3 Tips for Choosing and Installing Energy-Efficient Doors

Selecting and installing an energy efficient door can help you reduce your electric bill, as well as keep your rooms at a more comfortable temperature without having to turn on the AC or the heater.

Some door improvements cost a lot of money. For example, if you decided to completely replace your door, that's going to be a heavy investment. Other improvements, such as weatherstripping, are easy and inexpensive.

Here's what you need to know about installing energy-efficient doors.

1. What Kind of Door Should You Choose?

There are primarily three types of doors you can choose from: wood, steel and fiberglass.

However, if you want to conserve the maximum amount of energy possible, the best kind of door you can choose is a steel door that's wrapped in wood.

This kind of door will give you the great look that a wooden door does, while giving you maximum insulating power.

2. Weatherstripping: Is More Important Than the Door

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even more important than the door are the areas around the door.

Most heat in the door area doesn't escape from passing through the door. Instead, it escapes through the gaps under the door or the seams on the side of the door.

As a rule of thumb, if you can slide a piece of paper anywhere from inside the house to the outside of the house with the door closed, you have a serious air and energy leak.

Weatherstripping is the process of sealing up these gaps to make sure no heat or coolness escapes to the outside. You do this by sealing the bottom of the door and the seams along the door.

Weatherstripping costs much, much less than buying a new door and can have a much bigger effect. You can even do it yourself by going down to Home Depot and buying the weatherstripping supplies you need.

3. Understanding "R Value"

One final thing to understand about door energy conservation is "R Value."

Your R Value is how heat resistant the glass on your door is. If you have a door panel, glass doors or even just decorative glass on your door, a lot of heat can escape through that glass.

The higher the R Value, the less heat escapes. When you're buying your door, make sure you take your R value into account.

If everything else in your house is designed to conserve heat but your door has a low R value, you might want to consider getting the glass replaced.

Choosing, installing and leak-proofing your door can take several weeks. Remember that all the effort you put into it will pay off in energy saving in the future. You'll also be helping reduce your environmental footprint by using less energy.

Try These Simple Improvements for a Greener Home

Want to make your home greener without having to spend too much time and energy on it? There are a few simple things you can do that'll make your home more green literally overnight with very little effort.

Here are a few simple improvements you can make for a greener home.

1. Invest in Auto-Off Lights

Getting a light switch system that automatically turns off is a great way to save energy and help the environment.

This is an especially good idea if you have a hard time remembering to turn off the light or have children who aren't in the habit of turning the lights off (and who doesn't?) :-)

2. Purchase Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulb. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Energy saving light bulbs use much less energy than the typical light bulb. They generate less heat and produce just as much light as your typical light bulb.

Yes, they are slightly more expensive than a run-of-the-mill light bulb. However, if you care about going green, this is a really simple way to do so - and they can last 5-20 times as long, so you actually save a lot of money in the long run! CFLs and LEDs are two types of energy-saving bulbs you can find just about anywhere these days.

3. Use Water Conserving Shower Heads

Water conserving shower heads are very affordable, easy to install and can help you save a lot of money on your water bills.

Essentially what they do is inject air inside the streams of water. It still feels like you're getting a full blast of water on your body when you shower, but you're actually using a lot less water. I absolutely love mine!

4. Improve Your House's Insulation

Improving your home's insulation can save you a lot of energy in the long run. It might take a bit of upfront investment, but it'll easily pay for itself.

Insulation will help you keep the heat in during winter and the heat out in summer. It'll help you reduce both your air conditioning and heating bills.

Different kinds of homes and different climates work best with different kinds of insulation. Talk to a local expert to figure out your exact cost to benefit ratio.
 

5. Use Green Products Wherever Possible

There are many places you can opt to go green in your house. You can buy eco-friendly biodegradable dishwashing soap instead of commercial detergents. You can buy organic soap and shampoo in your local Whole Foods instead of mass produced soap.

You can buy biodegradable plastics instead of plastics that clog up landfills. You can buy products made from recyclable products or which are themselves recyclable, instead of products that contribute to our unsustainable waste growth.

These are just some of the many ways you can go green. Just about every room in your house can benefit from going green. Often going green means not only helping the environment, but also saving money for your family. It takes a little bit of effort in the beginning to set up your home properly, but the rewards more than justify the effort in the long run.

Living Green Starts at Home

You may have gotten the impression that living green involves some sort of enormous campaign that will take all of your time and cost you lots of money traveling all over the globe. While that may be a dream of some conservationists, you can live a green lifestyle in your own home. In fact, it begins here - those who find a niche in going green in their own lifestyles may branch out and become eco-consultants or other professionals in the field of environmental conservation.

Here are some tips for implementing a green lifestyle at home.

The Kitchen

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is where you cook, use appliances, and wash hands and dishes. The kitchen may be where you eat, too. So this is a good place to start with your green lifestyle.

* Save water in the kitchen by not pre-rinsing dishes and only running the dishwasher when it's full. If you have to pre-rinse (some dishwashers just can't handle non-rinsed dishes), then do so in a sink half-full of water. Scrub and rinse with the water off, and then load the dishwasher. You've only used half a sinkful of water to pre-rinse. You can also save water in the kitchen by washing produce in a pan of water.

* Appliance use is heavy in the kitchen, from the refrigerator to the stovetop. To save energy, you can combine the cooking of foods by baking more than one thing at the same time. On the stovetop, use residual heat where you can and place pots and pans on appropriately-sized stove eyes.

If possible, use energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen. And your parents were right - don't hold the refrigerator door open!

The Bedroom

In your bedroom, you can go green in some different ways.

* Use natural bedding such as cotton sheets without a lot of heavy dyes and deep colors.

* Place air-cleaning potted plants around your bedroom to purify the air. In kids' bedrooms, potted plants can also be implemented as long as they are out of reach of young children.

The Living Room

In your main living space, you can go green by using fans to cool the room in the summer and a space heater to boost the central heat in the winter. You can also:

* Set potted plants around for cleaner air.

* Cover windows with shades or curtains to keep out hot sunshine in the summer, and open them in the winter to help warm the room.

* Make use of natural light as much as possible. Position reading chairs and couches so that window light comes from behind, over the reader's shoulder. Use small lamps with CFLs and timers.

Peripheral Rooms

In rooms that are not being used, close vents to keep down heating and cooling costs and energy use. Make sure sunshine is not heating these rooms in the summer, and apply the same principle in reverse in the winter.

These are just some simple tips that you can use to live a greener lifestyle without spending any money at all! If you have other ideas, please comment below and share your tips!

Safe & Natural Home Improvements For An Eco-Friendly Remodel

We hope you enjoyed our beginning homesteading series! If you missed any of the posts, just look back over the past few weeks on our blog for lots of helpful homesteading tips for new homesteaders.

But maybe you're not looking to be a homesteader - you just want to live a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle. A great place to start is with your home. Got a kitchen that needs redoing, or a bathroom? Well, if you're thinking about making some green home improvements, then here are some tips to help you naturally improve your home in an eco-friendly way. Look for these things to not only save you money when doing the remodel, but also in the long run. And you will be able to feel good about what you have done both for your home and the environment.

1. Use sustainable lumber. Sustainable lumber is certified lumber which was harvested and transported using more sustainable practices. The harvesting process evaluation is achieved by checking how the trees were planted, grown, cut down, and then replanted to ensure the regrowth of the forest. 

Tracking the transport is the next step because it traces it back to the harvesting practices, so there is a guaranteed link between the sustainable harvesting practices and the final product. So look for the certification on the label of the lumber to make sure it came from the forests which are certified sustainable.

2. Use sealants, stains, caulks, and paint low in VOC's. VOC's are volatile organic compounds. Products that either have no VOC or low VOC are non-toxic and don't give off as many gases into the air around you.

Reuse ideas: Salvaged single-pane wood frame window turned decor by painting the window and adding stencils. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Use recycled materials. You can get recycled building materials from just about anywhere - from the paper on drywall being recycled to Masonite board, to crushed glass granite. Doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, and flooring can all be found at your local salvage yard. Or try a ReStore store from Habitat for Humanity if there's one in your area. 

You might not be able to find exactly what you had planned for your remodel. It's like shopping at Goodwill. You're limited to what's there, but you can also get some really great items for cheap that will make your home look great - and unique.

4. Shop local and small. Hit up the local mom and pop hardware store instead of Lowe's or Home Depot. There you can often find materials that are locally sourced instead of being shipped in from overseas. Made-in-America products are good for the environment because you are getting products which haven't been shipped from halfway around the world.

Think of all the carbon used in shipping something from the other side of the world! When you shop locally, not only are you helping local homegrown businesses - it's also better for the environment.

In-line (tankless) water heater. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Replace old appliances with Energy Star certified appliances. You'll save money and the environment as well by using energy efficient appliances. Change over that hot water heater, the furnace, refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove to energy efficient appliances when you do your upgrades. Or go for a tank-less water heater.

Do your research on the appliances to see what will give you the most savings on your energy bills. You'll be glad you did, if for nothing else than for the money savings you'll see on your energy bills.

So now you know what to look for with building products when it comes time for home improvements. Make natural home improvements yourself and it will cost you less and save you money over time. Plus you will increase your home value, and make it look and feel unique.

Video - Straw Bale Construction Examples & Benefits

This really short video lists a number of benefits of straw bale construction, along with a number of photos of straw bale homes and the usage of straw bales as building materials. Whether you are using straw bales to build your home, or just as insulation, there are some interesting uses for this eco-friendly and economical material. See below the video for some other resources on straw bale building if you would like to learn more.

Benefits Of Straw Bale Construction
StrawBaleHomes.org A short clip about the benefits of straw bale construction... If your interested in learning natural building, visit http for workshop dates...


Learn More About Straw Bale Construction: 
   

7 Benefits Of Straw Bale Construction

We mentioned straw as a "green" insulation material, but the use of straw as a building material goes back centuries (remember the 3 Little Pigs?). :-)  Straw bales as building materials became very popular over a century ago, as settlers in Nebraska found themselves in need of shelter but with very little lumber. They contrived straw bale buildings, and interestingly enough, this building style is enjoying a resurgence in modern times. These early structures used straw bales to bear the weight of the roof; this load-bearing style is therefore called Nebraska-style.

Building a straw-bale house. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More common today is the post-and-beam style, which consists of a traditional frame of wooden posts and beams. The straw bales are used as a fill for the walls. In both styles, the bales are covered with plaster. There are quite a few benefits to straw bale constructions, some of which are discussed below.

1. Reduce your carbon footprint
The straw used in straw bale structures is entirely contained in the wall, which means that the carbon absorbed while the straw was growing as wheat, oats, or other grains will not be released into the atmosphere. Also, straw bale construction uses a common waste product, straw, that would normally be burned or otherwise disposed of. Finally, using straw decreases the need for other natural resources, particularly lumber.

2. Fire resistance
It may seem counter-intuitive, but straw bales are actually more fire resistant than the average lumber house. Why? The bales are packed so tightly that not enough oxygen penetrates them to feed a fire. Fire tends only to smolder in straw bales, rather than going up in flames.

3. Insulation
The real savings in straw bale structures is in energy costs. Straw makes an excellent insulation against temperature and noise. People who are building near an airport or highway may want to consider straw bale construction.

4. Save on labor costs
Straw bales are easy to stack, like big blocks, which means a "work party" of volunteers can help build your structure for much less money than a typical contractor.

Straw Bale House (Photo credit: Todd Dwyer)

5. Straw is free of chemicals
Unlike flake board, plywood, drywall, fiberglass insulation, and other building materials, straw contains no artificial chemicals and won't outgas any harmful fumes.

6. Termites don't like it
Termites just don't find straw palatable. Unlike hay, straw has no food value to termites or other vermin.

7. No allergy worries
Also unlike hay, straw has no leftover flower or plant parts and thus no pollen. That's why certain allergic reactions are called hay fever, not straw fever!

Straw bale construction is worth considering, especially if you live in a climate with temperature extremes or in an area with a great deal of noise. And last but not least, when covered with smooth plaster, straw bale constructions are very attractive. While this method of building construction may be new to you, as you can see there are many benefits, and in some cases it can be a very economical and environmentally friendly choice.