2012 Four Corners Green Living
This Old Eco House
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No need to start from scratch to get an ecofriendly house – an existing home is a green home, especially with these updates by Ephraim Tucho
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CTW Features
tainable options to attract more homebuyers. But someone who’s looking to stay put can also live green – in fact, living in an old house is actually a sustainable choice. “The greenest house there is, is the one already built,” says Gordon Bock, co-author of “The Vintage House” (W.W. Norton and Co., 2011). Rather than spending more natural resources by building a brand new home, he says, an old home can be patched up, renovated and accessorized to improve energy efficiency.This also preserves the vintage aesthetic and character that many owners of old homes value. Improved methods of using energy, water and building materials are both helpful to the environment and can help lower the cost of utilities. Bock suggests these simple and effective steps to increase energy efficiency in an old home while preserving its structure. 1 Building Materials Maintain and refinish materials, don't replace them. Some materials that were considered outdated are now regaining popularity because they are greener choices than their newer counterparts. Many old homes have linoleum kitchen and bathroom floors and shellac as a wood finish.These materials are natural, renewable and durable, and they are worth keeping for both vintage aesthetic and sustainability. 2 Walls and Building Envelope Sealing air leaks and insulating around doors and windows can save a homeowner up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star website.
www.greenlivingindurango.com
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builders have increasingly turned to high-tech sus-
2 5 6 3 Windows New windows can be very energy efficient, but they are also very pricey to buy and install. A more inexpensive way to conserve hot or cold air is to install storm windows, a second layer of windows that can be mounted inside or outside of the home’s main glass windows. Storm windows are easy to maintain and their addition does not necessarily impact the look of a house’s original windows.
Depending on the hot water system though, a new, on-demand water heater is an option. An on-demand water heater goes near the point of use and produces hot water only as needed. The traditional water tank with a pilot light in the basement is constantly heating water, which some people might find convenient, but also wastes a lot of energy.
4 Attic Most of the energy lost in the home goes through the top. Insulating the attic, in particular, can decrease heat loss throughout the home without tampering with the building envelope or dynamically changing the structure of the house. 5 Water Heater The cheapest way to improve the energy efficiency of an old home is to tune-up the system already in place.
6 Heating/Cooling System For homeowners willing to bear the up-front expense, a geothermal heating/cooling system is an alternative that reduces fossil fuel consumption. The system takes advantage of the constant temperature of the Earth below its surface to either cool or heat a building as needed. Heat pumps are installed outside of the house and keep the main building systems intact. This is a high-cost installation that can deliver huge returns over a long period of time. © CTW Features
Four Corners Green Living • Sunday, June 17, 2012 • 13