Marketing Home Products

With what looks like another harsh winter upon us, homeowners and apartment dwellers alike are pondering ways to winterize their homes while also saving money. Unless living in a warmer area such as parts of California or Florida, most will likely see at least some snow this winter with temperatures lower than they’ve ever been. There are, however, plenty of ways to keep your place warm this season.

One of the easiest ways to save money during winter is to use an energy efficient space heater. Today’s heaters are smart with thermostatic remote controls, meaning that they sense the ambient temperature and can heat the room accordingly. Most electrical space heaters convert 100% of electricity that they consume into heat, which is good for your wallet. Use one where you’re seated or a few around the house to manage which rooms need the most heat.

The best thing you can do for your power bill is to install a high-tech programmable thermostat to make sure you’re heating your place at the right times. These cut down your power bill significantly allowing users to program an entire week’s temperatures. You can even have a separate program for the weekend.

Most homes and apartments lose heat through windows and doors. Applying window wrap to the windows, although not attractive, will keep the heat inside. This works especially well in older homes. For installation, most recommend double-sided tape and a hairdryer to get all of the wrinkles out, making the wrap almost invisible. New weather stripping for doors can often fix the problem of warping and pulling away from the door frame. If it’s too damaged, however, a new door may be in your future (bonus: upgraded curb appeal!).

What are ways you’re saving heat and money this winter?

Are home improvement projects ever easy? Rarely. Lowe’s new online initiative promises to simplify those difficult trips to the hardware store. An online tool that allows users to create and maintain a home profile, MyLowe’s stores much more than basic information. From room dimensions, product assignments and wish lists to recent purchases such as interior-paint formulas and flooring, MyLowe’s promises easy access to home improvement.

Beyond basic purchase history, the site also keeps track of warranty information, opting for electronic versions of manuals and paperwork instead of paper versions, which often get lost in boxes and filing cabinets. Features still to come include tools for room renovations, online sharing and subscription purchases of routinely needed accessories such as water and air filters… eliminating questions like, “When did we last change this?” Lowe’s also plans to make a mobile application so users can access their information straight from their phones while shopping.

Will MyLowe’s live up to its claim to revolutionize, customize and simplify home improvement? It’s hard to tell, but combined with great deals and products that have done well in the market place (such as Valspar), paired with a promise to constantly improve the system, Lowe’s appears to be on the right track.

When it comes to green building, it’s not all about new construction. The topic of green construction is popping up in unexpected places, including greening a historic school – a challenge that many wouldn’t attempt. The truth is that making updates to buildings made of brick and brownstone have far more impact on our total footprint than new construction. And these updates won’t compromise the historic character and integrity of older buildings. What is there to lose?

Scot Horst of the U.S. Green Building Council pointed out that energy saved by improving the performance of our existing building stock by just one percent would equal the savings that would be achieved if all new buildings constructed in the U.S. during a given year were “netzero.” Others agree, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation. They believe that energy efficiency in older buildings can be improved by far more than one percent by tightening exterior envelopes, restoring original passive design features and adding modern improvements. By adding these improvements, they believe that older structures can meet or exceed the highest standards for energy performance and sustainable design. Surprisingly, they say they can do it at a reasonable cost.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation plans to demonstrate how to make improvements to older buildings through work on a property recently donated in Denver. The Emerson School is a two-story masonry structure built in 1885. Like many historic buildings, it needs a lot of help. Spending $2.1 million in hard building costs like installing a geothermal HVAC system, repairing original wood windows, and replacing inefficient light fixtures, they plan to convert the Emerson School to a center for historic preservation groups and other nonprofits. They also plan to open up the interior to restore passive ventilation and natural lighting schemes lost over time.

As a result of these planned improvements, energy models suggest that energy consumption at the Emerson School should be more than 40 percent below the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline. Ultimately, the National Trust for Historic Preservation would like to reduce energy use even more and have agreed to target the “netzero” resource consumption model at the Emerson School by 2030.

The good news is that many can learn and model their own work after this project. The Emerson School is similar to thousands of other historic schools and institutional buildings found across the United States: timber-frame construction, thick masonry walls, large windows and high ceilings.

To learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation and how it will reach its goals for the Emerson School, click here.