I'm looking for idea's to make my home energy efficient

   I've got some arcerage back in the hill of Arizona, there is no power and we will have to drill for water. Any help on this project would be great. I was thinking of putting piping in the slab and heating with hot liquid since we have 3 ten foot solar panels.

southlandmechser, Since you live in warm climate, when you redo your roof check out underlayment with heavy duty foil on on one side. This treatment helps reflect suns rays back up to help lower attic temps. also put plenty of ventilation at peak and along soffitts. Makes big difference in cooling bill!

   Also there is a new product available to reduce electric bill.It's called a whole house capacitor based optimizer. This product increases the efficiency of all your electric motors and corrects overvoltage.It is also a whole house surge protector. Good luck!

PS: I lived in the New London, CT area, three times. All in all, over seven years. Yes, it is expensive and COLD. It was 80 degrees here just a few days ago.  

Hey ctyankee,

Your friends wrong, I live near Columbia, SC.   Three miles from Lake Murray. In farm country!!!

The $100k is a significant amount down here, especially for a renovation. It won't go far if I'm not careful though. My daughter just bought a new home, half this size,  not far from here for $130k.

Good suggestion, I'll look into retaining an inspector. 

ctyankee,

Not really a discrepancy .  The house was once white, at least in the original picture we have taken circa 1900. It was probably white-wash. The next picture we have was taken around 1940 and there's no sign of any paint, bare wood.  The picture was of my wife's grandmother and her father as a small child. Nor has it ever been painted during my father-in-laws life, he's 70. So, it's been at least 70 years since the house had paint on it.

Yes, I'm concerned with moisture too. That's why I'm looking for suggestions, I don't want to create create moisture areas. The rot is an issue but, termites love moisture and they are a more immediate danger. How do you insulate the walls and keep moisture out?

DC,

Thanks, I'll check into FSC lumber. What do you think about insulation and moisture in the walls?

Anyone,

What product will insulate but not draw dampness or create moist areas?

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products are made from trees that are harvested in a sustainable way. The certification program promotes biological diversity, long-term forest health and long-term economic well-being of local communities. FSC wood is stamped with a chain-of-custody certification number that allows it to be traced back to the originating well-managed forest. FSC certified products include lumber, plywood, decking materials, flooring, etc.

You can call your local lumber yard or flooring supplier and ask what type of FSC certified materials they carry. FSC flooring is also available on the Internet.

See:

http://www.fscus.org/
http://www.certifiedforestproducts.com/index.htm
http://www.ecotimber.com/

Regarding insulation, you might want to check out soy based spray foam. It contains no formaldehyde and emits no CFCs and almost no VOCs. It fills wall cavities completely, sealing sealing cracks and crevices as well as insulating. It needs to be professionally applied. Blown in cellulose insulation is another green option that could be used in the attic.

See:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/107/soyinsulation
http://www.biobased.net/

Regarding windows, you can get them with an R-7 value or higher if you buy double paned low-e windows that are argon or krypton filled. Of course, if you want to restore the house to its original state rather than merely remodel it, there's the question of whether you want to replace the windows at all. (A compromise between energy efficiency and restoration might be to replace all of the windows except those in the front.)

As far as flooring choices go, I would restore the original hardwood floors, if you have them and they are salvageable. Otherwise, I would replace them with bamboo floors or wood floors made from FSC wood.

If you are repainting, there are several brands of low- and no-VOC paints that you can choose from -- though if you are painting over existing oil based paint, you may need to prime with an oil based primer first (be sure to check the paint manufacturer's instructions).

Probably the most important thing to consider when fixing up an old home is safety. Lead paint is in almost all homes built before the late 1970's, so you should use appropriate safety gear if you will be scraping or sanding it. You may also have lead pipes or galvinized steel pipes with lead in them. If so, you can replace them or use a filtration system that removes the lead. There may also be asbestos in the home (e.g.- in blown in insulation in the attic, etc.), even if it wasn't there when the house was originally built. Be careful not to disturb it if you encounter any. Additionally, I would have an electrician check the wiring to make sure it's safe and have him rewire if necessary. You may also want to have the foundation checked to make sure there isn't a problem with cracks and leaks. Older basements often were not sealed on the outside. There are other potential environmental hazards, but these are some common ones.

See: http://realestate.msn.com/buying/Articlebankrate.aspx?cp-documentid=1856...

If you have the money and can find a contractor that specializes in green remodels, that might be worth exploring.

Good luck -- it sounds like a fun project.

Wood is nice, I bet it's yellow pine too!!!

 Are you going to add AC?  Because that's going to be the big determiner of the way you attack the problem.  If you do it wrong, you'll cause those century old boards to rot in 2-3 years... that would be terrible.  Remember, moisture is your enemy.

Stop watching "Flip This House"  ahh, I said stop... No, not even to
laugh... and refocus on the long term.  Home revolves aroung the
hearth, and a "user friendly" bathroom can make up for a lot of little inconveniences. 

I've been pondering... Given your budget and the age & location of the home you should either wait, or, improve the kitchen & baths first.  If winter is the more uncomfortable season then invest in sweaters, if summer is the unbearable time, then you wand a whole house fan, or, a dehumidifier, and some good permeable seals & caulking to eliminate big air leaks.

Just my $0.02