Home Remodeling Month Goes Green
To kick off National Home Remodeling Month this May, I am tapping into the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) recent survey highlighting the most common building features consumers are using to improve energy efficiency in their homes. According to the latest NAHB Remodelers survey, high-performing, Low-emissive (Low-E) windows are the most common green building products used by residential remodelers. Because of improved availability and affordability of high-performing building products, NAHB Remodelers Chair Paul Sullivan says energy-efficient features are being incorporated into more home improvement projects, often helping consumers save money on utilities, improve indoor air quality and strengthen their home's long-term value. The survey goes on to say that after windows, the most popular green building features of the first quarter of 2014 include: • High-efficiency HVAC systems • Programmable thermostats • ENERGY STAR appliances Other popular features include ceiling fans, moisture control products such as bathroom fans, water-conserving fixtures and high-performance insulation, the NAHB survey notes. The use of technology to improve a home’s performance has increased dramatically in recent years as well, with 70 percent of remodelers surveyed saying they used programmable thermostats within home remodeling projects—an increase from 42 percent in 2011. Sixty-two percent of remodelers also used ceiling fans in their remodels, nearly double the 2011 install rate. And the McGraw Hill Construction green building study, in conjunction with NAHB, projects that over the next five years, the percentage of remodelers who expect to be doing more than 60 percent of their projects according to green standards will double. So with that in mind, our next few segments will focus on each of these four key green improvement opportunities in the event you would like to launch a green project of your own this month, or in the near future. |
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