Comments on Green (Kitchen) Remodeling

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we do a lot more remodeling of existing homes than building new ones. This is because we are "built-out" in cities and suburbs that line the Bay. Remaining building lots in these areas are few and far between and usually on steep slopes requiring expensive engineering to build a house.

Developers pounce eagerly on flat sites such as the closed Alameda Naval Air Station, or Hunter's Point shipyard in San Francisco; even though toxic cleanup is required, because homes in the immediate Bay Area bring such premium prices. That's not going to change no matter what happens with the economy.

Extensive remodeling of existing homes has been going on here since the 80's, and I'm sure it will continue into the foreseeable future.

Some people actually buy obsolete homes in desirable areas (for millions of dollars) and tear them down to build a dream home.

What does this have to do with "green remodeling" you say? Well, a lot.

Green building is really a lot easier than green remodeling because you start with nothing when you build. So building with green materials and methods will result in a green home. How green depends on the materials and methods, but green.

When you remodel, you are starting with a structure that is obsolete. And in many cases, the remodel will only target part of the structure - for instance, the kitchen. So, even though you might choose bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, Energy Star appliances, and all the other accouterments of a truly green kitchen; your green kitchen will still be mired in a not-so-green house.

What to do?

I suggest starting your planning for a remodel, any remodel of your obsolete home, with an Energy Audit and report.

This excerpt is from Green Building Advisor's page on Green Remodeling Projects

"An Energy Audit includes inspections and tests to assess moisture flow, combustion safety, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and durability.

An energy audit becomes a roadmap for smart repairs and helps organize improvements into sensible order. When renovations are to take place in stages, as the budget allows, an energy audit ensures the most pressing problems are taken care of first."

Never before has the technology or knowledge been available to assess your home as a "system". It's here now.

My husband and I recently contracted with Sustainable Spaces, of San Francisco, for an Energy Audit.

We were planning to replace our furnace and attic ductwork. So it seemed to be a logical move. But I highly recommend an Energy Audit before undertaking ANY remodeling work on your home, because the roadmap that the report provides should be incorporated in everything you do on your house from now forward.

In our case, Sustainable Spaces gave us a very different picture than the furnace guys who gave us estimates a couple of years ago. Our new furnace is quite a bit smaller than the ones they were quoting, and our ductwork is different too. Yet we are far more comfortable than we have ever been in our home. That's because our Energy Audit told us that our home needed some major sealing attention, and we did that as part of the furnace and ductwork project.

No more drafts! And in chilly foggy South San Francisco, that's AMAZING!

Sustainable Spaces also suggested our Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System. A product of which I was entirely unaware. I LOVE it and it saves a whole lot of water. I will also specify it for all of my clients henceforth. I gush about it in a previous post.

With an Energy Audit in hand you will be prepared to make your home truly green over a period of years, with every remodel you undertake.

You will also be cutting your impact on the environment in manageable steps.

It is so worth the small cost.

Do it today.

To see some green remodels on the Green Building Advisor site click here.

For a view on "Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Cut Your Utility Bill", as well as a treatise on "greenwashing", from Matt Golden, President of Sustainable Spaces and a member of the advisory team at Green Building Advisor, click here.

Peggy

Cherry Cabinets Worth Recycling

The Re-Use People just sent out their monthly newsletter and there are some nice cherry cabinets up for grabs at their San Leandro warehouse. There's even a 48" built-in fridge with panels! Must have been a BIG kitchen...Wonder if they changed it out because the fridge panels wouldn't fit?

Here's an image:


























The Oakland warehouse has received several large sets of handsome kitchen cabinets.

Location and Contact Information

TRP Retail-Warehouse
9235 San Leandro Street
Oakland, CA 94603
(510) 383-1983; toll-free 888-588-9490
Hours: Mon through Fri 10:00 to 6:00; Sat and Sun 10:00 to 4:00

Peggy

A Note About Paneled Appliances

Kathy Passarette, over at Creative Home Expressions,
has a beautiful post with lots of great images of refrigerators blended into the cabinetry, mirrored, made to look like armoires, etc.

One thing to note about paneled appliances, typically dishwashers and refrigerators, is that eventually you will have to replace the appliance.

We HAD a paneled refrigerator until it died and we had to buy a new one.

Even though we bought the same make, size and configuration refrigerator, the panels would not fit and could not be re-used. A $1000 investment, useless and in the trash.

I LOVED those panels too >:-C

I actually kept them in the garage for months before I would let my husband dispose of them...And we are not keepers of "stuff".

Our cabinetry is stained wood. Perfectly matching old stained wood is difficult if not impossible. In a kitchen it has been exposed to all those vapors and such for years.

The cabinet company was no longer in business.

For all of the above, we now have an un-paneled refrigerator.

















Imagine if it was and armoire investment...With TASSELS no less.

A further note:

Refrigerators have been growing in height ever since I became a kitchen designer.

Back in the '80's they were no more than 69" high. Nowadays more like 72" high.

Sub-Zero is the only company that still makes their refrigerators the same height as in the '80's - 84" high.

That means the "built-in look" your designer so carefully tried to achieve with the cabinet over the top coming right down to the top of the fridge, won't allow you to install a new fridge without replacing that upper cabinet.

I learned my lesson on this issue years ago and started specifying a space above, with a removable valance to close the gap that could be easily trimmed.

In spite of what you are thinking about the longevity of your appliances when you plan your new kitchen; they are never going to last forever.

What a shame to have to tear out a perfectly good kitchen just to replace your armoire...oops - fridge. Kinda shows where we are as a society. Doesn't it?

Peggy

Q&A Where Can I Find Someone To Help Us Design A Kitchen And Bathroom?

Q.

We bought a cottage type place that has no kitchen in it at all and a bath with just a toilet and shower, we are having trouble figuring out what to do that would look good.

Is there a virtual site that we can go to or someone that can design something that won't cost a fortune for them to plan something?

A.

You need a kitchen and bath designer with demonstrated talent and experience in space-planning.

The fact that there is no kitchen at all, also means that you will have to bring electrical and possibly gas to the area. That means services that are (likely) not in the house will need to be brought there.

Depending upon where you are located, there may also be requirements and codes that need to be met to install a kitchen.

The fact is: In some locales, you may even need an architect to plan your new kitchen.

I suggest the first thing to do is to go to your local building department with jurisdiction, explain your situation, and ask them what they require (They won't follow you home. Don't worry).

I'm afraid we designers don't come cheap, let alone free. But you will find that the right designer will save you far more than you spend on the design portion of your project. There are scores of products that go into every kitchen and bath. Saving money on each of them saves a lot. Designers know what works and what doesn't, what's a waste of money and a bargain.

There is nothing more costly than doing a project and finding that you hate it so much that you have to do it again.

Cost from my office: = Around $1000-1800 for a bare bones concept to take to IKEA, if you wish; up to $3-5000 for complete documents to submit for building permits.

Some charge more or less. I can only say what my fees usually are, and these are generalities since I charge by the hour.

A designer never knows how decisive a given client is going to be going in. A client who is very clear about what they like and don't like, and very decisive, is very likely to spend less on design services that a client who waffles and wavers about every decision and has to feel their way or see something before they know what they like.

The latter client will be just as happy with the results, but take a lot longer getting there and thus spend more money.

Peggy

Great New Kitchen Design Blog - Useful Spaces

I just discovered a great new blog (new to me) by Canadian kitchen designer Arne Salvesen, CKD.

He joins just a very few male kitchen and bath design bloggers. Most of us are of the female persuasion.

Arne has a lot of good posts already up since his launch in March 2009. I especially love his spelling of "colourful" and "centre".

Check him out at Useful Spaces. Welcome Arne!

I was especially taken by his post The "B" Word, about budgeting for your kitchen remodel.

This is a sore subject among kitchen and bath dealers and their clients - The dealers need to have a budget figure to design an appropriately priced project and the clients often like to keep the information close to the vest to avoid spending more than they want.

As an independent designer who represents and works only in the client's interest, I have found it quite remarkable how differently my clients react when I ask the "B" question. They are almost always very forthcoming about their budgets. It is one aspect of the transition I made in 1996, when I closed my showroom, that has made my task as a designer soooo much easier.

The remarkable thing is: I don't do anything any differently than I did before. I just stopped selling product to my clients. The difference is that they no longer SEE me as a salesperson.

Peggy

Casting Home Renovation Show

I ran across this notice on another forum and thought it might be of interest to some poor Do-It-Your-Selfer out there.

Peggy

CASTING NEW SHOW

The production company that brought you Wife Swap is currently casting unique families with plenty of personality to take part in a new show. We are looking for families who are in a Do-It Yourself Home Nightmare! Did your husband or wife start a Do-It-Yourself project on your home and now it’s impossible to live in? We are looking for families in the California area who are in need of professional help. The worse, the better…pipes leaking, walls exposed, ceiling crumbling, only living out of half of your house, etc, etc.
If you are a family with at least one child over the age of 5 living at home and you are in a Do-It-Yourself Home Nightmare, contact us to be a part of this groundbreaking show!

To apply or get information about the show
Please contact:
Sunny Foscue (Casting Producer)
Call: 310-309-3945
Email: sunnyhomeshow@gmail.com AND sunny.foscue@rdfusa.com

Extravagant LED Lighting

I have seen these new Mini iLume™ Flush Mount LED fixtures in a couple of applications and been intrigued at their possibilities.

Apparently I'm not the only kitchen and bath designer to be interested. Here's an image of a kitchen backsplash from their web site:
















I recently attended a seminar by a wonderful lighting designer who presented new thinking (for me) about how we approach interior lighting.

She showed, in a series of slides, how we designers can make lighting more interesting and engaging in a space.

She used prisms to catch sunlight and throw rainbows onto walls and furnishings, creating a new kind of decorative lighting that used to be only accidental.

She used different colored light sources to create "warm" or "cool" areas in a room.

I was fascinated.

LED lighting presents us with opportunities for such lighting because it can be so small and unobtrusive.

What an exciting time to be a designer with such tools.

Peggy

Addendum:

I was just browsing my friend Kit Golson's blog, Chic Provence, and ran across this post on artist Rudolf Stingel's work.

I have stolen this image to illustrate. Thanks Kit!





















Would you believe the walls in this room are white?

This is the incredible power of light and color used to create art. But it also illustrates how light bouncing off colored surfaces can change the colors in a room, subtly or dramatically, depending on the light intensity and colors being reflected.

Question? Do you know what color the walls would appear to be if they were painted navy blue with the same orange carpeting and lighting?

I'm in HOT WATER!

As part of an energy upgrade to our home, which is winding up today; our energy auditor and contractor, Sustainable Spaces, recommended we install an Advanced Conservation Technologies Metlund D'MAND Hot Water System.

I had never heard of it, but was intrigued when they explained to me how it worked.

What it does is pump hot water from the hot water heater, through the supply line and bridges back to the cold water line until the water comes up to a preset temperature.

We have been living with the Metlund for a few days now and I am really excited about this product.

We push the button and it runs for a few minutes and then shuts down. Because it is installed in the bathroom farthest from the hot water heater, ALL of the faucets in the house are then ready to be turned on and immediately produce hot water.

We are using it several times a day.

This is so cool.

Sustainable Spaces estimates that we will save 5000 gallons of water a year that would have gone down the drain waiting for the water to get hot (No more guilt when I water my bonsai).

Sustainable Spaces estimates our payback will be two years. A person handy with plumbing (not me) could easily do the installation themselves and get a quicker payback. In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would not want to install this system!

Ours is installed in our crawl space under the house. I highly recommend this option if you have the supply lines and electrical connection available, or easy to achieve, there. The system is definitely utilitarian in appearance, so hiding it away is the best option.

Here's an installation video on YouTube:



P.S. For you Buy-It-Yourselfers: Take the POLL in the right sidebar at the Metlund web site and you get $50 off your purchase.

Peggy

An addendum:

Sustainable Spaces has now given us two remote controls for the Metlund.

We keep one in the kitchen and the other in our second bath.

No more running back to the other bath to push the button to get hot water in the other locations.

This is GREAT!

Re: 7 Reasons to Hire A Kitchen Designer

The Kohler web site has a good article detailing the 7 Reasons to Hire A Kitchen Designer. This advice applies to baths too.

In the Industry today we have seen a dramatic drop off in work coming into design offices and showrooms over the past year and a half.

Consumers are buying houses that have been poorly maintained, or even trashed and repossessed by lenders, yet they are not going the established route of working with a designer. Instead they seem to be going it alone in making decisions about how to repair the damage and renovate their newly purchased homes.

I have said more than once recently, that the situation reminds me of the '70's, when Do-It-Yourself (DIY) was the way most people planned and renovated. I started out as a Do-It-Yourselfer back in the '70's, so I know whereof I speak. From what I have seen of the quality of most '70's renovations over the intervening years, they would have been better off doing NOTHING!

Correcting the poor decisions of the '70's Do-It-Yourselfers has kept the kitchen and bath design industry growing ever since! I can't stress this point enough. It is very important for the current DIY consumer to realize this fact, because YOU live with your decisions and your mistakes; and when you decide to sell your home, for whatever reason, YOU will pay the price in less appreciation and saleability.

Kitchen and bath designers are trained to maximize efficiency and storage. We are also trained to bring a project in within budget.

Kitchen and bath designers SAVE far more than we cost our clients.

So, if you are cruising the Web today, looking for ideas for your own kitchen or bathroom renovation, with the thought of saving on design and Doing-It-Yourself. I strongly suggest that you ask yourself these questions:

1. What are the requirements in my community for submission of plans for renovation?

2. Am I up to the task of creating the required documents? Such documents require electrical and mechanical elements. Am I prepared to learn what I need to know about electrical, lighting, and mechanical documentation? (Here in California we have community and State mandates to upgrade inadequate electrical service, plus Title 24, to take into account).

3. If so, am I willing to spend the time to learn enough to design my own kitchen or bath and be satisfied with the results?

4. Does the kitchen or bath lend itself to easy decision making? In other words: Do I already like the way it is designed? The traffic flow? The space for storage? The area for countertops? The amount of light? If not, see Question 3.

5. Am I willing to spend the time to research each of the myriad products I will have to contemplate to complete my new kitchen? Do I know WHAT THEY ARE? Do I know WHERE TO LOOK FOR THEM? CAN I DISCERN RELATIVE QUALITY BETWEEN LIKE PRODUCTS?

Kitchen and bath dealers represent certain products because the manufacturers offer elements important to the dealer. Such as: price; quality; reliability of delivery; little or no damage on delivery; etc.

Many of these elements important to the dealer are invisible to the consumer. When the dealer is not there to filter choices down to the reliable products only - BUYER BEWARE.

The least expensive products on the market in every category are the products reputable dealers shun as problematic.

Believe me, all kitchen and bath dealers would love to be able to sell a great product cheap or more profitably. It doesn't happen because manufacturers of great products value and sell them accordingly.

6. Am I going to hire a contractor to renovate and install the products I buy? Or am I going to do the work myself?

7. If I plan to do the work myself, do I know how to do it well? If not, am I willing to spend the time to learn how?

As I said above: We kitchen and bath designers have spent the last forty years correcting the mistakes of the '70's Do-IT-Yourselfers. Do you really want to start that cycle all over again?

We have learned so much about designing great kitchens and baths in the interim. Why not give us a shot at helping with yours?

Peggy

Scotch-Brite Slashes Paper Towel Use

As a blogger with a modest following I get all kinds of pitches from every angle. Most of them trying to get me to market their products for them.

I usually prefer to come across ideas for blog posts myself or respond to reader questions...But this one got me:

Hi Peggy -

I wanted to get in touch with you regarding a new collection of cleaning supplies from the Scotch-Brite brand that are more eco-conscious and help consumers save some green…perfect for consumers who are looking to infuse a little fresh living into their spring cleaning routine!

As you know, in these challenging economic times, every penny counts. By making a simple switch to the New Scotch-Brite Greener Clean products this spring cleaning season, consumers can get the cleaning quality they trust while being mindful of the family budget.

The Greener Clean collection of reusable cleaning products combines the cleaning power consumers have come to expect from the Scotch-Brite brand with eco-conscious natural and recycled materials. That means there’s no need to spend extra money on disposable cleaning products like paper towels and cleaning wipes, saving consumers a bundle.

· New Scotch-Brite™ Non-Scratch Sub Sponge and Scour Pads are bio-degradable, reusable, and outlast 30 rolls of paper towels (offering a savings of over $55!).
· New Scotch-Brite™ Soap Loaded Scrubbers are made from recycled plastic bottles. One 12oz bottle has enough fibers to make 6 scrubbers.
· New Scotch-Brite™ Natural Bamboo Cloths are made from 100% natural materials including 60% bamboo, a fast growing and renewable resource.
· Scotch-Brite™ Greener Clean Absorbent Cloth is washable and reusable, with one cloth outlasting 16 rolls of paper towels (offering a savings of over $30!).

Please let me know if I can provide additional information on the entire budget-friendly line of Greener Clean reusable cleaning products for you to share with your readers as they gear up for Spring Cleaning Season!

Any feedback you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Amy











I already use Scotch-Brite scrubbies and sponges in my kitchen and for cleaning projects throughout the house, so I am sold on the quality and usability of their products.

Now they are going green. But, the question is: Are the products in the Greener Clean Collection as good as my beloved yellow scrubbie?

So, I emailed back and asked for some samples to try. Over the last few weeks I have tried most of the new products (except the Cleaning Cloth and Bamboo Wipes) and the scrubbies are just as great as the products they replace, and green to boot!

My favorite is actually something new to me: The Greener Clean Absorbent Cloth really does replace many of the paper towels I use in a day.

As a cook I was a big user of paper towels. It has been a concern in my efforts to green our home. I envisioned the landfill awash in a sea of my used paper towels. Ugh.

Now I am using one Absorbent Cloth instead of many paper towels to do all my wiping and cleaning in the kitchen. I still use some paper towels to absorb fats and such, but my usage is way down. The cloth has lasted for quite a while now...I am actually still waiting to see how long it survives.

Yeay!

Please look/ask for them in your local stores and save a few trees and moolah.

Peggy

Interactive OLED Chandelier by Philips

WOW!

With all the new lighting products in LED and fluorescent bombarding designers these days, I still have to say WOW at the recently introduced OLED lighting by Philips.

You can see and read more at
Philips Showcases OLED Product Concepts at Euroluce

Peggy

Royal Philips Electronics unveiled the first-ever OLED interactive lighting concepts–for both consumer and professional use–during Euroluce International Lighting Fair in Milan. The concepts offer a combination of intuitive interactivity, ultra flat shape, soft light-effect and new design possibilities.

More on Finding an Independent Kitchen Designer Like Me

Q.
Enjoyed very much finding and reading your blogs on kitchen design.

We are going to remodel our kitchen here in Pasadena and would very much appreciate it if you have a contact you could recommend for the sort of service you offer in SF.

It really would be of help to us if you could and look forward to your thoughts.

Kind regards,
Barry

A.
Thanks for your kind words Barry.
Too bad I can't be everywhere.

I'm afraid I don't know anyone in your area like me. Maybe one of the Pros who follow my blogs will come forward.

I was one of the first independent kitchen designers. There aren't very many of us at all, and fewer still who sell no products.

Try searching on the web for "independent kitchen designer" and see what pops up in your area.
Good luck, and remember: You can always employ me "long distance".

I often do projects that I never really see in person (The farthest in Guam and Hawaii). It just takes lots of digital photographs, or video, and careful measurements to accomplish.

You see, we kitchen designers are trained to visualize what we can't see. That's what makes us "designers" and you "you" ;-)

Almost all of my communication with clients is by email and phone. Even when they are close by, I like to just do one meeting to photograph and measure the project and exchange ideas.

Reducing meetings to a minimum reduces the cost of design services dramatically.
Email is a very efficient tool for designing kitchens because everything is documented.

Of course, for those clients who need more hand-holding, I am always happy to oblige.
The important thing, in my mind, is to give people the documents and information they need to move forward.

Planning a kitchen remodel is a daunting task.
You will literally make hundreds of decisions in the process - big and small.

Having someone to help lead you through your decisions in the proper order helps you avoid confusion and build a plan for your remodel that has every detail thought through.

Peggy

Free Stainless Sinks May Not Be So Free

The quote below is an excerpt from a Kitchen & Bath Industry group discussion on LinkedIn.

I emailed the author, Steven Conneen, to ask his permission to quote him here (Thanks Steven).

Apparently, just as in times past when consumers are in a money-conserving mood, the market is being flooded with cheap products to meet demand - in this case poor quality stainless steel sinks.

Think twice about installing a no-brand stainless steel sink UNDER a granite, quartz or solid-surface countertop. The cost of removing it when it rusts or discolors will be FAR MORE than any savings you enjoy today. In fact, it may be impossible to remove it without destroying your beautiful tile backsplash.

Those of you that have grown up experiencing only high quality stainless sinks don't know how bad they can get.

Sinks that are to be undermounted should be ONLY high quality, "lifetime sinks", such as Elkay, Franke, etc. Corian, quartz and Siligranite sinks also can be termed "lifetime sinks".

In fact, you should question ANY free product offered as an enticement to get you to buy, unless the offer is from a manufacturer of the products (ie. Free Elkay Faucet with the purchase of an Elkay Sink, or Free GE Hood with the purchase of a GE range and dishwasher).

Peggy

As a manager of a high end plumbing showroom in the Northeast we have gone to great lengths to educate our plumbing/ contractor and retail customers and that's the key. It takes some work but you have to hit it from all angles. We work hard to educate the architects, designers, builders or anyone involved in the spec about quality and the opportunity to make more money.

It seems like such a waste to spend thousands of $ on beautiful stone counter tops to cheap out on the sink and faucet.

One of our biggest obstacles right now is actually with the granite companies. There has been huge influx of import (sub-quality) stainless steel sinks from Asia which these companies can buy for a fraction of the cost of the Elkay, Franke or KWC sinks. They'll even throw it in at no charge to hook the consumer on the granite purchase.

What the consumer doesn't realize is that these Asian sinks are not true 304 grade Stainless steel sinks with an 18/10 chromium/nickel content. Fortunately we've had some customers come in looking to replace their Asian sink because it is starting to show rust.

I now encourage all of my customers to bring refrigerator magnets with them to the counter places to test the chromium/nickel content in the sinks. The lower the content the higher the concentration of ferrous iron which will cause the magnet to stick to the sink.

LED Downlight Q & A

Q
Hello Peggy,

I read with great interest your blog on Kitchen-exchange in regards to LED lighting. I will be remodeling our kitchen, dining room, and living room and would like to use LED recessed lighting. This will be new construction so I will need the fixtures as well as the bulbs. Can you help me locate a supplier that deals with (California title 24 compliant) this product?

Thank You,

Denise

A

Hi Denise,

You can do that yourself by going to the Cree web site and asking them who offers their LED, LR4 & LR6, downlight products locally.

There is also a new LED downlight series by Juno that offers similar illumination quality (competition is good).

You can find both companies with Google.

You'll need to buy matching fixtures and lamps that have a GU-24 base (Bi-pin connections) to be in conformance with CA Title 24.

Remember: There are lots of cheap LED downlight lamps out there and only a couple, at this point, that really do a good job.

Good luck with your project and let us know how it goes.

Peggy

P.S. Downlighting is only one way to light rooms.

You need "layers" of lighting to achieve the wonderful effects that really good lighting can create.

By themselves downlights create cones of light. They are best for TASK lighting (counters, desks, etc.).

You still need AMBIENT lighting. That's the fill light that takes our eyes and throats out of the shadows and makes people look as great as surfaces and objects.

Then there is ACCENT lighting, for when we want to highlight an object or surface for an unexpected punch of strong light.

Finally, DECORATIVE lighting encompasses the fixtures and lamps with artistic flair that become a focal point in a room (even though they may not actually light it very well at all).

A well conceived lighting plan will take all of these elements into account, as well as the activities that happen in the space.

Good ambient lighting is the hardest to create in most spaces, but the most important next to task lighting.

Conclusion: A smattering of downlights on your ceilings, the sole lighting scheme in so many homes these days, provides lighting roughly equivalent to hanging an arrangement of flashlights from your ceilings (Think Halloween and the flashlight under the chin). Not a very flattering way to light yourself, your family, or your guests.

To learn more about great lighting from my favorite lighting designer (and teacher), see RandallWhitehead.com.

Re: Stimulus plan brings tax breaks to homeowners

The H&G blogs are abuzz about an article that appeared in last Saturday's St. Petersburg (FLA) Times: Stimulus plan brings tax breaks to homeowners.

The article details the new government incentives available to homeowners who upgrade their homes to cut energy consumption; or add high quality energy saving systems to their new homes.

It doesn't have much to do with kitchens or baths. But money in your pocket to do something most people are planning anyway makes a lot of sense.

Read it over and compute how much money you can save by saving energy. Below are the product categories covered.

Peggy

Windows and doors
Roofing
Insulation
Heating and cooling systems
Central air conditioning
Air-source heat pumps
Geothermal heat pump
Water heaters
Gas, oil and propane water heaters
Electric heat pump water heater
Solar water heater
Solar energy: Photovoltaic systems

Green Building Advisor

My friend Joanne sent me information (below) on this site and I joined up, paying my $99 for a year's subscription.

I then spent an hour or so on the site yesterday. We are planning a new furnace, and I thought I would learn lots of information I hadn't already found in my online research over the past few months.

I have to say I was disappointed that the site seemed to be (for now at least) just a compendium of manufacturers' marketing with links to their sites.

I didn't learn a thing I didn't already know...All right, I think I am pretty well-informed. In fact my files on furnaces were more extensive and better researched than theirs!

Then I posted my disappointment on the site in fairly scathing terms.
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/product-guide/prod/matrix-total-home-system#comment-294

Imagine my surprise when the editors dug up all the information I had been looking for on a very expensive heating system and posted it (within 24 hours) in response to my query!

I have now learned enough to rule out the very expensive system I was hankering for.
That saved me thousands of $$$.

I'll be sticking with Green Building Advisor.
Just remember that if you don't find what you are looking for there, ask.
Thanks Joanne!

Peggy

Leading builders, remodelers, and pro-active homeowners are highlighting success stories in an otherwise difficult economy.

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If you’re interested in doing the same you’ll appreciate the value of a comprehensive, new resource called GreenBuildingAdvisor.com.

You’ll discover:
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1,000 downloadable details

What makes GreenBuildingAdvisor.com different? Its breadth and depth of reliable, authoritative content. And an obsessive focus on quality building practices.

As Managing Editor, I invite you to explore all the resources we have to offer. For a good overview, take a look at our brief demonstration video.

The more you find out about GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, the more you’ll realize what a truly extraordinary resource it is – a virtual encyclopedia of practical information that can be your single source of reliable advice on green building.

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Managing Editor