At AA Craftsman, we care about doing our part to advance the green building
movement. By staying current with green building techniques and using
products that are environmentally friendly, we are able to assist our like-minded
clients in achieving their goals.
Remodeling is a form of green building, by nature. By taking what is old
and transforming it into something new, we are able to minimize the amount
of new materials that are used. Often, an older home can surpass modern
energy efficiency standards by simply installing new insulation or replacing
old windows.
We are well versed in green building techniques and it is our pleasure to
help our clients make decisions about how they can make environmentally
friendly choices that don’t always add costs. We have included a partial
list of some green building topics that are important to AA Craftsman.
You Can Reduce Your Heating Costs
In his book Green Remodeling, David Johnston defines thermal bridging as, “…a
break in the continuity of insulation in a wall, ceiling, or floor, which
allows heat to flow more readily between the inside and outside of a home.”
Wood is not a good insulator, so when walls only have insulation between
studs, thermal bridges are created that let heat escape. Unfortunately,
this scenario is a reality for many homes. However, when we remodel homes,
we have the opportunity to reduce thermal bridging and make homes more
energy efficient.
The best way to reduce thermal bridging in wood framed walls is to place a
rigid layer of insulation on the exterior side of the studs. Also, the
important role that thoughtful placement of framing materials plays in
reducing thermal bridging cannot be understated. Instead of framing a
corner with four pieces of wood, we use two properly placed pieces to achieve the
same structural integrity, while minimizing new material usage and thermal
bridging.
Old Windows Can Be a Source of Energy Loss
In addition to remodeling, we specialize in window replacement. Draperies
and honeycomb shades can only do so much to decrease the heat loss from
windows. Often, the only way to properly insure that excessive heat loss is
not occurring from older windows is to replace them. Whether it’s one
window or an entire home window replacement project, we get the job done
with precision and we select Energy Star rated windows.