every American home replaced just one light with an Energy Star light, we would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for a year – and prevent nine billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Painting and flooring are two key aspects of a green remodel that provide not only a new look and feel to your home, but also have the potential to improve the health of the occupants. Portwood says standard paints and flooring materials generally off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which the EPA warns “some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.”

The EPA’s list of products containing VOC gases numbers in the thousands and includes paints, household cleaners, building materials, furniture, office equipment, and even permanent markers you may use in craft projects at home.

Fortunately, there is a wide array of healthier, eco-friendly alternatives to toxic products available today.

Evan Brinton’s Tucson construction company, Green Works, often uses The Human Friendly PaintJ. This non-toxic, hypo-allergenic paint contains no VOCs and is easier on the respiratory system, especially in people who suffer from allergies and asthma.

“What’s good for people is always good for the environment,” says Portwood.

Krzysik agrees, adding: “There will be value versus cost decisions that have to be made. You need to know where the most bang for your buck is going to be.”

To builders like Brinton, however, the green option is always worth the added cost in the end. Brinton’s company specializes in installing The Human Friendly Roof J. This eco-friendly material holds up under the harsh Tucson sun much better than standard roofing materials, boasting over 80 percent solar reflectance, according to Brinton.

In addition, a standard roof generally comes with a 2-year warranty, but The Human Friendly Roof J comes with a 15-year warranty from Brinton’s company. Plus, at the end of the year you benefit from another kind of green: up to $1,500 in tax rebates from the IRS.

Even with the economy not yet in full recovery, it’s still a good time to consider home improvements – and green renovation projects not only increase the value of your home, they enhance your health.

Author: Martine Mathewson is a local freelance writer.

REGREEN RESOURCES

RegreenProgram.org: Official website of the REGREEN program provides essential information, including green remodeling guidelines, checklists, and a “strategy generator” widget for calculating your first move.

USGBC.org: The U.S. Green Building Council’s official site, including links to educational courses for consumers and building pros alike, directories of LEED professionals in your area, and even a career center for locating green jobs.

TucsonElectric.com: Tucson Electric Power’s official site, providing customers with a stream of green-living links, including comprehensive news on renewable programs, energy-conserving tips, and a carbon footprint calculator.

TriCo.org: Nonrofit, member-owned corporation providing electric service in rural areas of Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona.

TucsonAZ.gov/water/online-account.htm: City of Tucson Water Department’s site has tips for water conservation, resources and information on rebate programs, tax incentives and WaterSmart workshops.

PHOTO: James Patrick

Curtiss Leroy of Certified Energy Audit covers up a potential leak coming through a residential lighting fixture before he tests the home for energy air leaks with a special vacuum designed for that purpose.

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GOLDEN RULES FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Always buy the highest quality, longest lasting materials and systems you can find, right down to the caulking and paint. Making this a habit will save you hard cash on replacement because higher quality sustainable products last twice as long as the cheaper ones – so if you buy cheap to begin with, you always wind up paying more in the long run.

If it starts in liquid form, it traditionally contains more toxins and VOC’s than we could list here. Paint, caulk, sealants, adhesives, wall textures, cleaners, masonry grouts, and finishing products all can out-gas toxins for years and affect your health adversely. Read the labels and consult your supplier, architect, interior designer or contractor. There are many high-quality safe alternatives available today for all these materials.

Reuse building materials whenever you can. Recycled supplies are now showing up in the finest of design magazines (even though most of those publications are still printed on highly toxic varnished gloss paper), both as surface dressings and in the hidden structural components. Remember, you’re being hip with modern design style while helping reduce the waste-stream. Using new products creates 20 to 70 pounds of waste for each pound of new product. Most of that waste consists of non-renewable resources – a practice we cannot afford to continue for the sake of our children and the planet.

Energy savings gets all the attention in major building projects, but energy saving technology has found its way into many paints, coatings, wall textures, films, venting systems, roofing systems, floor systems and even landscape design supplies.  If you’re improving the obvious energy use/waste areas like the kitchen, air conditioning and water heating, your attention to details in the less obvious areas can reduce your energy use with a second layer of quantifiable results. Consult your energy auditor, architect or contractor for the latest in these products and how they fit with your individual home.

For the basic structural components of your remodel, look for locally sourced goods. They will make up the largest part of the job by weight, and reducing long distance transport helps cut down your carbon footprint. What about wood framing? Switch to metal. Most local building materials have recycled content, a lower shipping weight, are impervious to local termites and molds, and may save money on your homeowner’s insurance policy. The local part of metal framing is that a few months ago it may have been the worn out rake or ‘64 Rambler that your neighbor recycled.

Be aware of where are you disposing of the construction leftovers from your remodel project, such as lumber, bricks, and even landscape debris. Check with The Fairfax Companies recycling and landfills in Tucson before you dump your discards into the trash. The Fairfax Companies are the number one innovator for turning construction debris into usable products; if it can be recycled, repurposed or reused in any way, they will get it done.