How about that idea…… ditch the stock and invest in your home! Energy efficiency is becoming more and more important for homeowners in Dallas. So it comes as no surprise that people all over the country are finding that an investment in their home is the best decision they can make. So how about investing  in a home energy retrofit? Besides the obvious – a much more comfortable home and less strain on the environment – it also appears that an energy upgrades have a better ROI than Microsoft stock these days.

Below is an article written by Anne Maertens of EnergySavy.com and Anne was kind enough to give us permission to re-post her article.

Times are tough. If you’ve been unemployed in the last few years, your savings have probably dwindled as you’ve struggled to make ends meet. If you haven’t lost your job, then you’ve hopefully been saving and investing small amounts. But the stock market has been a mess over the last five years, and interest rates for CD’s and treasury bonds are tiny. If you’re fortunate enough to have money to invest, where should you put your money to guarantee a good return?

Here’s a new investment idea for you: a home energy retrofit. Make your home more energy efficient through low-tech and cost-effective measures like insulation, furnace replacement and sealing your heating ducts.Huh? Why put money into your house with home prices going the way they’ve been. Well, this isn’t about increasing the resale value of your home: though you can expect that it will at least help. All you really need is to live in your home for five years for this to work in your favor due to the lower utility bills you’ll see every month. To illustrate the impact of doing a home energy retrofit as an investment, here’s a simplified example. Let’s say five years ago, a homeowner in Dallas named James was deciding between buying $10,000 of Microsoft stock as an investment or spending that same amount of money on a home energy retrofit to reduce his utility bills. What would have been the better five-year investment? The Microsoft stock worth $10,000 in June 2005 would have turned into just $10,700 five years later (a return of 7 percent over five years), including the increase in stock price and the dividends paid out over the course of the five years. But it turns out that the home energy retrofit would have been the much better investment. If James had spent $10,000 on a retrofit for his 2,000 square foot home in Dallas, including installing a more efficient heating system, efficient lighting, and attic and wall insulation, the investment would have returned 36 percent over five years, in terms of lower utility bills and increased resale value: even assuming that he only gets back half of the value of his investment at the end. So… Retrofitting your home is a better investment than the stock market. And that doesn’t even consider the fact that you’ll be more comfortable in your home and you’ll help reduce our country’s dependence on foreign energy sources.If you’re interested in learning more about how to do a home energy retrofit, who to do it, and how to get as much of it paid for by your utility and the government, estimate your savings at EnergySavvy.com.

I guess this says it all. Have an appetite for a home energy retrofit now? Contact the experts at EGC Custom Homes.

And another big announcement in the award circle this month – this one in the category for energy efficient homes. A home built by Swiss architect Peter Schuerch, principal of firm Halle58 won the 2010 PassivHaus award. Built in Bern, Switzerland, the home is a stunning example of how proper design and siting can overcome misconceptions about energy efficient design & construction – the facade of this project consists of over 50% glazing, yet it achieves energy efficiency far exceeding european standards. 76% of the hot water supply of the structure is produced through solar collection and the wall assembly creates a stunning R-value of 52!!! How about that? This design shows that energy efficient homes don't have to be boring, minimalise glazing and have large overhangs – efficiency results can be achieved with smart design.

There were many other interesting projects entered in the competition. If you are interested in a full list of the 2010 award winners, click here.

Was your home built prior to 1978?  In Dallas, TX  over 70% of  existing homes were built prior to 1978. So why is that date so important you ask? Well…. 1978 was the year lead was banned as a substance to be used in paints and finishes. Prior to that, lead was used heavily in the production of paints and therefore a large percentage of homes built prior to 1978 have lead-based paint.

The EPA is finally taking a hard stance on lead safety rules. On April 22, 2010, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations became effective and will be enforced by the EPA. This means contractors working on homes built prior to 1978 must meet the EPA guidelines for projects that might disturb lead. Contractors must seal the work area, post warning signs, and clean using special equipment. They are required to be certified through the EPA and can be fined heavily if there are infractions.

Many homeowners and real estate agents still don't know about about these new regulations and what it means for their properties, that's why I've decided to write this article.

So why is this important for you as a homeowner or real estate agent?

Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems. This can result in learning disabilities, reduced IQ, and behavioral problems.  Pregnant women exposed to lead can pass the poison along to their fetus.

Lead can cause hypertension, high blood pressure, and other dangerous and painful ailments.

Lead dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. It is invisible and toxic. People can also be exposed to lead through lead paint chips and lead found in soil. Lead paint was banned in 1978 for use in residential dwellings.

Lead dust can be disturbed through remodeling and can endanger you and your family.

How do these regulations affect my property?

If you are planning on remodeling your pre-1978-built home, be sure to consider the safety of your family above all.
Our advise: Do not attempt to do the project yourself until you understand the dangers of lead and how to handle it. Only hire a contractor that is certified by the EPA. A certified professional went through EPA training and knows how to keep you and your family safe. Be sure to ask contractors that you interview if they have been trained to perform lead-safe work practices and ask to see a copy of their certificate. They should also provide you with a brochure entitled “Renovate Right”, which was published by the EPA and contains valuable information about lead.  Remember, your health and that of your family is the top priority.

More information on the details of the new regulations can be found here.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/index.html

EGC Custom Homes is a EPA certified firm and all our superintendents and trade contractors have been certified and have undergone the mandatory EPA training. So if you decide to hire us for your project, we can ensure that proper safety practices are followed – not just by us, but also by our trade contractors -to keep you and your family safe.

Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
Principal/Lead Project Manager
EGC Custom Homes & Renovations

…… that's why. The picture above shows water damage at the floor framing level in the entry door area of the house we are currently working on. The entry door we're replacing is not that old. This is only one of several areas we found in this home that have severe wood rot. The wood rot is due to a very poorly done previous remodel. This is a prime example what can happen over time if homeowners don't do their due diligence and hire professionals that know what they're doing. So what happened? Simple answer: Improper installation of a new front door with no flashing and waterproofing measures. Small amounts of water were able to penetrate the wall and floor framing under the door threshold which in turn slowly turned the floor framing to mush. We repaired the wood rot and had our roofing and waterproofing contractor – Stazon Roofing – install a proper metal flashing piece before the new front door gets installed. 

The new front door will be installed on top of this flashing piece. What you probably can't see in this picture is that the flashing piece has a an end dam (a small piece of metal that is bent up) -so if any water ever does get under the door threshold, it won't go far. 

Other areas of constant water damage we see in projects is in poorly installed or non-existing shower pans. 

Above you can see a properly installed shower pan, filled with water awaiting plumbing inspection. These liners are installed over a mortar bed for proper drainage and should not have any punctures or penetrations. We just recently had to tear out an entire shower due to an improperly installed shower liner…… a very expensive repair for our client.

As you can see, the potential areas for mistakes that can cost you a lot of money are endless, that's why you should always do your due diligence and hire professional and licensed contractors for any job.

 Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
EGC Custom Homes
http://DallasGreenBuilding.com
m.kleinmann@EGCDallas.com 
  

In celebration of #EarthDay I thought it was in order to write about some of the myths that still exist about green building. As a custom builder and remodeler of energy-efficient and healthy, so called "green" homes, clients always ask…

1. Are green homes or remodeling projects more expensive?
   The short answer is: NO! They can be, but they don’t have to be. Green building is not about using fancy expensive materials, or all renewable energy systems. Green building is all about applying sound building science principles in design and execution of your project. This means designing and building a home correctly for it’s site and climate conditions. Fron there, clients can go a step further and incorporate material upgrades and renewable energy systems if they choose to.
    
2. All the green homes I always see on TV look weird and different! Can I build a green home, but not a "weird" looking home?
   Green homes don’t look any different than any other home or structure. Please understand that on TV, you are always shown the "extreme" – in technology AND design. An energy-efficient, green home can be of any architectural style, it can be a modern home, a tradition french style or any architectural style you desire. Modifications should be made with certain architectural styles to accomodate proper design for the climate zone your home is built in. 
    
3. If I install a tankless hot water heater, bamboo floors and recycled material countertops, will I make my home green?
   NO! You are making better material and component choices than most other people make. But if you truly want to make your home more efficient and healthy to live in, there are many other things you should do first. Making a home healthier and more efficient requires a systems approach. This means establishing a plan so you can have measurable results of the improvements you make. Hire a knowledgeable and certified professional to establish a plan and design for your project.

 Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
EGC Custom Homes
http://DallasGreenBuilding.com
m.kleinmann@EGCDallas.com 
  

As some of you have probably read in my last article about the Texas Green Building Summit, Phil Crone, Director of Green Building Programs for the HBA of Dallas announced the ALL NEW GBT-EH certification program at the show. This is exiting news for homeowners and remodelers alike, since it is one of the first green building certification programs for existing homes in the nation. Since I'm a member of the board of Green Built Texas, I can share some insights into the details of the program – please note that the certification components are not finalized yet, so this is just a simple overview of the program.

The new program will be referred to as Green Built Texas for Existing Homes (GBT-EH), and will combine the construction knowledge of remodeler members of the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) with industry professionals, such as home energy raters, who can provide quality control and third party verification. A Stringent third-party verification will ensure that consumers' homes have achieved the requirements of the GBT-EH protocol. Here's how it works: A third party Texas HERO certified energy rater will perform an "In-Test", establishing the baseline for the rating – which means energy efficiency is "measured" in the existing structure before any work is performed.

Based on this intial "audit" the energy rater or your trusted and certified green building contractor  will make recommendations on how to improve the energy efficiency, water efficiency and indoor air quality of your home. After the work is performed, an "Out-Test" is performed by the energy rater. The results of these tests are measured and scored as a HERS Index. The GBT-EH certifications will be awarded based on the improvement of the initial HERS index – and will most likely be scored as follows:

• BRONZE Rating: 20% improvement in HERS Index
• SILVER Rating: 30% improvement in HERS Index
• GOLD Rating: 40% improvement in HERS Index

In addition to that, a home can receive "Merit Badges" based on Indoor Air quality and Water Efficiency improvements.

As I said before, I'm super excited about this program as this gives us another tool in verifying good green building practices and the resulting better energy efficiency of our existing homes stock in this country. Remember…. Anybody can say they can do it…. But can they back up their work with numbers and a certification?

BTW – you can also find this article on the website of EGC Custom Homes.

Written by:

Marc Kleinmann

EGC Custom Homes

http://DallasGreenBuilding.com

m.kleinmann@EGCDallas.com

This last Tuesday, I was attending the  Texas Green Building Summit at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas. Last years’ event was host to about 700 attendees from all over the DFW Metroplex – Architects, Engineers, Building Officials and people otherwise connected to the green building industry. According to officials, this years’ event had over 1,200 people in attendance. An awesome turnout and a great statement for Dallas. The day started out with a great opening session – speakers were Liz Newman, President of the HBA of greater Dallas, Mayor Tom Leppert, Ralph Hawkins with HKS and my favorite speaker of the day, Steve Mouzon. If you haven’t heard of Steve – check out his website at http://www.originalgreen.org – very inspiring! The following keynote presentations were spread out over several conference rooms, I attended “Energy Improvement for Existing Homes”, which was a full house and later on the “Introduction of the Green Built Texas Existing Homes” program.

This is a great development for Texas – builders and remodelers are now able to get their remodeling projects and energy retrofits certified through the Green Built Texas program. Phil Crone, Director of Green Building Programs for the HBA of Dallas was presenting. I will write a more detailed article on the certification at a later date. The day ended with a closing session by Henning Bloech with Green Guard – also a very inspiring speaker. Btw – you can watch videos of the event on the TexasGreenBuilt YouTube channel. For more information see links below.

http://GreenBuiltTexas.com
http://TexasGreenBuilt.com
http://originalgreen.org

Btw – below is my favorite slide of the day….. The turbo-charged hot water heater

Green building is booming. Energy Star homes and LEED-certified building projects are gaining a greater foothold in communities across the country.

But the movement might stall before it truly gets off the ground unless developers, elected officials and the surety industry can find some common ground.

The problem lies with performance bonds. These are essential risk-mitigation tools that are a part of most building projects nationwide. In short, these bonds guarantee that a contractor completes the job as specified by the contract and all applicable code.

Surety bonds protect project owners and taxpayer dollars in the unlikely event that a contractor defaults, does shoddy work or somehow fails to live up to its duties. Before they issue a performance bond, surety underwriters scour a contractor’s financial standing, background and their likelihood of success. They also closely examine the prospective contract, looking for specific, tangible goals the contractor is obliged to meet. And that’s where the green building issue is becoming a major sticking point. Hitting green building requirements isn’t an easy task. National certifying organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council have to verify that a building has achieved documented levels of efficiency and other green building milestones.

But that puts surety companies in an untenable position. What happens, for example, if the contractor reduces the building’s carbon dioxide emissions by 24 percent but the contract mandates 25 percent? Surety companies have no interest in being on the hook financially in a case like that. Instead, most sureties refuse to bond a contractor when a contract demands specific energy efficiencies or requires an outside party to certify progress.

“It’s not always the party that has to post the bond that’s responsible for that element of LEED certification,” Bob Duke, director of underwriting and assistant counsel for the District-based Surety and Fidelity Association, told the Washington Business Journal. “Maybe the party posting the bond doesn’t have control of the total obligation.” Clarity may be coming in the next few months. Officials in Washington, D.C., are working toward a solution to the issue. The District of Columbia enacted a strict Green Building regulation in 2006 for some private and public building projects. Unsurprisingly, the new regulations call for a performance bond that provides guarantees for green efficiencies and standards. Surety officials are less than pleased with the legislation, which takes effect in 2012. A group of stakeholders from the surety and building industries and the D.C. political scene are currently working on an updated interpretation that provides greater protection for those all parties.

The rest of the country is watching, and waiting, to see how the issue gets resolved. The future of green building could hinge on the developments.

This article was written as a guest post by Chris Birk with SuretyBonds.com

In one of our recent projects, we installed a rainwater harvesting system that captures 100% of the roofs’ runoff water. The water is captured through gutters and then routed into a 16,000 gallon tank. For this purpose we installed a “trunk line” all the way around the home’s perimeter. All the downspouts of the gutter system “feed” into this trunk line which is connected to the tank. The water is pushed into the tank by gravity and then pumped out when needed. One important aspect of the system is the pre-filtering system, on this project we used a product called “Gutter Foam”. You can find details about their product at http://gutterfoam.com. You can see in the picture that the foam piece is wedged in the gutter and prevents any debris from entering the system.

The tank is a galvalume tank with interior liner set on a sand & gravel base. It has a backup line from the city water meter in case the water level ever drops too low. At this point the backup kicks in and fills the tank to minimum level with city water. Water is pumped out of the tank with a Grundfos pump and filtered through a UV-filtration system. That way the water will not carry and “foul” odor, especially if it is used for toilets or exterior water faucets. In this home the rainwater harvesting system supplies 100% of the irrigation water and 100% of the water for all toilets and the washing machine. This dramatically reduces the use of city water and also helps with managing drainage around the homes’ perimeter.