Green Remodeling

Environmentally Conscious Remodels

According to the U.S. Department of Energy estimates, lighting, refrigeration and cooking are responsible for 41.5 percent of a home's energy consumption. When you are looking to do a home remodel project in Arizona, there are a number of opportunities to improve your home's energy performance. In conjunction with improving performance and reducing energy costs, you should also consider both the ecological benefits and health considerations.

Homeowners are feeling compelled to ask how they can make difference. The difficult part is trying to help homeowners determine how 'green' they want their homes to be. Remember, every little bit helps! There are a number of aspects that you can consider going 'green' on:

Water-conservation:

• Installation of water-conserving washers and dishwashers
• Installation of low-flush toilets

Flooring: Products manufactured from rapidly renewing forests can provide you with a new beautiful and durable floor.

• Wood: Renewable resource if from a sustainably managed forest
• Bamboo: Renewable resource and extremely durable (harder than oak or maple)
• Cork: Renewable resource and sometimes has recycled content, good foot support and easy to clean if properly sealed.

Lighting and Windows:

• Installation of skylights, as they are a great way to allow natural light into your home.
• Using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs can last up to 10 times longer and use less energy than incandescent bulbs.
• Replacing single pane windows with dual pane/low e will help in your heating and a/c costs.

Insulation:

• Where applicable, use blown-in cellulose insulation which eliminates air leakage from your home.

Ceiling Fans:

• Installing ceiling fans can help reduce your energy bills. Experts say that a ceiling fan in a room can help cool a room by up to 7 degrees!

We at Broadhead Contracting make a conscience effort to recycle materials used from jobs. Everyone has different styles, and if at all possible and customer willing, when removing items from a customer's home due to a remodel, we will reuse in someone else's. A good example of this cabinetry, if we are tearing out cabinetry in one home and someone else is looking for some plain garage cabinets, we will certainly mention to the customer as a potential option.

We are trying to do our part by offering up recommendations on how you can conserve energy, restoring our ecosystem and living a healthier lifestyle through green remodeling. Each one of us has the opportunity to make a difference!

Additional Green Remodeling Resources:

• Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credits