Finding a Good Contractor:

I don’t need to tell you that finding a good contractor is a challenge. In fact, if you are reading this blog you have probably been burned in the past or have heard stories about bad experiences with contractors.

A good way to find a good contractor is asking friends and family for a referral. If a contractor did a good, honest job in the past chances are they will again. Going to the Yellow Pages for a contractor just won’t cut it. If you can’t get referrals from your network trying asking hardware stores or material suppliers. You can also get referrals from engineers and architects.

Another good way to find a contractor is through Google. I know what you are thinking, how is that different from the Yellow Pages? It isn’t much different if you take the top results and do not do further research. If you find an interesting looking company, look up their license on the state’s website to make sure it is active and that there are no complaints. Also, see if others have posted comments about the contractor and if the contractor has posted articles, blogs etc. A contractor that gives helpful information to people or has a good online reputation might help you make a decision. Also, check if the contractor has an established business. If they have been around for a while that may speak volumes about their work product.

Be honest about your budget. Tell a contractor what you can spend and see how well they address your budget, give you info as to why your budget is unrealistic and generally troubleshoot with you. You may not have a good contractor if they readily agree to your budget without due diligence.

Don’t get intimidated! You don’t have to be an expert at construction to hire a contractor. Ask questions every step of the way. A good contractor will welcome questions and gladly help in your information deficiency. A contractor that evades your questions is usually a contractor you will want to avoid.

A:

More Window Wonderland FAQs:

Did you miss the first two Window Wonderland FAQs in this series? Here they are:

1/3: “Generally, what sort of things should I consider regarding energy efficiency?”

2/3)  “Energy Star Acronym Guide for Windows, Doors and Skylights”

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A: Energy Star Acronym Guide for Windows, Doors and Skylights.

In the EnergyStar standards set by the DOE and EPA for windows, doors and skylights, requirements change with the latitude. In the northern areas of the U.S., energy concerns are to keep warm; in the southern areas, it’s all about staying cool. Energy Star gauges heat transfer (U factor), the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), the visible transmittance (VT), air leakage (AL) of a window, and condensation resistance (CR).

Here’s a quick guide to help you sort out which windows are the most energy-efficient for your home.

• If the goal is to keep as much heat in the home as possible, then triple pane, low U-factor/low E in a non-metal frame window is the best choice.
• If the goal is to let in as much warmth as possible then look for LoE-180, which has a high solar heat gain coefficient. Look for windows with a SHGC of 0.40 or higher.
• If the goal is to let in as little heat as possible look for a low SHGC coefficient.
• If the goal is to let in as little noise as possible, double and triple-pane windows work well. Argon or krypton gas helps insulate and dulls the sounds. Specially made sound-sensitive windows also have special features such as spring-loaded seals and extra dead-air spaces.
• If you use air conditioning and want to reduce that cost, look for SHGC values of 0.30 or less.
• If the goal is both heating and cooling, as it usually is in Colorado, then the Low-E coating is a good choice.
• If the goal is to keep the view unobstructed, then a titanium dioxide coating might be valuable. This coating is activated by sunlight and it sheers off water and dirt so it resists water spots for a clearer view and less maintenance. Look for windows with a high VT.
• If the goal is to reduce fading, windows can be purchased that exclude certain light spectrums, but generally look for a window with a low VT. While some fading is due to the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, visible light can be responsible for about half of the fading of fabrics, art, and wood finishes.
• If the goal is to reduce condensation, the entire window system needs to be considered. Double and triple pane windows with Low-E in a non-metal frame work well. Look also for a high CR rating. You can reduce interior humidity by turning on your AC or heating system, or installing a de-humidifier.

For more information.

Next Window Wonderland FAQ >

3/3) “What type of window frame is better: wood, metal or vinyl?”
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A: The salesman says the windows he’s selling are energy efficient. Probably true, but the question you should be asking is: are they the right kind of energy efficiency for the climate where you live and your particular home and layout?

You most likely already know a single pane window in an aluminum frame is bad. You are going to want windows with gas insulation and special glass. But argon or krypton?  Tri-pane, Low-E or U-value?  Not all energy-efficient windows are right for every situation.

Windows open our homes, psychologically and literally. We want natural light. But is that the primary goal of the window?  Do we want to encourage heat exchange or discourage it? In a north-facing window you will want to keep the heat inside, in a south-facing window, you may get more heat than you bargained for.

When building a house, it is important to consider orientation of the house and window placement to encourage solar gain in the winter and discourage it in the summer. Strategic landscaping can also be useful in attaining these goals.

NEXT Window Wonderland FAQ >

2/3)  “Energy Star Acronym Guide for Windows, Doors and Skylights”

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Although the list is long, if it becomes routine, it can be
completed in only a few hours, save hundreds on heating bills– and possibly
thousands on home repairs.  Start by thinking of ways cold air gets into
your home: windows, doors, pipes, and other openings. Then think about ways
water might get into the home.

The first few tasks are a ‘must have’ on your winter checklist because they can cause the most problems:

Prevent fires and smoke damage—Have your fireplace and chimney inspected annually.

1) Don’t be left in the cold—Have furnace tuned-up and serviced before you need it;

2)  Avoid frozen pipes—Insulate between pipes and outside walls.  Disconnect garden hoses at outside faucets. If
you leave on vacation, set thermostat at 65 and never turn it off.*

3)  Prevent ice dams–costly damage to the exterior of your home can be caused from ice
dams. Clear gutters and downspouts. Run a hose through each gutter to make sure
gutters and downspouts are clear and water is being channeled away from the
house;

4) Avoid interior leaks—Inspect roof for worn areas and repair them. Cut branches that
may scrape on roof during winter winds

5) Prevent fires and smoke damage—Have your fireplace and chimney inspected and
cleaned annually.

6) Prevent water and equipment damage—Drain your evaporative air conditioner and wrap
or remove

* To prevent frozen pipes, check out our Frozen Pipes Blog and watch Larry’s How-to on YouTube.

The following additional tips will keep your home more comfortable and save you money:

1)  Check doors for leaks; add new weather stripping if necessary

2)  Caulk around windows

3) If glass in windows is not high quality, consider replacing with
insulating panes;  if that is not an option, have storm windows made and  if
that’s still not in the budget, buy an insulator kit and install plastic sheets. You may want to
buy or create insulated curtains to further prevent drafts from windows

4) Replace your home’s furnace filter now and each month throughout
winter.

5) If you have high ceilings, consider putting in a ceiling fan to
help circulate warm air.

6)  Check insulation. If inadequate, blown-in or blanket insulation
can be added. Some government rebates may apply.

7)  Carefully feel the temperature of your pipes; if they are warm, wrap
with a blanket (insulation) to save energy;

8)  Go alternative: solar panels are becoming more common, but how
about a biomass stove, a small wind turbine or a geothermal heat pump? Research
your options and find the best solution for your home.

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The average American home has had electric light fixtures for about 90 years.  The simple act of turning on the lights is becoming more complex. Now we have to consider the choice of LED, fluorescent or (for a little while longer) incandescent.

Technology has changed and that has caused standards to change as well. Our good ol’ standard 60 watt incandescent bulb is being ordered out of existence (by 2012) and replaced with more energy-efficient bulbs. For someone remodeling or building a new home, there are regulations. The city currently requires a certain number of energy-efficient lights to be installed at the time of completion of certain projects.

With CFLs and LEDs replacing incandescent lights, you are more likely to hear the term “lumen” or “lux” than “watts” when evaluating the new light bulbs. But what does it all mean?

Custom under-cabinet and can lighting in ceilings can eliminate the need for multiple lamps and increase efficiency, allowing you to turn off all lights from one central light switch.

Watts is a measure of energy; lumen is a measure of visible light. 

A standard incandescent bulb only generates about 12 lumens per watt.  So a 60 watt bulb creates 720 lumens.  You’ll find this listed on the light bulb package. Easy enough, but now you’ll also see the light level measured in something called “lux.”  Hold onto your hat: a lux is defined as one lumen per square meter.  Wait, how’s that again?  The lux measures light per area.

To illustrate this, 1,000 lumens in a room that is only one square meter will give 1,000 lux’ of light to that area, but that same  1,000 lumens in a room that is ten square meters only lights up the room to 100 lux.  Let’s break that down to something we can all understand. A moonlit night might be .27 to 1 lux. An average living room is about 50 lux.  An office might be 320 to 500 lux.  And a bright day–sunglasses required–is 32,000 to 100,000 lux, or more.

Light experts will also talk color spectrum. Lumens are most visible to the human eye if they are emitting light in the yellow-green spectrum–some 555 nanometers in wavelength. Initially, LED’s gave off a bluish light. That’s improving.  The language on the box might indicate which color it favors. There have been complaints that LED’s do not emit the red spectrum, so red objects will appear somewhat grayish under them. Further, LEDs have a focused beam, and up to now have been great for spotlights, but less acceptable for interior illumination in homes. This is evolving, too.

(They also don’t have a filament that will break when shaken like an incandescent bulb does.)

Don’t like the look of most low-energy bulbs? Plumen is now available for purchase in the U.S., for a designer pricetag of $30. Image copyright © 2011 Plumen. http://www.plumenshopus.com/products/plumen-001

The light spectrum of CFL’s is similar to an incandescent and they even fit in the old light fixtures. They use significantly less electricity than a traditional bulb but they also cost significantly more. They are supposed to last longer, although we haven’t personally found that to be true. Furthermore, CFLs, like regular fluorescents, contain mercury, a highly reactive, toxic heavy metal. Aside from bringing this
substance into the home, which may be objectionable, they pose a disposal problem because they cannot be thrown into municipal garbage collections. All CFLs may be taken to the Boulder County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility, at no charge. Home Depot also accepts unbroken CFLs at no charge.

Learn how to clean up & dispose of CFLs.

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We’ve all seen the infomercials and heard the warnings about toxic environmental hazards like asbestos and lead paint.  Staying educated about green building materials can protect not only the environment outside, but it can also create a more healthy environment for you and your family inside your home.

A builder in Eagle County had complete liver failure at the tender age of 43 and was convinced the liver failed because of toxins in the homes he lived in and had built.

After that he had strict rules for his life and the houses he built: no smoking within 100 feet of the building, only natural cleaners were to be used, and no harsh chemicals in the paints, varnishes, carpets, floorings or other constituents of the home.

He went as far as importing mouldings from Italy to be confident his homes would not contain some of the common wood treatments and finishes typically used in the United States; however importing materials like this builder did can be costly.

You don’t have to go outside the U.S. to get safe products. Green building materials are becoming more readily available than ever.

After our asbestos safety meeting at Parrish this month, we learned some disconcerting things. Although Canada is one of the most conscientious countries when it comes to environmental and health safety, their standards are different for exports. We found both floor tiles and wall mud from Canada may contain asbestos. When the tiles get crumbly, or when the mud is dry-sanded, it can release these lung-damaging fibers into the air.

Did you know it’s still legal to import products containing asbestos? Certain brands of these products are carried on the shelves of local hardware stores and the asbestos may be obscured on the ingredient list by calling it “natural mineral product,” or “Chrysotile.” Similarly, some drywall from China was found to emit some toxic and corrosive gasses. Parrish Construction has taken extensive precautions to never use these products, however their existence is still a concern for our workers and home owners like you.

Knowledge is our only defense against these lurking toxins. The first step is to read the labels on products brought into the home, but because manufacturers sometimes use pseudonyms for chemicals, it’s best to go one step further. Look on the manufacturer’s website and you’ll likely find a small button that will lead you to the M.S.D.S., the material safety data sheet. This document, in clear language, will explain health hazards and precautions for use.

All homes, regardless of when they were built, may have asbestos in the drywall mud, as pipe wrapping, or in other areas.  Any home built before about 1978 should be expected to contain lead paint. Certain precautions should be taken if you are contemplating a do-it-yourself project.

Contact us to discuss the source of products being used in your home or to get a free brochure on Lead Paint and Asbestos Safety.

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Because more people are buying green, the prices have come down in the last decade. Also, certain standards have been enforced across the board (such as level of formaldehyde and sustainable harvesting) which makes regular products more green than ever. Still, standards (LEED, National Green Building Standard, Energy Star Qualified) can drive up the costs of building a home. Additionally green building products might be a little harder to find, so there could be extra shipping costs. For instance, using reused products, a very green practice, actually costs less, but there can be more time involved in finding and acquiring them. Green products can some times cost more because, just like it’s harder to grow an apple without pesticides, it can be harder to create and maintain quality in other products without those pesky chemicals.

Of course, the additional costs are offset over time because there are energy savings while occupying the home. Another cost savings may be in lowered medical costs since many green products are also safer.

There are subsidies and rebates for certain green products, so be sure to ask the vendor.

Remember green-built houses can also fetch more dollars on the selling end, so green is increasingly a financial investment.

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There’s almost nothing more frightening to a homeowner than the threat of fire. This fall’s Fourmile and other fires were not caused by the individual homeowners they affected, but they’ve got us thinking about what we can do to secure our homes. There are many things you can do to prevent fire in your home.

1. First, be sure to have a working fire extinguisher and a working smoke detector in every room.
2. Keep cooking surfaces clear.
3. Clear the lint trap in your clothes dryer.
4. Keep combustibles away from fireplaces and the furnace.
5. Test your wiring. One major cause of home fires is faulty wiring. Have a Megger test, conducted by a licensed electrician, to look for faults in wiring. Regulations are always changing, so your home may be legal, but not up to code. For instance, here in Boulder many homes have been lost to aluminum wiring. If you have aluminum wire (common in construction in the early 70′s), that could cause fires.It’s an inexpensive fix, pig-tailing junctions with copper wire. Be sure your breaker box is up to code, too.
6. Clear all debris and dried vegetation well away from the house, especially if you are in a forrested or open space area.
7. Consider replacing your roof if your roof was put on before the newest standards for fire safety. Shake shingles are no longer allowed in new construction or remodels and must be replaced by 2012.
8. In construction, avoid overhangs, and use non-combustible materials for exteriors. Consider interior sprinklers.
9. Install a chimney cap spark arrestor.
10. Follow safety warnings on power strips, extension cords, portable heaters, electric blankets and other electric appliances

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