Archive for the ‘Green construction or finishes’ Category

Illinois Appliance incentive program

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Info on incentives for HVAC and appliances for Illinois- this may be the time to upgrade.

http://www.ildceo.net/dceo/Bureaus/Energy_Recycling/Energy+Star+Rebates/

Styrofoam sheathing to replace plywood- add insulation, reduce labor

Friday, February 19th, 2010

80% post-consumer material, this product is lighter (so less labor) and provides insulation.  Structural layer, so it replaces plywood.

http://www.ebuild.com/articles/1133225.hwx

Tanks or no tanks? (water heater choices)

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

In answer to Facebook question:  Tankless water heaters ARE more complicated to install- for one thing, the exhaust may need to be stainless steel. This article sums up the pros and cons:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/choosing-water-heaters-tank-and-tankless-options.aspx



AIA article on renovation vs. new construction

Friday, December 18th, 2009

GREEN and better for the economy- check out this article from AIA!

http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek09/1218/1218rc_historicpreservation.cfm

ReGreen Guidelines for your remodeling project

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

ASID(Interior Designers) and Green Building Council’s ReGreen Guidelines.Lots of links, sketches, and insights for planning a GREEN remodel.

http://regreenprogram.org/docs/regreen_guidelines.pdf. More info at base site, below.

regreenprogram.org

Original Stair=Focal Point: Bungalow

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

See Facebook Album (link below) for Bungalow Renovation- Stair

Gut-rehab of 1920’s single family with changes to baths and kitchen to update lifestyle, while maintaining or restoring gracious proportions and features.  Click on individual photos for details about the work done:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-IL/Littlerock-Construction-Inc-Renovation-Coaching/93601209233?ref=ts#/album.php?aid=126631&id=93601209233&ref=mf

Passive Solar technique for reducing AC

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Solar Chimney technology in renovation project reduces AC needs significantly- this is ancient technology meeting new interest in saving on utility bills!

http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2009/11/passive-solar-design-saves-homeowners-up-to-65-percent-on-energy-bills.aspx

Green Concrete for DIY’s

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Read older posts for info about fly ash concrete and why it is green- It is now available in a bag mix from Quikrete!

http://www.quikrete.com/newsletter/4.1/spotlight.html

Stone repair and restoration

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Check out the local company that repairs and restores marble and granite- Sungloss Marble. Stone surfaces that are tired looking can look like new! Remember, reuse is green…

www.sungloss.com

Energy rebates expire soon!

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Energy rebates for efficiency upgrades end on October 31.

Applications should be in by November 15th.

https://www.conservationrebates.com/Application/rebateForm.aspx?RuleEngine=ConservationRebates.RuleDef_CHI_EFApp&Appliance=EF&Utility=CHI&ContractID=08-CHI1-EF