The green product resource for your home remodel.

Homeowners are continually looking for ways to get a greater return on their home investment. But with the recent price increases for building materials and shrinking lot sizes, outdoor living areas are now becoming a more valuable and trendy upgrade.

Awnings, both aesthetically appealing and functional, create an outdoor extension of the home that can facilitate many activities. And a well-placed awning can add thousands of dollars to the price of a home, especially in smaller homes where square footage is at a premium.

“Homeowners often consider their home a retreat and are on the lookout for unique additions that add character,” said Michelle Sahlin, managing director, Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA). “An awning extends outdoor living space by creating a new room without the high costs and complexities of other home additions. These outdoor havens have the potential to give homeowners increased selling power.”

Beyond improving a home’s value, there is a much larger benefit for homeowners to use awnings - energy efficiency.

A recent study covering Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, Albuquerque, Phoenix, St. Louis and Sacramento, found that window awnings can reduce household cooling energy by as much as 26 percent in hot climates and 33 percent in cold climates. PAMA funded the study to determine if awnings are a viable means of reducing energy and air conditioner usage in the home.

“Energy efficiency, extended outdoor living and the potential for lower electric bills are some of the most valuable reasons to purchase an awning for your home,” said Sahlin. “Dollar for dollar, the value of this investment is hard to match when considering home upgrades.”

Please note that for any type of awning, price will vary depending on size and style. Please contact your local PAMA member for specific estimates.  For more information about the energy study or to find an awning manufacturer near you, you should visit http://www.awningstoday.com.

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- Awnings provide eco-minded remodeling options for homeowners

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) have named Pella Corporation as a 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winner for the Product Manufacturer—Windows category for Pella’s contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing and educating consumers about energy-efficient products.  At GetWithGreen.com we definitely see their effort in putting out educational materials, and they enable us to find them and bring them to you!

This is the second consecutive year Pella has received this recognition. Pella’s accomplishments will be recognized at an April 1 awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.  Pella, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1999, will be honored for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency. This distinction honors Pella’s commitment to providing highly energy-efficient products, as well as the company’s comprehensive integration of ENERGY STAR information in media relations, consumer education programs, advertising, Pella Web sites and training materials.

Last year alone the government estimated that Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved a reported $16 billion on their energy bills alone and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

The 2008 Partner of the Year Awards are given to manufacturers and retailers that successfully promote and deliver ENERGY STAR-qualified products, saving consumers money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Award winners are selected from more than 9,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Straight from the International Builders Show in Orlando this week, JELD-WEN emerges to tell a green story about their windows…

Reinventing an Industry Gives JELD-WEN a Growing and Green Advantage

February 13, 2008 — ORLANDO, Fla. (IBS booth W-1701) – JELD-WEN’s efforts to revolutionize the wood window and door industry by inventing technology that creates longer lasting, more reliable products is a major hit with today’s growing market looking for green and sustainable solutions.

Called AuraLast The Worry-Free Wood®, JELD-WEN’s secret to longer-lasting wood windows and doors is due to an exclusive manufacturing process that forces protection against moisture saturation, wood decay and insect infestation all the way through to the core of the wood. This allows the company to offer an industry-leading 20-year warranty for its pine wood windows and This post continues… �

We continue to bring you eco-friendly Pella news and information because they are the one manufacturer out there telling a story today.  Hot off the press is this Pella sponsored survey released today telling how American’s feel about replacing their windows — and the energy efficiency it provides…

Research shows shift in home improvement trends
— Americans would choose new windows over kitchen remodel —
[02-12-2008]

As the housing economy slows and energy costs accelerate, Americans are looking for home improvement projects that work to add value to their home and add to their monthly savings. In a national study conducted by Kelton Research, over 44% of homeowners surveyed said that if presented with the free services of a contractor, window replacement would be more important than a variety of popular home improvements like a kitchen remodel, installing new carpeting, landscaping the yard or building a new deck.

“A majority of American homeowners (51%) said their windows aren’t ‘green’ or energy-efficient enough,” said Elaine Sagers, vice president of marketing, Pella® Windows & Doors. “That fact combined with this new sense of practicality about home improvement projects tells us that many consumers are truly looking for ways to reduce how much their house actually costs them in monthly bills and upkeep.”

In the study, 51% of Americans said that of anything in their home windows offer the most potential when it comes to energy efficiency — even more than other products including lights (48%), insulation (48%) and heating systems (43%).

Green is taking root
65% of homeowners believe that energy efficiency is the most important quality to consider when choosing new This post continues… �

It’s no secret that homeowners have “green” on the brain. With energy efficiency rebates and a number of different green products on the market in 2008, homeowners are showing concern for eco-friendly home upgrades.

In fact, according to a 2007 market research survey on U.S. Residential Awning Usage, conducted by Harris Interactive Inc., and commissioned by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), nine out of ten homeowners are concerned about saving money on energy costs for their home, while three-fourths are concerned about reducing air conditioning costs.

“Money and energy costs were top concerns for homeowners, which goes hand-in-hand when selecting new products for homes,” said Michelle Sahlin, managing director, PAMA. “However, the study also revealed that This post continues… �

In addition to helping you understand the window ratings game in our article earlier today, we also wanted to bring your attention to a recent report from Consumer Reports that discusses “replacement windows”.

Consumer Reports estimates that replacement windows can save you 10-25% per year on heating and cooling if you presently have single-paned windows.  The report on replacment windows discusses various manufacturers, pricing and features.  You need to be a subscriber to see most of the report, but there is some top level information available at no charge.   

Also, GetWithGreen.com found the following video information about the report at station WYSR in Syracuse:

At GetWithGreen.com we want to start helping to demystify the terminology around windows.   If you are looking at new windows for your remodel then it is important for you to understand how to read the spec sheets when it comes to efficiency.  Window installer John Rocco gives you this overview…

With so many homeowners in the market for more energy efficient windows and doors for their home, I thought I would use this week’s article to cover the more common terms used to describe a window’s ability to insulate your home from the elements. There is an organization called The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Their purpose is to test each window manufacturer’s product to independently verify the ratings for each test administered. So, let’s discuss each test and what it means.

First, there is the U-Factor. This number represents This post continues… �

 2008 is fast approaching, and the team at GetWithGreen.com is stopping now to recognize a few of our favorite eco-friendly home improvement products for 2007.  These products are assembled together under one roof:  GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007. 

GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007 consists of manufacturers (or categories) who deliver eco-friendly products, which make our planet a greener place.  These products help us conserve, help us reuse, help us recycle, or help us become less reliant on existing harmful resources.  We also looked heavily at the popularity of these products with you, our readers.     

Let’s give a GetWithGreen.com Thumbs up to our 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007:

1)   Cyber-Rain – “The smartest, greenest, and easiest irrigation system on the planet.”

The Cyber-Rain XCI System caused quite a bit of stir at GetWithGreen.com in 2007.  It was one of the most widely read stories, and for good reason.  Resetting the sprinkler timer at every change of season, or for un-seasonal weather changes, just isn’t practical – and we don’t do it!  Instead we just let our sprinklers turn on when it is not necessary, and we waste our most precious resource.  The Cyber-Rain XCI System made it to our list because it automatically adjusts our sprinklers depending on the weather forecast, thus greatly reducing water usage, and associated needless run-off.                                      

2)   EcoTop- The next generation recycled paper and wood composite countertop

Countertops are one of the most popular remodel topics on the web today, so it was only fitting that one material made it into the GetWithGreen.com 10 Best for 2007.  This year we’ve talked about just about every type of alternative to granite, and our top pick for 2007 is the new material called EcoTop.  Following up success at PaperStone, Joel Klippert has another winner here with EcoTop.  We expect big things from his team in 2008 as their color pallet increases, and they go broader in distribution!  Again we expect this one to be a game changer in 2008, and probably This post continues… �