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Most of the news about environmentally friendly building materials and techniques is associated with new home construction, but renovations to existing homes also offer opportunities to go green. And just like builders of new homes, remodelers are finding there’s a demand. According to a 2008 National Association of Home Builders’ remodeling survey, 33 percent of remodelers said they have noticed increases in requests to improve energy efficiency in their clients’ homes.

Achieving these green goals requires a big-picture approach.

In fact, remodeler Steve Batts of Batts Builders in Greensboro thinks it’s more important to treat the whole house as an energy system, rather than focus on individual products or materials.

Before taking on a large-scale remodel, he advises homeowners to find out what the house needs by having a professional perform air-leakage testing. The process involves using fans to determine where air is flowing in or spilling out of the structure, such as around the roof or window and door frames.

The readings from the test are entered into a software program that calculates the cost of making particular improvements and how long it will take to see returns on that investment. It gives the contractor guidelines for what to recommend, such as upgrading insulation or installing new windows. Testing takes around four to six hours and costs $400 to $500 but is well worth it, according to Batts. “We’re supposed to have budgets for (managing money). We’re supposed to have a business plan to start a business. You should do the same thing for your house so you have the knowledge of what the house needs before you start work,” he says.

Even if the work may not be performed the right way, the test results give homeowners a blueprint for future upgrades. For instance, the results may indicate that when it’s time for a new the heating and air system, a high-efficiency model should be installed.

Containment is key. Anytime he has access to the attic or within walls during a remodel, Batts first considers the building’s envelope, the thermal barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment. If it’s appropriate for the project, he seals all leaks in the roof and walls, upgrades insulation, installs energy-efficient windows with special coating, and seals the crawl space for moisture and temperature control. If possible, he relocates the heating and air systems within a climate-controlled space so the units aren’t exposed to the temperature extremes of spaces like attics. These green remodeling techniques may not be as glamorous as reclaimed hardwoods or bamboo floors, but they can make the biggest impact on energy savings.

Batts is passionate about recycling and reusing materials, finding that some remodels call for only cosmetic changes and the existing materials are still usable. “We are a throwaway society and we need to learn to use things and take care of them and make them last longer.”

To keep materials out of the landfill, he recycles at job sites, donates or keeps items for future projects. On a recent project, for example, he turned an old exterior door into an interior door to separate the mother-in-law addition from the rest of the house.

Living by example

 Kevin Jones, owner of Kevin Jones Design-Build, completed green renovations on his own late 1960s ranch home in Greensboro late last year. The 2,000-square-foot house serves as a real-life example for potential clients that the approach is user-friendly and cost-effective.

Jones removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and vaulted the kitchen ceiling to create an open feeling. He followed standards set by Energy Star, a government-backed program with guidelines for making homes energy-efficient, by installing energy-efficient windows, upgrading the insulation, and using caulk and foam to seal cracks and gaps.

The high-efficiency, two-stage gas furnace saves energy by working at a lower capacity on days with milder temperatures, and the tankless hot water heater provides on-demand hot water.

Jones had no hesitations about making green updates. “I never gave it a second thought. When you write those utility checks every month, you want them to be reasonable.”

The proof came when his gas bill this past January, the first after the remodel, was $80.

Future of green

Homeowners already are looking for the benefits green remodeling offers. According to the NAHB’s remodeling survey, 73 percent of remodelers have installed energy-efficient windows, 65 percent have made upgrades to insulation, and 47 percent installed high-efficiency kitchen appliances.

“Newer technologies are also quickly gaining in popularity,” says NAHB remodelers chairman Lonny Rutherford. “Thirty-five percent of remodelers reported installing tankless water heaters, which save on energy costs by heating water on demand instead of continuously eating energy.”

Batts agrees that people are more aware of green issues in the home and are interested in the concepts, but many haven’t made the leap just yet. He feels it’s still an education process with homeowners and that they have to better understand how it will benefit them from a cost standpoint.

Once the improvements are in place, people report that the house feels warmer, with more balanced temperatures throughout the space, and they receive lower utility bills. He predicts the biggest shift will come when it hits homeowners in the wallet — when not having an energy-efficient house costs too much or hurts resale value. While green building and remodeling are catching on, there are still many unknowns. There’s going to be a learning curve for both consumers and remodelers, Batts says, especially with new products and materials. “I think the worst thing in the world is to be a know-it-all on either side of the fence,” Batts says. “Having a working relationship with the contractor and homeowner to where both of you can figure out these things and make the decisions together is the best way to work.”

Lisa W. Grigg can be reached at 887-2656, ext. 209, or at lgrigg@news-record.com.