Real Estate Inspections

Worried About High Energy Costs? Check Your Home’s Insulation.

Half of all homes in the U.S. are currently under-insulated resulting in heat loss and higher than necessary energy costs. To help control the amount of energy your home is losing on a regular basis, it is best to make sure that you home’s insulation is to code and is in good condition.

This is a simple process allowing many homeowners to take care of this process themselves. As many homeowners may not wish to put small holes in the walls in order to see or are unable to accurately measure the amount of insulation present, a home inspector can be helpful; performing specific tests to ensure your home’s excellent health.

By making use of infrared technology, an inspector is able to perform a thermal insulation inspection scan, an air infiltration/heat loss scan, as well as other tests able to quickly and accurately report what is happening behind the scenes (in this case: the walls). Infrared technology has proven to be invaluable in saving time and costs typically required in identifying and correcting issues related to the issues of heat loss, energy efficiency, moisture intrusion and more.

A Quick Run Through

As mentioned above, a quick scan of your home’s current insulation levels can be done fairly easily.

The most popular step is to check behind the home’s electrical outlets. STOP: make sure to turn OFF your home’s electricity before you begin!

Once the electricity in your home has been turned off, remove the cover plate to an outlet and gently probe into the wall with a stick or screw driver. If there is some slight resistance, insulation is present.

Another option available is to create a small hole within a closet, behind a sofa, or another location that is not easily seen when entering a room, and to peer inside.

Of course, both options will tell you if insulation is present or not; however, both do not let you know if there are sufficient amounts of insulation or if all locations / walls are insulated. This is where a home inspector can be of help.

In addition to checking within the walls, it is important to check the attic and the basement / crawlspace. These areas of your home can create a large amount of energy loss if under-insulated.

A basement should have all walls insulated, at least the top of the foundation wall and first floor perimeter. Ideally, the insulation for this area should be an R-value of 19 or greater.

Within the attic, weather stripping should be present around the attic door, making sure that the door closes tightly and does not allow for any drafts to pass through the opening. In addition, all openings such as around pipes, ductwork and the chimney, should be sealed with insulation and a vapor barrier should be covering the entire insulated floor. Make sure that all attic vents are not blocked by insulation.

The video here provides an excellent visual for checking your home’s insulation. Thanks to How Stuff Works Videos for sharing their expertise.

 

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To schedule an inspection of your home’s insulation within Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay Area please call 800.411.0840 today.

For home inspection services in the Sacramento and Bay Area please contact Golden State Home Inspections at 800.441.0804 or visit http://www.goldenstatehomeinspections.com.

For more information, we are available on Facebook as well.

 

What's Wrong With My Windows?

 

(ARA) - Did you know that a family of four can generate up to 18 gallons of water in the form of humidity inside a home in a week? All that water stemming from cooking, showering, washing and drying clothes, and even breathing, has to go somewhere.

One of the more visible indicators of high humidity in a home is the windows. If your home contains excessive moisture and its cold outside, the first place you'll see it is on your windows. This does not mean there's a problem with your windows, according to the Window & Door Manufacturers Association and manufacturer Peachtree Doors & Windows. The majority of window condensation simply indicates that your home needs increased ventilation to lower the amount of moisture in the air or you need to reduce the sources of the humidity.

"Older homes tend to have more cracks in their construction which allow natural air into the home and help reduce moisture," said Jeff Kibler, brand manager for Peachtree. "Newer homes, however, are much tighter and therefore trap moisture in. While helpful from an energy efficiency standpoint, this contributes to condensation and creates the potential for condensation on surfaces that are cooler than the dew point."

Humidity is generated by cooking food, running the dishwasher, filling the sink with hot water, showers, hot tubs, washers and indoor-vented dryers, basements and crawl spaces that channel dampness from the ground into the home, breathing and perspiration.

In addition to these perpetual sources of moisture, wood, plaster and other building materials in a new home absorb moisture during humid summers and gradually release it after the first few weeks of heating your home in the fall.

 

Is it Damaging my Windows?

Occasional beads of moisture on the glass after a hot shower or steaming food on the stove usually aren't a problem. However, if your windows are "sweating" without cause or for long periods of time, your windows could become damaged. Wood frames and sash can warp and become difficult to operate. Paint or other finishes may peel or become discolored. Other areas of the home could also be damaged, such as insulation, exterior siding and drywall.

 

What Can I Do?

"The best way to combat condensation on your windows is to decrease the amount of moisture in the air," Kibler said. "This may involve adding ventilation, eliminating sources of humidity or removing humidity from the air after it's been generated."

To lower the humidity in your home, you need to increase ventilation and decrease the sources of moisture.

* Run exhaust fans in the bathroom during a shower, or in the kitchen while cooking

* Take shorter showers and install water-restricting faucets - you'll lower your humidity and your water bill

* Use the microwave, slow cooker, or outdoor grill more frequently

* Check and reroute drainage away from your home to minimize the moisture in and around the basement and foundation

* Run a dehumidifier in basements and other damp areas

* Turn off your furnace humidifier or other home humidifier

* Open drapes and blinds to allow warm house air to circulate across the windows

 

Are All Windows Affected by Condensation?

Condensation will appear on any type of window, if a home has high humidity. Vinyl, wood or aluminum windows, regardless of manufacturer, will have some condensation if the air is humid.

One component in standard dual-pane glass, or insulated glass, can help minimize condensation. The 1/8-inch thick, 3/8-inch wide adhesive spacer that bonds together the two panes can help reduce condensation if it is comprised of a non-metal material. Traditionally these spacers have been made of stainless steel or aluminum, both of which conduct heat and cold readily. A non-metal spacer minimizes conductivity and, in turn, reduces condensation. Peachtree Doors & Windows uses a warm-edge, non-metallic spacing system.

"The non-metal, warm-edge spacer system also improves the energy efficiency of windows while reducing condensation," Kibler said. "The less metal a window has, the less it will conduct heat and cold, the less condensation will appear on the glass, and the more energy efficient it will be."

 

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 To schedule a Sacramento mold test or San Francisco Bay Area mold inspection please call 800.411.0840 today.

For home inspection services in the Sacramento and Bay Area please contact Golden State Home Inspections at 800.441.0804 or visit http://www.goldenstatehomeinspections.com 

For more information, we are available on Facebook as well.

The Art of Cob Building

In today’s culture of environmentally friendly and resourceful living, the art of cob building has been revived. Around since prehistoric times, cob is not only all natural but also inexpensive, reliable, and energy efficient. Today’s market in the United States finds this to be a perfect building alternative desired for its form, function, and cost.

Cob is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth. It is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, non-toxic, and creates no waste. In addition, it won’t burn, bugs will not eat it, it requires minimal tools to construct and as mentioned, is energy efficient.

Cob is a mouldable material that can be sculpted with your hands, lived in, and passed down through generations.

It is also found across the globe and in a variety of climates. Today, it is found that there are cob homes still standing after 500 years.

The technique of cob building has remained simple throughout the years, relying on only small changes such as using a tractor to mix the ingredients instead of your feet or that of an Ox. To begin, the ingredients are mixed then ladled onto a stone foundation in courses and trodded by workers in a process known as cobbing. Once the finished courses are dry, workers would trim the walls and then begin the next course leaving lintels for later openings such as windows and doors. The time it would take to complete a project would depend on size, complexity and the rate that each course dries.

On average the walls are generally 24 inches thick with corresponding deep windows. This thickness provides an excellent thermal mass that allows for warmth in the winter and a cool in the summer.

In addition, the material has a long life span even within rainy climates. This is of course due to the walls being protected by a large roof overhang and a tall foundation. It is found that the oldest structures are also finished using a type of stucco; protecting the walls further from the climate.

As you can see in the video provided below, a cob home is extremely unique having no two the exact same. This uniqueness can create difficulties if needing financing, building permits, or when needing to resell. However, for those looking for an inexpensive, Green home, cob building can provide you with what you are looking for.

 

^{Cob House (Video)}

Green Energy Remodeling: what’s included?

 
Looking for a way to cut your electricity bills? May be cut your use of energy within your home? How about helping to save the environment? For your home, an energy audit will help in achieving these goals.

As you may know, an energy audit is a comprehensive assessment of the building’s energy use throughout its many operations. An energy audit will also help to identify the most cost-effective opportunities for energy savings helping to ensure that your energy costs will decline.

Once the assessment has been completed the necessary remodeling tasks can begin. Companies such as Golden State Energy Consultants can offer you these services, helping you to achieve your energy saving goals.

REMINDER: Just as every home is different, every Energy Consulting business is different. It is important to make sure that you do your research and hire the right company for your needs.

Below you will find a partial list of services that are necessary within Green Energy Remodeling:

     Air Sealing and Building Envelope Sealing

Many air leaks and drafts are easy to find because you can usually feel a draft or cold air— like those around windows and doors. But holes hidden in attics, basements, and crawlspaces are usually bigger problems and can sometimes, only be detected using high tech equipment like a blower door or infrared camera. With proper sealing-your home could do a better job of retaining energy.

     Duct Sealing

In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout the house. In a typical house, however, about 20% to 30% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. The result is higher utility bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set.

     Duct Design & Installation

Properly designed and installed ducts are essential for optimal energy performance and comfort in the home. If your furnace is frequently turning on and off, if you have rooms that are overheating, some that are too cold – these are signs that your ducts are poorly designed.

     Furnace Sizing & Replacement

For starters your new furnace, boiler, heat pump or air conditioner should be sized to fit your home. You can request a copy of the design load calculation used to determine the right size of equipment for your home. A good contractor will not size your equipment solely on the square footage of your house or assume that your existing equipment was sized properly in the first place. Proper equipment sizing is based your home's heat loss during cold weather and heat gains during warm weather.

     Lighting Efficiency Analysis & Replacement

Analyze existing lights and energy consumption, identify lighting efficiency opportunities, and make recommendations to reduce energy consumption. We’ll either do the installation work necessary to reduce consumption at your home or make recommendations – the choice is yours.

     Recommend Appliance Replacement

Some of the big energy saving recommendations include replacing top-loading washers to front-loading washers, electric dryers to gas, refrigerators older than 1995, dishwashers older than 1995.

     Crawlspace sealing

As a home owner, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about your crawlspace. A properly sealed crawlspace can make a big difference in your home’s indoor air quality, comfort, and energy efficiency. We can seal your crawlspace to prevent moisture and air infiltration.

     Whole-house fan

A quick easy way to flush hot air out of your home on a regular basis, thereby cooling your home off during the summer months. Hot air accumulates in your attic and needs to be removed from your home before it can cool down. While air conditioning is one way to do this, a whole-house fan is a far more energy efficient solution. We recommend using only a fully insulated whole house fan.

     Solar Water Heater

Sunshine is free. Imagine using it to heat your water. Solar water heaters can cut your water heating bills in half and reduce your carbon footprint. Installing a solar water heater and start wearing your eco-consciousness on your roof!

     AC Improvement

We prefer to reduce your need for air conditioning but – depending on your house and your family’s needs – We’ll make sure that your A/C is not too small and inadequate or to large and wasteful for your home.

     On-Demand Hot Water

Tankless water heaters are a great solution depending on your family’s needs. In the right situation, they can cut energy consumption by 40% and provide endless hot water. If you have a large number of people taking short showers, you are better off with a traditional solution storage-tank unit.

     Mold Identification

We get to the root cause of why you have mold – which means identifying what conditions in your home are causing mold to form in the first place. Golden State in conjunction with a certified environmental laboratory can confirm whether or not you are dealing with toxic mold levels. Golden State can also make recommendations to help eliminate or reduce the problem.

     Solar Electric

Recommend and suggest qualified installers and designers of Solar PV systems. Remember, not every home is a good candidate for solar. Also, you must invest in making your home more energy efficient first before it makes sense to look at investing in solar PV.

     Water Filtration

Reverse-osmosis units for areas with poor water quality, sediment filter & activated carbon filters for areas such as Marin with better water. Heating plant improvement: Condensing, 2-zone w/dampers, variable speed fan furnaces save around 40% of the energy of a 20 year-old unit.

     Windows

While we very rarely recommend replacing windows, we do recommend adding a low-e coating to existing clear windows or sunscreens to reduce heat transmission as well as sun damage to the interior.

     Electric-to-Gas Appliance Conversion

Dryers & Electric water heaters and possible hot tubs are the primary targets.

     Pipe Insulation

Insulate hot water pipes and heaters to improve efficiency.

A Look at the Commercial Inspection

 
A commercial inspection’s process is similar to that of the home inspection. Just like renting or owning a home, a commercial property faces the same issues and carries the same major components.

Whether you have decided to rent or purchase the property in question, it remains a large investment; one that is quite costly. A commercial inspection will not only evaluate the major components on-site but will also reduce the risk of needing to pay more in the in long run.

Another similar and cost effective strategy of the inspection process is to participate in having regular progress inspections. These inspections are performed during the construction of the building allowing for variances to be remedied in less time and with less cost.

As many regions look to find eco-friendly solutions within their living environments, energy audits are becoming an important part of the inspection process. Allowing for both the energy audit and the commercial inspection to be performed at the same time not only saves on costs but also on time.

You commercial inspector  will help to inform you of any and all issues that may exist within the building as well as provide tips and solutions that will help to remedy them as cost effective and efficiently as possible.

Reaction to the new Smart Meters ...

(As first told Sep 26, 2010 in the Sacramento Bee.)

The utilities use many of the same meters, vendors and software networks. But customers' reactions to smart meters  installed by PG&E and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District  are as dissimilar as the their corporate cultures.

Since Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rolled out its $2.2 billion smart meter program in 2006, the state Public Utilities Commission  has received more than 1,800 formal complaints from customers blaming the high-tech meters for skyrocketing electric bills.

The complaints -- some from customers who said their bills more than doubled -- prompted hearings by state lawmakers and an investigation by the PUC. Officials in Marin County have called for banning the devices.

By contrast, SMUD's $120 million smart meter program has rolled out quietly. While 231 customers have complained since it kicked off in November, most of those complaints were minor and were handled within a day, the utility said.

"I think SMUD is doing it right. They are taking their time," said Bob Alvarez, chief of staff for state Sen. Dean Florez. "PG&E didn't do that."Florez, D-Shafter, chairs the Select Committee on the Smart Grid and has held hearings on PG&E's meter problems.

Unlike the old odometerlike metal meters, smart meters use wireless technology to transmit customers' billing information from their homes to the utility's offices. They eliminate the need for monthly visits by meter readers, saving the utilities millions of dollars a year in labor costs.

PG&E's meters allow customers to log onto its website to see how much energy they used the previous day. On its website, SMUD says it will start providing that feature in 2011.

PG&E's smart meters also include a system to alert consumers with a text message or a telephone call when they are about to move to a higher-priced electricity tier.

Eventually, the utilities plan to provide in-house displays and thermostat controls, boosting energy efficiency efforts even more.

SMUD and PG&E both use smart meters built by Swiss manufacturer Landis+ GYR and network software developed by Silver Springs Network of Redwood City. PG&E also uses meters built by General Electric Co.

Unlike PG&E, SMUD has opted for a go-slow approach. The local utility has installed 78,000 meters in a handful of neighborhoods, such as downtown Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Murieta and some rural areas.

SMUD is holding off deployment of meters to its remaining 537,000 households until December, so it can test the meters' accuracy and improve its installation process, said Erik Krause, smart meter project manager. "We want to get everything right before we move on to the next thing," Krause said.

PG&E is taking a much more aggressive approach. The San Francisco-based utility giant says it has installed more than 6.8 million gas and electric meters throughout its service area and continues to deploy them at a rate of about 15,000 per day.

PG&E said it hopes to install about 10 million smart meters in Northern California by 2012.

The sheer size of PG&E's smart meter program, the largest in the electric industry, was a factor in the higher consumer complaints.

Recent rate hikes also played a role. About half of PG&E's customers saw their bills go up last year, but it wasn't because of the new meters, said company spokesman Paul Moreno.

PG&E officials have insisted that the smart meters are accurate, a point supported by a PUC investigation this month which found that the smart meters were correctly recording customers' electricity usage.

But the report, by Structure Consulting Group LLC  of Houston, also faulted PG&E for its handling of billing disputes with customers.

Often, PG&E's customer service staff dismissed complaints as meritless and failed to follow up, Structure Consulting said. Staffers also mishandled complaints by incorrectly assuming that open cases had been resolved, the report states.

"PG&E rolled out its program so fast and at such a scale that problems caught up with them," said Marcel Hawiger, energy attorney for the San Francisco-based consumer watchdog group The Utility Reform Network, or TURN. "Fundamentally, I think people's anger reflects a continuing problem with PG&E's high rates and poor customer service." Gordon Weil, an energy consultant and former consumer advocate for the state of Maine, said investor-owned utilities such as PG&E have a profit motive for going fast when it comes to installing smart meters.

Regulators permit investor-owned utilities to earn a percentage rate of return on top of their overall capital costs. Increasing those costs -- by installing smart meters, for instance -- increases their actual profits, he said.

"They are able recover a heck of a lot more than their costs," Weil said.

PG&E's Moreno said the company's investment in smart meters is motivated by labor savings, not increasing the firm's capital investment base.

PG&E has learned from its mistakes, he said, stepping up its outreach to local community groups. It also has beefed up its call center staffing by 15 percent.

"We could have done a better job," he said. "We learned from that experience that customer complaints are important."

The Power of Duct Testing

“ When we think about saving energy, we commonly focus on the furnace and air conditioner units, but a leaky duct system can reduce your climate control system’s efficiency 20% to 30%   Why Central air conditioning and heating are the top energy consumers in California homes, so ensuring the efficiency of your entire HVAC system can yield big improvements in energy efficiency. When we think about saving energy, we usually focus on the furnace and air conditioner units, but a leaky duct system can reduce your climate control system’s efficiency 20% to 30%. These leaks can bring unwanted dust, unconditioned outdoor air and humidity into your living space-and take money straight out of your wallet. Recommendation If your home is over seven years old, have your ducts professionally tested by a certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) technician. Duct testing is also advisable whenever heating and air conditioning units undergo a diagnostic tune-up. Duct testing is recommended for any building where a forced air heating or air conditioning system is used.

Description

Duct pressure keeps hot or cold air flowing evenly to all registers (air vents) in the system. Without proper pressurization, registers closest to the furnace or air conditioner receive most of the conditioned air; Registers that are the furthest away receive very little airflow. If the return ducts are leaky, contaminated air from damp basements, wet crawl spaces, and attic areas that may contain animal droppings or hazardous insulation materials may infiltrate your systems. Damp wet air pulled into your system from leaking ducts condenses, and condensation can lead to mold growth. Mold growth can lead to health problems and more.

The most reliable way to find out if your ducts are leaking is to have a duct test performed by a qualified technician using the proper test equipment. The building code now requires independent verification of proper duct installation in new buildings that have forced-air heating or air conditioning, when a new central air conditioner or furnace is installed, or in renovations that will add or change over 40 feet of ducts. Home Energy System (HERS) raters are certified by the California rating services, including accurate duct leakage tests.

T test duct integrity, HERS raters seal the duct registers and returns (vents where the air goes in or out), then pressurize the system using a calibrated blower to blow air into the duct. A probe placed inside the duct measures the airflow and indicates the amount of leakage. Results can range from locating small leaks to discovering that entire duct sections have become disconnected from the system.

When duct testing reveals leaks in new construction, it is the contractor’s responsibility to fix the leaks. Homeowners can repair some types of leaks found in older buildings by reconnecting ducts that have become completely disconnected, for example. If you decide to repair your own duct system, you should always wear a respirator when working in an attic space. If your system requires more than a basic repair, it will be most efficient and effective to hire an experienced heating and air conditioning contractor to seal, repair or replace ducts.

In buildings with more than one story, focus on repairing ducts in the roof ceiling space first. Leaking duct work in a ceiling space between floors is not as bad as leaking ducts in the roof ceiling space or in an unconditioned zone (like the attic) with an exterior or roof exposure. The temperature difference from the adjacent conditioned spaces will be significantly higher in spaces just below the roof, so there will be a greater impact on the equipment efficiency.

 

The Power of Green Building

Today’s culture of being “green” and ecologically aware lends itself to the trend in building green. These structures are created not only for their future energy savings but also for their beneficial impact on reduced carbon footprints and its creation of healthier and more comfortable living environments. They are increasingly popular among homeowners and homebuilders alike.

The common objective for this style of design and build is its reduction to the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
• Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

Many green buildings make use of natural elements such as bamboo and straw as well as recycled material, non-toxic, reusable, and renewable items, and lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed. A green building is not just produced through the use of “green” items but also through the use of “green” processes. Transportation, manufacturing techniques, design elements, etc., are all modified in order to reduce the projects overall carbon footprint leaving a sound product that is completely environmentally friendly.

A successful green building meets the high standards of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, reducing environmental hazards and increasing energy savings. In addition, green building plays a significantly positive role within a nation’s economic sustainability; done through:

1.    water and energy savings

2.    increased property values

3.    improved employee attendance

4.    increased employee productivity

5.    sales improvements

A true green building is not only built using the above mentioned techniques but also continuously run in a way that carries its positive environmental, economic, and social impact over its lifespan. This is done through the use of energy efficient appliances, products, interior materials, etc., and in continuously producing a healthy impact on human and environmental health.

Introduction to Straw-bale Construction

With a new trend on “Green” building, many are going “old-school” in their building requirements. Straw-bale construction has been around for centuries being used as insulationwithin the very first homes around the world. Many regions still prefer this method as not only insulation but also for use in their structural elements.

Straw-bale construction consists of exactly what it implies: straw. Typically, this construction method is produced by staking rows of bales on a raised footing or foundation. In order to reduce mold and rot, a moisture barrier or capillary break is used between the bales and their supporting platform. The bales are then tied together using pins made of bamboo, rebar, or wood. Once this is completed, the walls of straw are then stuccoed or plastered with either a cement-based mix, a lime-based formulation, or an earth/clay render.

Bales continue to be used to provide the structural support in many of the constructed buildings; however, other materials are also being used such as lumber or timber-frame. Northern climates should make use of other supports methods as snow-fall can prove too heavy for just the bales.

The straw used in building typically comes straight from a farm, already baled for use; however, recently higher-density “precompressed” bales are being increasing used as they can support a much heavier load then that of farm generated bales. 

As mentioned this form of construction has been relied upon for centuries and will remain a successful and popular “green” method to an increasingly environmentally-aware world.

 

SHOWCASE: Ikea’s Futuristic Kitchen

Entertainment throughout time has always contained stories and ideas based on one’s imagination for what the future holds; the most well know version of this being the movie series Back to the Future. However, Ikea, the international home products retailer, along with Future Laboratory, an internationally recognized trend-analysis business, has taken this idea, expanded and created the kitchen of the future.

Earlier this year, Ikea commissioned Future Laboratory to produce and distribute (within the UK and Ireland) a survey to find out what consumers believed kitchens would look like in the year 2040. More than 2,000 individuals shared their ideas and helped to create the company’s unique kitchen designs of the future.  The three new designs contained elements generally seen in the movies or read about in books: 3D food printers, self-cleaning counters, multi-touch taps. Much of these designs carry elements of getting “back to nature”, growing your own, being green. In addition, they also contain functions for greater comfort, such as aromatherapy-infused walls and mood adjustable lighting.

Whether or not these are kitchens that you would like in your home, the ideas they bring are fun to think about.