601 Third Ave. EarthCraft Renovation

Selecting lighting was one of the most time-consuming things we did.  We initially wanted to go with EnergyStar fixtures, which use compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs with a special base that ensures that only CFLs are used.

However, it was very difficult to find stylish EnergyStar fixtures.  So, we ended up with a mixture of CFL-exclusive EnergyStar fixtures (like the dining room chandelier at left) and regular fixtures.  However, we did use CFLs in almost all of our fixtures. Continue Reading »

During the renovation, we installed low-voltage wiring throughout the house - coax (cable), Cat5 (internet), and phone.  All of the wiring “home runs” back to the laundry room upstairs.  Its central location is ideal for setting up our wireless router, and because it’s sort of a utility closet anyway, wiring and blinky things (router & cable modem) won’t be out of place. Continue Reading »

Peter Michaelson with Renewal has a pretty cool house himself.  He and his wife focused a lot on sustainability when building it.  Among other features, they installed a wood-burning stove for heat during the winter.  Since that time, he’s made the suggestion to do likewise for all of his clients.  However, we were the first clients to actually take him up on the suggestion! Continue Reading »

Who knew toilets could be sexy?

Given Georgia’s well-documented drought, every water-saving measure helps.  For the two new bathrooms upstairs, we chose Sterling dual-flush toilets to reduce our water consumption. These toilets, in addition to being super-stylish, offer a choice of two flush sizes:

- 0.8 gallons for liquid waste (small button)

- 1.6 gallons for solid waste (large button)

A standard low-flow toilet uses 1.6 gallons, meaning that we will save up to 24,000 gallons per year with these toilets!  Although there have been performance concerns with earlier low-flow toilets - like needing several flushes to clear the bowl - and, honestly, I was a bit concerned when I first saw these toilets, we have had absolutely no issues so far.

So, in the final analysis, Europeans have used dual-flush toilets for years…isn’t it about time we adopt them in the US?

Water heating uses approximately 17% of national energy use according the the US Department of Energy. Consequently, one of the biggest bang-for-the-buck things you can do for your house, whether existing, renovated, or new, is to be as efficient as possible in heating your water.

Essentially, the options break down as follows, from least to most efficient:

Tank (electric, gas) -> On-demand/tankless (electric, gas) -> Solar

We went with a Rinnai tankless (on-demand) water heater for our renovation. The Rinnai is a gas-fired water heater, and has a great reputation. It also has some neat features, discussed below. Continue Reading »