Special Home Improvement Section: Take 5! 20 ways to upgrade your home  BY DEBORAH GEERING
There are plenty of projects, large and small, you can take on to improve the energy efficiency of your home while enhancing its appearance and coziness. With the help of several Georgia experts, we take a look at home improvement projects in four general areas: exterior siding, heating and air conditioning, windows and doors, and lighting. 5 exterior siding options Tired of painting? Homeowners can make their home more care-free by installing paint-free siding, or by using a siding material that holds paint better than wood, thus increasing the years between paint jobs. (1) Insulated vinyl: Although vinyl, a petroleum-derived product, is generally not considered eco-friendly, a relatively new siding option for homeowners can save energy costs. The product is insulated vinyl, which combines traditional vinyl siding with a foam backing or underlayment. The resulting system not only strengthens the siding but can also lower heating and cooling bills. “Putting that type of siding on your home can certainly represent the opportunity to tighten the building envelope and ultimately save energy,” says Greg Tatro, owner operator of Exovations of Middle Georgia (www.exovations.com), a home exterior improvement franchise based in Macon. Exovations installs an insulated vinyl product from Alside called Prodigy, which features an insulating R-value of 5.0 and a lifetime limited warranty. “This siding can qualify for a federal energy tax credit up to $500,” he says. The pricing for insulated vinyl siding falls between traditional vinyl and fiber-cement, Tatro says. According to a 2006 report from Remodeling magazine, the average cost for insulated vinyl siding in the Southeast is about $10,000. (2) Seamless steel siding: Tougher than aluminum and with fewer rust-prone edges than steel panels, seamless steel is an affordable siding option. Finished to look like wood, steel’s cost generally runs between that of vinyl and fiber-cement. Although it comes with a manufactured topcoat, it may need repainting after several years. It has the eco-friendly advantage of being made from a recycled product. (3) Fiber-cement siding: Today’s fiber-cement siding no longer contains asbestos like your grandparents’ fiber-cement, so it is a relatively “new” old product. Fiber-cement siding looks like wood, but it is resistant to fire, termites and rot. Although it does need to be painted, it should not require painting as often as wood because it doesn’t expand and contract as much with the weather.  Fiber-cement costs less than wood siding but is more expensive than vinyl. It heats up in the sun, which may require your air conditioning to work harder in summer.
(4) Stucco: The Minnesota Green Affordable Housing Guide recommends stucco as a good option for a durable, low-cost, low-maintenance cladding material. And Southface, a nonprofit corporation that promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities, chose a stucco system to clad its Eco Office in Atlanta. Stucco costs more than fiber-cement siding but can last more than 50 years. Applied over foam board, the material adds extra insulation to your home. (5) Ceramic microsphere coating: Ceramic microsphere coating is not a siding option per se, but the material is a long-lasting alternative to paint. Instead of using clay as a thickener like paint, this material employs ceramic microspheres, tiny hollow balls that reflect and dissipate heat. It can be tinted any color and can go on any paintable surface, but it is much more durable than paint. “I’ve been using it for seven years, and 17 with regular paint, and the difference is amazing,” says Jeff Roper, president of Southeast Coatings, the Georgia and Chattanooga distributor of Rhino Shield exterior ceramic coating system (www.rhinoshield.net). The system, which carries a 25-year warranty, includes a waterproof primer that adheres to the ceramic topcoat. The finished result looks like a thick coat of paint. At about three times the cost of a regular paint job, the cost is equivalent to or lower than vinyl siding. But Roper says his product is more durable than vinyl and easier to maintain. “Also with vinyl, they can’t do the porch rails, the window sashes, the decorative trim, so you’re still painting those parts,” he says. 5 ways to lower heating and cooling bills Heating and cooling accounts for a large percentage of a home’s utility bills, so it makes good sense to make your heating and cooling systems as energy-efficient as possible. Here are a few tips that can save you up to 60 percent of heating and cooling expenses. (1) Maintain what you’ve got: One of the least expensive and simplest things a homeowner can do to save money is keep the existing air-conditioning and heating system (HVAC) in good working order to maximize efficiency. Sign up for a maintenance program with a heating and air-service company for twice-a-year inspections—in the spring, before the air conditioner comes into heavy use, and in the fall, before you turn on the heat. You may also be able to do simple maintenance yourself, such as replacing filters, cleaning exterior air-conditioning condenser coils or cleaning the furnace blower. (2) Repair/replace duct system: A leaky duct system can increase heating and cooling costs up to 30 percent, so it’s worthwhile to have your system inspected and repaired or, possibly, replaced. A do-it-yourselfer can improve duct system efficiency by sealing air leaks at joints with metal tape or mastic sealant (contrary to logic, do not use duct tape—it is not durable enough), insulating exposed ducts with R-6 duct wrap or better, and upgrading the insulation in the attic to R-38, covering as much of the duct system as possible. If the duct system is inaccessible or damage is extensive, a heating and cooling equipment contractor can do the job.  (3) Upgrade your AC: A high-efficiency air conditioner with the Energy Star label (a government program that sets efficiency standards) can save up to 20 percent on your cooling bill. But a new HVAC system must be properly installed and sized for your home. A qualified installer can help you determine the proper size unit or zoned system.
If you start shopping for a new air-conditioning unit, you will soon learn about SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) numbers, a measure of cooling efficiency. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit. Energy Star units have a rating of 13 or higher. “The higher the number, the more expensive the equipment is up front,” says Robert Fitzgerald, president of Fitzgerald Construction Inc., in Atlanta (www.fitzgeraldconstructioninc.com). “But the payback is better as your bills are lower.” (4) Switch to a heat pump: With natural gas costs trending upward, switching to an electric heat pump can save you money—and you may qualify for special financing from your electric cooperative. Electric heat pumps are safer and cleaner than forced-air furnaces and are energy-efficient. The common complaint against heat pumps—that they don’t heat a home as quickly as a forced-air furnace—doesn’t particularly apply in our climate. “In Atlanta, that’s not really an issue because we’re more concerned with cooling than anything else,” Fitzgerald explains. (5) Go one step further with a geothermal heat pump: A geothermal heat pump is expensive to install but can be well worth the investment. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of the earth’s consistent ground temperature to heat a home in the winter and cool it in the summer. The interior part of the system can be retrofitted into a home’s existing heat and air system; the exterior portion is a loop of pipes installed in the ground outside the home. The loop is filled with fluid to transfer heat from the earth to the home in winter, and vice-versa in summer. “It’s the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient heating and air system on the market today,” says James Cook, president of Geo Loop Contractors Inc., based in Hampton. “It’s twice as efficient as the highest-efficiency, air-source heat pumps.” But like other HVAC systems, the savings on your electric bill come with an upfront cost: Geothermal heat pumps cost about twice as much as traditional air-source heat pumps to purchase and install. The loop can be installed horizontally in a large yard, or vertically (at a slightly higher cost) in a small yard. An added benefit is that the heat can be used to power the water heater. The combined savings can cut the power bill in half. Cook, who has been installing geothermal pumps for about 16 years, owns one himself and says he’d never go back. “A lot of people just look at that upfront cost and say, ‘No way.’ But if you’re going to be there eight to 10 years, it’s going to be worthwhile to do it.” 5 window and door projects  “Windows and doors are basically a big hole in the side of your house,” says Robert Fitzgerald of Atlanta-based Fitzgerald Construction Inc., which handles new residential construction as well as remodeling projects. Anything you can do to limit air leaks or reduce the transfer of heat through doors and windows will improve the energy efficiency of your home.
(1) Replace windows: “A good quality window is not inexpensive. But it can certainly be worth the cost,” Fitzgerald says. “If you can upgrade from a single pane to a double pane, that will help quite a bit.” Shopping for replacement windows can be confusing, but when it comes to energy efficiency, Energy Star qualification is key. Energy-efficient windows may include an argon gas filling between the panes or a low-emittance coating to reduce heat flow through the glass. Energy Star uses different standards for each climate zone, so make sure the product you select is certified for the South-Central zone. (2) Reseal existing windows and doors: If a replacement project proves cost-prohibitive, you can get a lot of mileage out of eliminating the leaks around your current fixtures. This project is a natural for do-it-yourselfers. Caulk around windows; use foam or rubber strips around doors. (3) Replace wooden doors: Wooden doors can be beautiful, but they’re not very good at retaining heat. “When we go to a fiberglass insulated door, that’s a huge opportunity to go to a product that’s not going to transmit much heat in or out of the house,” says Greg Tatro of Exovations in Macon. And don’t forget the garage door. “I see this a lot in Middle Georgia, where many new homes are built with a bonus room above the garage,” Tatro says. “You have a cold space below a room that is being heated and cooled.” (4) Add or replace a skylight: Don’t flinch. Skylights are not necessarily the leaky, heat-conducting hole you think they are. “We fight every day against the consumer’s impression that all skylights will leak,” says Mark Van Tilburg of Atlanta, Georgia sales representative for Velux (www.velux.com). “The key here is using a good-quality skylight and hiring a certified skylight installer.” Skylights add light and ambience to a room. “The nice thing about a skylight is it brings light in from a different direction. It has the ability to take light deeper into the inner spaces of a home. But it also has the effect of canceling out light glare from vertical windows.” A skylight can be added in any room with direct access to the roof through a ceiling. But skylights may be expensive and timely to install, require skilled workers and cost thousands of dollars. Just like with windows, key factors include Energy Star certification and the installer’s skill and experience. Van Tilburg advises, “In a skylight for residential use, don’t be afraid to use glass. It’s by far the superior product out there for skylights.” (5) Add a tubular skylight: A more economical option to skylights, tubular skylights can also fit into smaller spaces than traditional skylights can, such as hallways, closets or bathrooms. “If you had to contract a certified installer to install a complete new skylight, it would cost several thousand dollars and involve several days of construction,” Van Tilburg says. “A Velux Sun Tunnel is going to cost anywhere from $400 to $800 and can be installed in a matter of just a couple of hours. It’s a fast, easy way to bring natural daylight into spaces.”  5 eco-friendly lighting tips
Here are some tips to improve the lighting in your home while increasing energy efficiency. (1) Replace incandescent light bulbs: Use compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs consume about half the energy of incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10 years. And the quality is much improved over the old commercial-grade fluorescent bulbs. “The newest bulb on the market is the compact fluorescent chandelier bulb,” says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, president of Atlanta-based Des-Syn (www.dessyn.com), an eco-sensitive interior design company. (2) Install dimmers: Dimmer switches allow homeowners to control the amount of energy used by reducing the light intensity. “Install dimmers in commonly used rooms, like the kitchen, to ensure you’re using less light during daylight hours,” Cooke says. “The newest technology even allows dimmers to control compact fluorescent bulbs.” (3) Take advantage of natural light: Sheer or lightweight window draperies and roman shades provide varying levels of privacy while allowing natural light into a room. If you are putting an addition on your home, consider picture windows, glass bricks or skylights to maximize natural light, advises Cooke. (4) Use motion-sensing lights: Motion-activated lights turn on when they sense motion and off minutes after the motion subsides. You can use this energy-saving fixture in out-of-the-way places like an attic, basement, laundry room, garage and in closets. Outdoors, motion-sensor lighting also provides security, turning lights on automatically when detecting people and cars. (5) Add timers: Programmable lighting timers can also save energy by automatically shutting off lights that might otherwise stay on in forgotten rooms. They also enable traveling homeowners to turn on a light for a few hours every evening instead of leaving lights on for an entire trip. —Deborah Geering is a freelance writer based in Decatur.
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