Consider: House Ventilation, Energy Star Mechanical Ventilation, Attic Ventilation, Basement Ventilation, Bathroom Ventilation, Duct Work, Cleaning Duct Work Specifications, Energy Star Duct Systems, Dryer Ventilation, Radon Ventilation, and Natural Ventilation.
For centuries if not millennia, natural ventilation used to be the most common ventilation method of allowing fresh outdoor air to replace indoor air in a home. Today it is just one of the many options, since homes that are properly air sealed for energy efficiency benefit from mechanical ventilation. The European standards for perimeter ‘tightness’ are so stringent that they actually require mechanical ventilation. Natural ventilation also usually doesn't provide adequate moisture control. Natural ventilation occurs when there is uncontrolled air movement or infiltration through cracks and small holes in a home--the same ones you want to seal to make your home more energy efficient. Opening windows and doors also provides natural ventilation. Because of central heating and cooling systems, however, most people don't open windows and doors as often. Therefore, air infiltration has become the principal mode of natural ventilation in homes.
A home's natural ventilation rate is unpredictable and uncontrollable--you can't rely on it to ventilate a house uniformly. Natural ventilation depends on a home's airtightness, outdoor temperatures, wind, and other factors. Therefore, during mild weather, some homes may lack sufficient natural ventilation for pollutant removal. Tightly sealed and/or built homes may have insufficient natural ventilation most of the time, while homes with high air infiltration rates may experience high energy costs. Spot ventilation can be used to improve the effectiveness of natural ventilation. However, if both spot and natural ventilation together don't meet your home's ventilation needs, then you should consider a whole-house ventilation strategy.
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
