Articles tagged “insulation”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Home Energy Saver Calculates Bang For the Buck By Lloyd Alter IN Home & Garden Sep 15 2010 Why does everyone like putting solar panels on their roofs when so many other things are so much more cost-effective? + READ MORE

Energy Efficient Homes Are The Stars Of The Future By Ronnie Citron-Fink IN Home & Garden Apr 23 2010 Are you in the market for a new home? If you are, you are not alone. Millions of new homes are built every year. How will all of the materials needed to build and sustain these new homes accommodate our dwindling and limited natural resources? + READ MORE

Ed Begley, Jr., Talks Green Businesses, Energy Audits, and More By Blythe Copeland IN Living With Ed Dec 3 2009 Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum... + READ MORE

8 Ways Going Green at Home Will Save You Money By Collin Dunn IN Home & Garden Nov 5 2009 When it comes to investing, there aren't many sure things, especially in our current economic climate. While Wall Street has been a roller coaster ride lately, investing in efficiency upgrades in your home isn't subject to the mood swings of nervous investors, and, done properly, will always save you money. Here's how. + READ MORE

Ed Begley, Jr., on Denim Recycling, Solar Cars, and More By Blythe Copeland IN Living With Ed Oct 30 2009 Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum... + READ MORE

Ed Begley, Jr., Talks Indoor Air Quality, Bag Recycling, and More By Blythe Copeland IN Living With Ed Oct 22 2009 Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum... + READ MORE

Introduction to the Green Materials Guide By Collin Dunn IN Features Oct 9 2009 When it comes to building or renovating a home, there are few simple choices. From styles and colors to location and design, there's an awful lot to consider, but, thankfully, you don't have to settle for materials whose production or use has a big-time negative impact on the planet. Here to help is our Green Materials Guide, which will help guide you through the process of finding green materials for every green project in your home. + READ MORE

Ed Begley, Jr., on Air Conditioning, Insulation, and the Cost of Going Green By Blythe Copeland IN Living With Ed Sep 4 2009 Living with Ed follows Ed Begley, Jr., and his wife, Rachelle, as they green their home, family, and celebrity friends. But if you've ever wondered what kind of advice they'd give the rest of us, then the Ask Ed forum... + READ MORE

Introduction to Insulation: Boards, Batts and Sprays By Lloyd Alter IN Features Sep 3 2009 There are so many choices in insulation; before we can even start to look at the different materials, one should understand the strengths and weaknesses of the different types. + READ MORE

Fiberglass Insulation Guide By Lloyd Alter IN Features Sep 3 2009 If you have ever worked with it you know how it makes your skin itch; imagine it in your lungs. Some have claimed that it is the next asbestos and is cancer-causing one website calls it "The Asbestos of the 21st Century. Packages of insulation carry cancer warning labels, based on a 1998 study. However the American Lung Association lists the studies and the most recent ones conclude that "It is currently considered not classifiable as a human carcinogen. Studies done in the past 15 years since the previous report was released, do not provide enough evidence to link this material to any cancer risk." + READ MORE

Cellulose Insulation Guide By Lloyd Alter IN Features Sep 3 2009 Cellulose is shredded newspaper and cardboard treated with a binder to hold it together, with borax added as fire retardant and to control vermin. It's made from recycled materials and "tighter" than fiberglass; air doesn't circulate in it as easily. + READ MORE

Recycled Denim Insulation Guide By Lloyd Alter IN Features Sep 3 2009 Made up of 85% post-industrial (factory scraps) recycled natural denim and cotton fibers, denim insulation is also 100% recyclable. 10% consists of a boron-based fire retardant which impedes growth of fungus, mold, and resists pests. Boron is a low-toxic, naturally-occurring mineral that is mined in the deserts of California and elsewhere. The remaining 5% is polyolefin fibers that are used as the glue that holds the batts together. + READ MORE

Bio Based Spray Foam Insulation Guide By Lloyd Alter IN Features Sep 3 2009 Icynene is a system of water-blown policynene that creates a foam blanket of millions of tiny air bubbles. It does not shrink and adheres to the surrounding structure, so there is no settling and no air gaps. It has no VOC's no formaldehyde, recognized for LEED credits and is becoming very popular as a clean, green, long lasting insulation. When holding a piece, it seems the most benign and friendly insulation ever, it is like filling your walls with sponge cake. More info at Icynene. + READ MORE

Can You Use Spray Foam to Insulate an Energy-Rated Metal Roof? By Steve Thomas IN Home & Garden Aug 28 2009 Steve Thomas, Host of Renovation Nation, answers some questions about insulating your attic and roof. + READ MORE

Take the Living Zero Home Tour--Coming to a City Near You By Mat McDermott IN Home & Garden Aug 17 2009 The Living Zero Home Tour will teach you home to make your home more energy efficient, the benefits of switching your lightbulbs, Energy Star appliances, tankless water heaters, and more. + READ MORE

Beat the Heat with these Warm-Weather Ventilation Tips By Josh Peterson IN Food & Health May 19 2009 We spend a lot of time writing about energy efficiency and how proper ventilation is important for indoor air quality. In this article, we'll look at how to use your ventilation to increase your warm-weather energy efficiency. By employing these tactics, you'll be able to have healthy air and a smaller energy bill. + READ MORE

The Two Best Tactics for Renovating a Historic Home By Steve Thomas IN Home & Garden May 15 2009 I've posted on renovating historical buildings before, and one of the biggest renovation problems with these buildings is that you can't change anything. My own house is in the historic district, and I really can't change very much. You can't even change out the windows, because the historic commission requires single pane, true divided light windows. + READ MORE

Caulking Tips By Josh Peterson IN Home & Garden Apr 28 2009 We like to promote energy efficiency here at Planet Green. One of the ways to increase your energy efficiency is by sealing your thermal envelope. One of our most stalwart allies in thermal-envelope sealing is caulk. + READ MORE

How to Make Your Room Air Conditioner More Efficient By Josh Peterson IN Home & Garden Apr 23 2009 I've lived in quite a few apartments without central air conditioning. In Los Angeles, the weather is so perfect, I don't need air conditioning. When I lived through the sweltering summers that the Midwest offered up, I usually stuck a room AC in my window and lived only in that one room. Of course, I'm a miserly son of a gun and would only use the AC when I felt that I would have a stroke of some sort. + READ MORE

Stop Heat Loss With Energy Panels By Josh Peterson IN Home & Garden Apr 21 2009 Windows account for 25% of your home's energy loss, and that's when they are closed. If your windows are drafty of if you only have single pane windows, it might be time to look at some window-related insulation solutions. You could put bubble wrap on your windows. or plastic, but you'll have bubble wrap or plastic covering your windows. A more attractive solution is energy panels. + READ MORE