LEED Certification in Your Remodeling and Construction Projects
So you’re getting ready to remodel your home and you want to go green as much as possible because you’re trying to be more environmentally responsible… and you also wouldn’t mind saving some money on utilities and maximizing your home’s resale value. Where do you start? A good place to start for your remodeling and construction [...]
LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is a rating system of sustainable green building and development practices.
LEED is also a nationally recognized, third party certification system and accreditation program conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council that certifies building projects meet high green building standards based on performance and measurable results in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
When LEED was first created it focused on new construction only but The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) partnered together to create the REGREEN Program, which has created national green remodeling guidelines for existing homes so remodeling projects can also follow USGBC guidelines. To check out their guidelines go to http://www.regreenprogram.org
In the US, our homes are responsible for 21% of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States , approximately 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (almost 9,000 pounds) per person per year (about 17% of total U.S. emissions) are emitted from people’s homes. The three main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from homes are electricity use, heating and waste.
Formaldehyde is another gas emission from homes. It is emitted from many materials used to construct and remodel a home. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas. At elevated concentrations it has a strong, pungent odor and can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde is released into the home from a variety of indoor sources. Some resins, or glues, used to bind wood chips or fibers into plywood, particleboard, and other pressed wood products, contain formaldehyde. Cabinetry and some floor and wall materials are often made from such products.
SOME COMMON SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE INDOORS
Pressed wood products: particleboard, plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF); often used in cabinetry, and wall and floor materials
Consumer Products: wallpaper, paint, coatings; often a preservative in these and other products
Coatings for Some Cabinet and Furniture Products: acid-catalyzed urea formaldehyde type finishes.
Combustion Appliances: wood stoves, gas appliances, kerosene stoves
Living in a green home means that you’re helping to stop the causes of climate change and using green materials and getting LEED certification in your remodeling and construction projects can help you not only be kind to the environment but also be kind to your body and your own personal health and there are also financial benefits to earning LEED certification too.
When you do a green LEED certified homes may also be eligible for financial benefits such as lower fees for financing and lower insurance rates.
To learn more about LEED certification you can go to their website at: http://www.usgbc.org
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Eco Friendly, Go Green, Green Materials, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Remodeling, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling Project, Remodeling and Construction
“remodeling and construction” “kitchen remodel” A question you might want to ask the contractor is how many remodeling projects like mine have you completed in the last year? Ask for a list as this will help you determine how familiar the contractor is with your type of project. If he primarily specializes in fireplaces and [...]
“remodeling and construction” “kitchen remodel”
A question you might want to ask the contractor is how many remodeling projects like mine have you completed in the last year? Ask for a list as this will help you determine how familiar the contractor is with your type of project. If he primarily specializes in fireplaces and all his previous remodeling and construction projects were fireplaces and you’re doing a kitchen remodel or a bathroom, he might not be the right contractor for you.
You should also always ask the contractor for a list of references. The contractor should be able to give you the names, addresses and phone numbers of at least three clients who have projects similar to yours. Ask how long each of those jobs took to complete and how long ago they were completed and ask to see them. You can also tell the contractor you would like to visit some of his current remodeling jobs in progress.
When you contact the clients he gave you as a reference you may want to ask them if you can visit their home to see the completed job. You can also ask them things like: were you satisfied with the remodeling project? Was it completed on time? Did the contractor keep you informed about the status of the project, and any problems along the way? Were there any unexpected remodeling costs? And if so, what were they? Did the workers show up on time? Did they clean up after finishing the job?
Probably the most important questions though would be were you happy with the work? Would you recommend the contractor? Would you use him again?
Happy clients are your very best bet!
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“home equity loan” “equity home line” “credit equity line” “consolidation loan” “debt consolidation credit” Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit to Double as a Home Improvement and Debt Consolidation Loan With any remodeling and construction projects you do on your home there are many payment options available for most home improvement remodeling projects. For [...]
“home equity loan” “equity home line” “credit equity line” “consolidation loan” “debt consolidation credit”
Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit to Double as a Home Improvement and Debt Consolidation Loan
With any remodeling and construction projects you do on your home there are many payment options available for most home improvement remodeling projects. For example, you can get your own loan such as a home equity loan or credit equity line or ask the contractor to arrange financing for larger projects. For smaller projects, you may want to pay by check or credit card.
For the larger projects a home equity loan, or a credit equity line also known as an equity home line of credit, can be a good solution because the interest rates are often better than other types of loans or credit and, depending on the amount of equity you have in your home, you might also be able to use it as a debt consolidation loan at the same time to pay off high interests credit cards and other high interest debt so you can be relatively debt free with just the equity home line of credit at a lower interest rate and improve your home and bring up its value at the same time.
What is the Difference between a Home Equity Loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit?
A home equity loan is a loan that is secured by your home. It is also sometimes referred to as a closed-end home equity loan or a second mortgage and is a fixed amount of money that must be repaid over a fixed term just like your original mortgage. You get the entire loan amount upfront all at once. You have predictable, consistent monthly payments.
A Home Equity Line of Credit (or HELOC) in many ways is similar to a credit card. It is a a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral. You can borrow as much as you need, whenever you need it, by writing a check as long as your total borrowing does not exceed your credit limit. Because it is a line of credit, you make payments only on the amount you have actually borrowed, not the full amount available. What makes a Home Equity Line of Credit so popular is that interest paid is usually tax deductible under federal and most state income tax laws.
Whether you use a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit for a home improvement project or as a debt consolidation loan or both it’s a great way to make your debt tax deductable and improve the value of your home at the same time.
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