Fox 31/CW2 news segment that aired Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What would you do with $75,000 to do a home comfort and energy remodel?  Enter to win the Home Green Over Project contest by Sunday, April 17, 2011.
Tips for your home comfort & energy remodel:

• Always audit first before you get started – it will help you balance the building science with your budget and hone in on the best way to achieve comfort, health and performance at home while actually saving you time and money.  It will also help you prioritize whether you should do windows, furnace replacement, air sealing or insulation, crawl space retrofitting, etc. first.
• Use a reputable one-stop-shop solution like EcoSmart Homes for all of your energy audit and home improvement needs!
• Principals to follow: make sure the building it tight, ventilated right, and indoor emissions are light.
• Think about having the results verified and monitored with systems that you can run on your computer to check in.
• Make overhangs over windows 2ft instead of 1ft to prevent sun drenching.
• New windows aren’t great unless you air seal around the windows so there aren’t any gaps for air to leak through.
• Install a solar electric system.
• Use finishes (cabinets, countertops, paint, flooring, furniture, staining, etc.) that won’t off-gas and compromise your indoor air quality.
• Use CFL or LED lightbulbs to cut down on energy use.
• Change out old appliances like refrigerators, washers and dryers, and dishwashers with newer, much more energy efficient ones that have the Energy Star label.