YourCrawlSpace.Com- Bennie's Blog

Patented Crawlspace Wall Vapor Barrier Is in Production

2011-10-18T10:50:00.000-04:00

We’re beginning our first full production run of our patented vapor barrier and pier and wall liner. What makes it unique is the ability to cost effectively install it on a crawlspace wall without the need for mechanical fasteners or toxic and flammable adhesives.

Using a furring strip or plastic fastener increases the installation labor exponentially. Anyone who has ever used a masonry bit to drill a hole in concrete, even using a hammer drill, know what I’m talking about. Try to imagine drilling one of those holes every two to three feet around the perimeter of a crawlspace foundation wall. That increases the time necessary to install a wall vapor barrier by hours as well as creates a lot of dangerous concrete dust.

One of our primary business concerns has always been the health and safety of our customers and their families. The patented YourCrawlSpace wall liner is applied using a low VOC, water-soluble adhesive. No potentially explosive and flammable adhesive fumes in your home. No drilling holes in concrete or having to use a Ram-Set nail gun. The only thing necessary is a relatively inexpensive tube of nontoxic, non-flammable, water-soluble adhesive that you can buy in most any hardware store.

The patented wall material is easily installed by two workers. One leads the way by placing a 1/4” to 3/8” bead of adhesive along the top of the crawlspace wall and the other follows by pushing the gluing-strip of the wall vapor barrier into the adhesive. I personally wrapped more than 20 piers and installed the wall vapor barrier in a large Charleston, SC home in just a couple of hours.

Whether you’re a professional installation contractor doing two or three encapsulations per week or a homeowner interested in making your home a healthier, safer and more economical place to live, give us a call to discuss the availability of our patented wall liner. We can save you a lot of time and save you money in the process.

Patented Crawlspace Encapsulation Wall Liner Is Going Into Full Production.

2011-09-23T10:53:00.001-04:00

There has been some controversy over the past couple of years about the best way to seal crawlspace walls and piers when doing a crawlspace encapsulation.

Many companies claim that there is no way to attach a crawlspace wall liner without mechanical fasteners. True, a bag of mechanical fasteners do not cost much – only a few dollars for enough to do a typical crawlspace. But, not only do mechanical fasteners add enormously to installation time and labor, mechanical fasteners also require specialized tools. Anyone who has ever drilled a hole in a concrete wall knows that a hammer drill is necessary to do the job efficiently. Now try and imagine drilling several hundred of them. And even using mechanical fasteners, the companies that recommend this method also recommend using a caulk or tape to seal the vapor barrier wall connection.

YourCrawlSpace has tested numerous methods for attaching a wall liner. We have used adhesives and tapes with various degrees of success. We had a system that worked well until the adhesive manufacturer changed (improved) its formulation. And we have used a mastic tape with success but the tape is expensive and, again, increased the installation time and labor.

The problem is not with the adhesives or tapes. The problem is with the wall encapsulation material. Our crawlspace encapsulation material is a woven high density polyethylene (HDPE) fabric coated on both sides with two layers of low density polyethylene (LDPE). The woven base (HDPE) fabric gives our crawlspace encapsulation liner its strength and the LDPE coating gives it its impermeability. The material is designed to shed water and no safe, low-VOC adhesive will stick to it. High-VOC adhesives will work but they also tend to be highly flammable and are unsafe to use in the confined area of a home’s crawlspace.

So the alternative was to develop a new material with all the positive characteristics of the original material but a material that could also be attached to the wall with a low-VOC adhesive in a single step without additional caulk or sealing tape. We have been testing such a wall encapsulation system for more than two years and we were granted a patent for the material earlier this month.

The material has undergone extensive testing. It has been installed in homeowners’ crawlspaces across the southeast, it has been installed in the crawlspaces of test homes for the Oak Ridge Laboratories and the Department of Energy’s ZEBRAlliance in Tennessee, and it has been installed in several LEEDS homes for Ourtown Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte, NC. The Habitat volunteers installed the system without a hitch. Our feedback has only been positive. I personally installed the system and it is extremely easy to install. Two men installed the wall liner and wrapped 24 piers in a 2,450 square foot crawlspace in a matter of hours.

We will be going into full production in the near future. Plans at this point are to manufacturer the wall liner in two widths – five feet wide for the walls and two feet wide for the piers. I would love to hear some feedback from our readers as to whether the two widths will meet most needs. Give me a call, 877-442-7295, or send me an Email. I’d love to hear from you.

The patent was granted to YourCrawlSpace and its sister company Carolina Green Energy Systems headquartered in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

Moisture problems in South Carolina Crawlspaces

2011-09-22T11:28:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of research on crawl space moisture control in the last decade. The US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Energy and a variety of independent, private and nonprofit research companies like Advanced Energy have done extensive research.

The conventional wisdom of a vented crawl space being the best way to control crawl space humidity has not only been proven not effective, it’s been proven to be a major part of the problem. Most crawl space moisture comes from humid outside air through crawl space vents, not from an unsealed floor. While it’s certainly important to seal the floor, it’s even more important to seal the vents.

The only caveat when encapsulating a crawl space is the space must be conditioned. That means adding a little conditioned air to the space and is required by the International Building Code. Many crawl space encapsulation companies do this by adding a crawlspace dehumidification system to the crawl space.

A specialized crawl space dehumidifier can be quite expensive – approaching $1,000, $1,500 or more. And not only is the initial cost high, the day-to-day cost of operating a crawl space dehumidifier is the same as running another refrigerator.

The method of crawl space dehumidification recommended and developed by the EPA, the Department of Energy (DOE), and Advanced Energy is to add a small supply vent to the existing HVAC system. This can generally be installed for a small fraction of the cost of a crawlspace dehumidifier. And since the recommended air flow is only one cubic feet per minute (1 CFM) for every 50 square feet of crawlspace area, the day to day cost of conditioning the air with the HVAC system is considerably less than a crawl space dehumidifier. To put this in perspective, a typical bedroom in a typical South Carolina home is conditioned with 100 to 120 CFMs.

YourCrawlSpace Inc. pioneered crawlspace encapsulation in the southeast. We have been protecting and making South Carolina homes healthier, safer, and more comfortable for almost a decade. There is not a South Carolina crawlspace encapsulation company with the depth and breadth of experience. Not only do we follow the recommendations of the EPA, DOE, and Advanced Energy, we have worked closely with them on research test homes, helping to develop their recommendations. Wherever you live in South Carolina – Pawleys Island, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Charleston, or anywhere in between – you can be confident that the YourCrawlSpace encapsulation system in your home was installed to the most recent and cost effective standards in the industry.

Crawlspace Encapsulation and Moisture Control in South Carolina

2011-09-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

I’ve been talking to a homeowner in Charleston, SC about crawlspace moisture problems and possible solutions. Her crawl space relative humidity has been running 85% or more most of the summer. We’ve talked at length about crawlspace encapsulation. That’s what I know and that’s the business I’m in. It is the only solution that I am confident that works.

The homeowner asked if there were any alternatives to encapsulation. I do not know of any. Do any readers know of alternatives? I know encapsulation but I’m also open to new ideas.

South Carolina Crawlspace Encapsulation – What to Look For in an Installer

2011-09-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

So, you’ve decided to make your home a healthier and more pleasant place to live by encapsulating the crawlspace. If done properly, those musty smells will almost immediately disappear. If done properly, that mold and mildew on the framing will not grow back and the water dripping from the plumbing and ductwork will cease to be an issue. Your allergy symptoms may even disappear. So what is “done properly?”

Having a crawlspace installed properly starts with hiring the best contractor for the job. What sort of questions should you ask a prospective installation contractor? Crawlspace encapsulation is not rocket science but if not properly done you will not get the desired results. When hiring a crawlspace contractor, hire a specialist. You wouldn’t call a pediatrician to do your heart surgery. Neither should you hire a pest control specialist or a heating and air specialist or a window specialist to deal with a crawlspace moisture issue.

Ask about experience. How long has your prospective crawlspace contractor been doing installations? How many installations have they done? What kind of training do they have? What kind of materials have they tested and why do they install the particular materials they recommend? Does your installer take a cookie-cutter approach or are their recommendations specifically tailored to your home? Can they offer references?

YourCrawlSpace, Inc. pioneered crawlspace encapsulation in the southeast. We have been in the crawlspace encapsulation business since 2004 and have done hundreds of encapsulations across South Carolina. Our crawlspace encapsulation system has been installed in Advanced Energy’s System Vision homes for Habitat for Humanity. We have partnered with Oak Ridge Laboratories, the US Department of Energy, and the EPA to install our crawlspace encapsulation system in several test homes for the ZEBRAlliance research project in Tennessee. YourCrawlSpace developed patented materials for crawlspace encapsulation that have been tested extensively in the humid southeastern climate. All of the materials we recommend and use grew out of our experience with the Deapartment of Energy, the EPA, Advanced Energy, Oak Ridge Laboratories, the ZEBRAlliance and nearly a decade of performing encapsulation installations.

YourCrawlSpace’s sister company is Carolina Green Energy Systems, a full service, comprehensive energy performance contractor also serving all of South Carolina. Our installers are certified in whole-house weatherization, have extensive training in building science, and are EPA certified renovators. Our crawlspace installation crews are supervised by Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified building analysts. Our company and our crews are specialists. We’re not a contractor that specializes in one thing but sometimes do crawlspace encapsulation.

So, if you’re thinking about encapsulating that crawlspace, you’ll be amazed to discover that it costs no more to use the very best. We’re always happy to provide references.

South Carolina Crawlspace Encapsulation Installations

2011-08-24T15:55:00.002-04:00

For the past two years, most South Carolina crawlspace encapsulations were installed by our independently owned sister company. Beginning immediately, Carolina Green Energy and YourCrawlSpace will begin doing their own encapsulated crawlspace installations using their own crews. We are excited about the prospect of doing our own installations and offering this important service to our customers across the Carolinas and Georgia.

Carolina Green Energy Systems (www.carolinages.com) is the largest comprehensive home energy performance contractor serving South Carolina. We are a participating incentive contractor with SCE&G, Santee-Cooper, CharlestonWISE, Progress Energy, Berkeley Electric, Black River Electric, and the Electric Cooperatives serving the South Carolina.

As a performance contractor, Carolina Green Energy Systems can maximize the efficiency of a home in the most cost effective ways possible, from the initial energy audit to becoming an energy partner and monitoring energy savings on an on-going basis in real time. But an equally important part of our work is creating the healthiest as well as the most comfortable environment possible. A crawlspace encapsulation can be an important part of creating a healthy and comfortable home.

In addition to dramatically increasing indoor air quality and protecting the structure of your home, several research studies from Advanced Energy indicate that crawlspace encapsulation can actually lower energy usage. These studies were done in several parts of the country with varying climates.

So, whether you’re interested in comprehensive energy efficiency improvements or just want to get rid of that musty smell and stop your hardwood floors from buckling, a crawlspace encapsulation can be an important part of the process. YourCrawlSpace pioneered encapsulation in the southeast and you may be surprised that it costs no more to use the best.

South Carolina Crawlspace Encapsulation and Energy Efficiency

2011-08-24T14:35:00.003-04:00

A building scientist was quoted that venting a crawl space in the southeast US was “lunacy.” This web site is full of information about crawl space moisture control, dew points, relative humidity, mold on floor joists, condensation on air ducts, and cupped hardwood flooring. Most folks agree that all of those issues in a crawlspace can be addressed effectively with a crawlspace encapsulation. But little has been written here or elsewhere about crawlspace encapsulation and energy efficiency.

The parent company of YourCrawlSpace is Carolina Green Energy Systems (www.carolinsges.com). It is the largest comprehensive home energy performance contractor serving South Carolina. We are a participating incentive contractor with all of the major energy utility companies serving the state. As a performance contractor, Carolina Green Energy Systems maximizes the efficiency of a home in the most cost effective ways possible, from the initial energy audit to becoming an energy partner with our customers and monitoring energy savings on an on-going basis in real time.

Carolina Green Energy Systems has made a study of crawlspace encapsulation and resulting energy use. We have participated in research study test homes with the ZEBRAlliance at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Oak Ridge is a laboratory in Tennessee operated by the US Department of Energy. The fact is, crawlspace encapsulation IS an energy issue.

It is only common sense. From an energy efficiency standpoint, why would anyone want to vent a crawlspace? A crawlspace that has not been encapsulated will be protected from the elements in the winter and therefore naturally be a bit warmer than the outside ambient temperature. Allowing the colder outside air into the crawlspace through crawlspace vents will tend to make the crawlspace colder and increase heat loss, putting more of a load on the heating system.

Just the opposite is true in the summer. Being protected from the elements and probably at least a little below ground, your crawl space will be a cooler than the outside temperature. Warm outside air will enter through the crawlspace vents, increasing the temperature and increasing the cooling load on the air conditioner or heat pump.

Since heating and cooling ducts are usually installed in the crawlspace, venting a crawlspace will increase energy loss from the ducts in both summer and winter. And in the summer, condensation in duct insulation can more than double energy loss from ducts. Nothing will destroy the effectiveness of insulation like moisture. So, the summertime condensation will also decrease wintertime efficiency.

A crawl space encapsulation will not only protect your investment and make your home a healthier and more comfortable place to live, it will also make your home a more energy efficient (and less expense) place to live.

Lowering Crawlspace Humidity and Conditioning the Air

2011-08-09T10:51:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of discussion about conditioning the air in an encapsulated crawlspace. With the brutally hot and humid weather this summer, we have been inundated with people calling about crawlspace moisture problems and a lot of discussion about crawlspace moisture problem solutions. In the years we’ve been in the business, crawlspace encapsulation is the most practical and cost effective solution we’ve found. And doing it yourself can save thousands.

Crawlspace encapsulation sometimes seems counter-intuitive to me. You’ve got a moisture problem in your crawlspace so you need vents to let the moisture out. Right? As it turns out, most of the moisture in your crawlspace does NOT come from the soil or through the foundation walls. The moisture in your crawlspace comes from the outside through foundation vents and miniscule unseen openings like gaps between the foundation wall and sill plate and the seal (or lack thereof) around the crawlspace door. Those foundation vents that were designed to let moisture out of your crawlspace are actually the primary source of crawlspace moisture.

So the solution is to encapsulate (seal) the crawlspace. The International Building Code permits crawlspace encapsulation provided the crawlspace air is conditioned. How do you go about doing that? One solution is to add a dehumidifier. That can be expensive initially. The internet is full of crawlspace dehumidifiers costing a thousand dollars and more. These are fine machines and I am sure they do a fine job dehumidifying a crawlspace. But in addition to costing a lot initially, they also cost a lot to operate on a day to day basis – usually about the same as running a refrigerator.

So, what are the alternatives? We’ve found that the most cost effect means of dehumidifying and conditioning a crawlspace is to add a small baffle vent to the existing HVAC system. There are a couple of prerequisites. First, the HVAC air-handler needs to be located in the crawlspace or the HVAC has to be at least ducted through the crawlspace. Not sure? If your HVAC registers are located in the floor of the living space (as opposed to the ceiling), your ductwork is in the crawlspace. Your system also needs to have central air-conditioning.

Won’t condition the air cost a lot? Hardly. The EPA and the US Department of Energy recommend adding conditioned air at a rate of 1 CFM/per 50 SqFt of crawlspace area. That’s not much at all. A typical home with a well-designed HVAC system will blow approximately 80 to 120 CFMs into a small bedroom. Assuming that our hypothetical bedroom is in a hypothetical home with a 2,000 SqFt crawlspace, you will only be adding one-half to one-third of conditioned air to the crawlspace than you’d be adding to condition a typical small bedroom. That will add very little load to your system. We often recommend encapsulation and them monitoring the crawlspace humidity for a few seasons. Studies by various public utilities have shown that ductwork in most homes leak on the average of 30%. That’s more than enough conditioned air to add to the crawlspace.

If you’re going to take this route and add a baffle vent, it’s best to have it done by a licensed HVAC contractor. That will assure you get the recommended air flow and assure that the vent is added with the minimum of leakage. Remember that 55 to 60 percent or less relative humidity is the recommended level. Relative humidity above this level will encourage mold and mildew growth.

Summer Time and Crawlspace Moisture

2011-08-08T16:19:00.003-04:00

This is a busy time of year for us. We are getting lots of calls from folks nationwide who are concerned about their crawlspaces. For one reason or another they have found it necessary to get into their crawlspaces and have discovered all sorts of unpleasant things. I even had one gentleman call and say that his crawlspace was like a rain forest with water dripping off the floor joists, ductwork, plumbing, and insulation.

People have called because of nasty, musty smells. They’ve called because their expensive hardwood floors were cupping. Some have called because their neighbors have told them how much cleaner their homes seemed after encapsulating.

For whatever reason they called, in 99% of the cases the problems were caused by excessive humidity. With the hot, humid weather the nation’s been experiencing this summer, the problems are compounded. Being always shaded and usually below grade, a crawlspace is naturally cooler than the outside air. When the hot, humid outside air enters the crawlspace through vents, the water in the humid air condenses on the cooler surfaces just like water condenses on an iced tea glass sitting on your kitchen table. In extreme cases, so much water condenses that it begins dripping off the crawlspace surfaces and it begins to “rain” in the crawlspace.

This creates all sorts of problems. Nothing destroys the effectiveness of insulation like moisture. Excessive humidity creates the perfect environment for mold, mildew, and fungus growth and their associated odors. And hardwood floors will cup because of the differential in moisture content between the bottom, unfinished surface and the top, finished surface in a conditioned space.

So what’s the solution? At Your Crawlspace, we believe the most cost effective solution is crawlspace encapsulation. We’ve been doing it since 2006. Crawlspace encapsulation is not difficult. Most any homeowner with basic home maintenance skills can do it. All they need is the material. That’s where we can help. At Your Crawlspace we sell the basic necessities for a do-it-yourself crawlspace encapsulation. What we don’t sell, we’ll tell you what you need and where you can get it. We use the recommendations of Advanced Energy, the EPA, and the Department of Energy as the guidelines for our recommendations. Our goal is to make the process as easy and cost effective as we possibly can. I know of numerous cases where customers told us that they have thousands by doing it themselves.

Crawlspace Moisture Control

2011-02-03T09:33:00.003-05:00

If you get three general contractors together and the topic of discussion turns crawlspaces and moisture control, you will probably hear six opinions. Folks, seem to have different and often conflicting opinions about what tack is the best to take. The idea of crawlspace encapsulation (sealing) has been around for a while now. Your Crawl Space, Inc pioneered encapsulation in the southeast and sells do-it-yourself kits throughout North America. Here is our take on the subject.

There has been much research on crawlspace encapsulation during the past decade. The US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Energy, the ZEBRAlliance at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and a non-profit research organization called Advanced Energy have all done excellent and groundbreaking research in the area of crawlspace encapsulation. Their research findings were instrumental in the last revision of the International Building Code. They all agree in a few, very important areas.

When considering your home, think of it as a single system. Your HVAC system, insulation, windows, attic, living space, and crawl space all work together. All of these building components need to be optimized and balanced to achieve maximum comfort, performance and energy efficiency. Your crawlspace is an important part of this system.

Your house is like a giant chimney. By natural convection, air is drawn in through crawlspace vents and air leaks. Because warm air rises, the outside air is drawn through the living space (along with mold spores, odors, and moisture) and exhausted through the attic. In the summer, your crawlspace is naturally cooler than the ambient outside temperature. So when the warm, humid outside air reaches the cooler crawlspace surface areas, the moisture condenses on framing, plumbing, wiring, insulation and especially HVAC ductwork and “sweats”, just like an iced tea glass sweats on your kitchen table in the summer. In the southeast it is not unheard of for crawlspace humidity to approach 100% and actually rain inside the crawlspace.

The moisture in your crawlspace creates an ideal environment for wood destroying organisms, mold, and mildew. It can saturate and destroy the effectiveness of your insulation and promote wood rot. And because of the chimney effect, the humid crawlspace air, full of mold and mildew spores, eventually finds its way into your living space creating an unhealthy environment and causing your air conditioning to work overtime to dehumidify the air. Just a vapor barrier might help a bit, but most of the moisture is coming from outside, not your dirt, crawlspace floor.

So, the alternative to a vented crawlspace is an encapsulated (sealed) crawlspace. Crawlspace encapsulation involves sealing all outside vents, installing a high-performance vapor retarder on all exposed wall and floor surfaces at or below grade, insulating the walls and rim joist, and conditioning the air.

The prevailing research claims that by insulating the walls and rim joist, it is unnecessary to insulate the floor. However, if the existing floor insulation is in good condition, leave it in place. We generally recommend a rigid foam board insulation that is fire-retardant, low VOC, and offers an R-13 value or greater. It cuts easily and can be used for sealing existing crawlspace vents too. The sill plate should be caulked and paper-faced fiberglass insulation is used to insulate the rim joist.

The building codes in most areas require the air in an encapsulated crawlspace to be conditioned. That generally means adding a dehumidifier or using the existing HVAC system to condition the air. The EPA and the Department of Energy recommend using the existing HVAC system at a rate of one cubic foot per minute of conditioned air per fifty square feet of crawlspace area. A qualified HVAC contractor can add one or two 4” or 6” vents to a system for a nominal cost. The vents are usually equipped with a butterfly valve that can be adjusted to get the desired air flow.

We prefer using this method since the installation of the vents is generally less expensive than a crawlspace dehumidifier. And since running a dehumidifier is about the same as running a small refrigerator, the cost of conditioning the air with an HVAC system is generally less than running a dehumidifier. Remember that you’re not trying to heat and cool your crawlspace; you’re just adding a small amount of conditioned air. A relative humidity target of 60% or lower is a good place to start.

When comparing high performance vapor barriers, look at puncture and tear resistance. Other than being absolutely water tight, a high performance vapor barrier should also be flexible, fire resistant, low VOC, and lightweight. There is a world of difference between the 6 mil vapor barrier material sold in most hardware stores and a high performance specialty product. Most reputable suppliers will provide samples.

In addition to dramatically increasing indoor air quality and protecting the structure of your home, several research studies from Advanced Energy indicate that crawlspace encapsulation can actually lower energy usage. These studies were done in several parts of the country with varying climates. A link to their study results is below.

http://www.advancedenergy.org/buildings/knowledge_library/crawl_spaces/pdfs/Closed%20Crawl%20Spaces_An%20Introduction%20for%20the%20Southeast.pdf

WHAT IS AN ENERGY AUDIT?

2010-12-13T12:37:00.003-05:00

The purpose of a financial audit is to examine, verify, and if necessary, correct the financial records of a company or individual. An audit determines the accuracy of the records. An energy audit isn’t much different. An energy audit examines a building from the foundation to the roof to determine what parts of the building envelope needs attention. It determines whether the HVAC system is properly sized and optimally installed; which appliances might be energy-hogs; whether there are air leaks in the HVAC ductwork, around windows and doors, and in the attic; and whether there is optimal insulation in the floors, walls, and attic. The most important thing an energy audit does is that it gives the homeowner a plan for what needs to be done and gives a reasonable estimate of what can be saved for making the recommended improvements – where the homeowner can get the “most bang for the buck”. To achieve the greatest return on investment, an energy audit looks at a building as a single system. For instance, a high efficiency HVAC unit will achieve only a little of its anticipated energy savings if 25 percent of it conditioned air is leaking into the attic or crawlspace through poorly sealed ducts. And added insulation does little good without first air-sealing all those gaps and cracks and crevices that allow cold winter air to infiltrate the attic.

An energy audit is not a casual stroll through a building. A professional auditor uses all sorts of high-tech instrumentation to determine if and where a building is wasting energy. A blower-door depressurizes a building to identify air leaks. To detect leaks in ductwork, an auditor will pressurize the system using a duct-blaster or pressure pan. In some buildings, an energy auditor will use an infrared camera. Unlike a regular camera that is sensitive to visible light, an infrared camera is sensitive to heat and cold. It can actually see through walls and ceilings and floors to determine what’s behind them and how it affects the flow of hot and cold air. It can tell the auditor where there are insulation gaps. And coupled with a blower-door, an infrared camera is an invaluable tool for determining points of air infiltration that might be missed otherwise.

So, if you’re interested in reducing the carbon footprint of your home, making your home a more comfortable place to live, and saving money on your utilities in the process, start with an energy audit. It will show you where you can make the most cost-effective improvements. That is what Carolina Green Energy Systems, our sister company, does. Visit the website at www.carolinages.com to learn more.

Insulation and Air Sealing

2010-12-01T15:38:00.005-05:00

Carolina Green Energy Systems (http://www.carolinages.com/) is a full service weatherization performance contractor. We evaluate your home's building envelope and all the systems that contribute to its overall energy efficiency. We will tell you what improvements will most cost-effectively improve your home's air quality and lower your energy bills as well as help you get the work done. We look at a building as a single system. All the systems work together and addressing only one problem may or may not achieve the desired benefits. It's sort of like putting a band aide on an eight inch surgical incision - it may help a little but without cleaning, stitches, and antibiotics, it addresses only a symptom and will unlikely solve the problem.

We are often asked why we recommend air sealing before adding insulation. Insulation without air sealing is sort of like the band aide. By itself, it achieves only a little. Imagine wearing a fleece jacket on a bright, cold winter day. Pound for pound, fleece is a great insulator and will keep you warm. Now imagine the wind starts blowing. The cold wind will blow right through your jacket. Add a windbreaker and you're warm again.

Your home's insulation is like the fleece jacket. It keeps hot air out in the summer and warm air in in the winter. But if the undesirable air is bypassing the insulation through air gaps - and your home could have hundreds of them - adding insulation will do part of the job. Without first air sealing, a home owner may be wasting money in the long run. Air sealing and bringing an attic to R-30 will cost about the same as bringing an attic to R-48 and not air sealing. The end result - lower monthly utility bills - may actually be better with the R-30 and air sealing. Only a performance contractor is qualified to make such a judgement.

2010-11-11T16:30:00.002-05:00

These are the photos I promised. Check out the "before" photos on in my blog dated

September 7. The customer said she was "amazed" and to be honest, so am I. The money saved by avoiding major structural damage probably runs into the tens of thousands of dollars.

While we were the general contractor on this job and our sister company, Your Crawlspace Coastal, did the crawlspace installation, most homeowners have the skills to do it themselves and obtain equally amazing results.

A satisfied customer...

2010-11-11T15:47:00.002-05:00

We recently did a crawlspace encapsulation for an absentee landlord. It was the crawlspace that I blogged about on September 7 - the "rain forest". When the owner compared the "after" pictures to the "before", this was his response, "Again, I greatly appreciate it. My sister was by earlier, and I showed her the pictures you offered for view via Picasa. She was absolutely amazed and very, very grateful for the good fix. I am as well." Nothing makes me sleep better than a well-pleased customer. I'll post the "after" pictures shortly so you can compare too.

Wall liners, mechanical fasteners, and trying something new...

2010-09-17T13:33:00.002-04:00

At Your Crawlspace, Inc, we’ve been installing encapsulated crawlspaces and selling kits to homeowners and contactors for more than six years. Our policy has always been to try to sell only those products that the installer cannot buy elsewhere at a lower price. If we can’t sell it and ship it at a savings to our customers, we advise our customers what they need (based on what we’ve found works best) and where they can purchase it.

We try to make our products as installer friendly as possible. Your Crawlspace, Inc tried countless adhesives and materials in search of a method of attaching our material to the walls. We tested many products before we found a system that can be applied to crawlspace walls without mechanical fasteners. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but mechanical fasteners add enormously to the installation labor. We tried using concrete nails to attach furring strips, concrete nails and washers to attach the liner directly to the crawlspace walls, stainless steel Tapcon screws, black powder actuated Ramset nailers, and hammer-drills with masonry bits and plastic clips. They all worked but added exponentially to the labor. The system we use and recommend has been field-tested and we recommend it because it works – without mechanical fasteners.

Several years back, we had an idea for another wall vapor barrier product that could be easily installed without mechanical fasteners and for the past two years we have been developing and testing it. It is currently patent-pending and in the final stages of testing. Earlier this summer, it was installed in several test homes for Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s ZEBRAlliance, the DOE, and the EPA. Last month these homes were featured on Kevin O’Connor’s “This New House”. A couple of months ago, our patent-pending product was installed in the first Habitat for Humanity LEED house in North Carolina. The system was installed (and I might add, well-installed) by the Habitat volunteers in a day. We are excited that our new wall liner is only months away from production and will simplify installation even more.

One of our many competitors recently wrote, “Other companies say that mechanical fasteners are not needed - This information is WRONG.” (His emphasis.) I can only assume he made that statement because he never tried our system. The same comment goes on to say, “Every professional company uses a mechanical fastener, if this step could be skipped we would skip it.” We wouldn’t recommend our system if it didn’t work. Changing one’s thinking, trying something new, and admitting someone else might have a better idea isn’t easy. I’m reminded of a quote by Henry Ford, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

More water damage...

2010-09-17T12:02:00.002-04:00

Yahoo’s front page (www.yahoo.com) this morning has yet another article dealing with home maintenance entitled “Home Problems That Can Cost You a Fortune”. At the top of the list is water damage. The article says that water damage “isn’t something you can ignore.”

The article goes on to say,” Beyond the possibility of mold, long-term water damage can cause rot, which leads to all kinds of expensive repairs to the structure of your home. It's difficult to estimate the cost of this type of repair, but it can easily run into the thousands.”

The solution? “If you find…areas that tend to be damp, have them repaired before long-term damage occurs.”

Another potential costly problem that the article identifies is mold. “The cost of mold remediation is about $3,000 per wall, according to Environmental Solutions Group, an environmental management company that inspects homes for mold -- and that doesn't include the cost of replacing any mold-infected materials such as drywall, carpet or ceiling tiles.”

The article’s solution? Preventive maintenance. “Mold can’t grow without moisture” so the article’s remedy is to deal with the mold before it ever becomes a problem and that means dealing with humidity.

Our target relative humidity for a crawl space is 60% or less. We normally achieve our target humidity by encapsulating the crawlspace and adding a small baffle vent to the existing HVAC system to introduce a little conditioned the air to the space. This is also the method recommended by the DOE, EPA, and the ZEBRAlliance at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories. In most cases, a dehumidifier is not necessary. Once in a while in extreme cases we add a back-up dehumidifier but in most cases dehumidifiers are not necessary if the HVAC air-handler or ductwork is in the crawlspace.

When bigger isn't better...

2010-09-15T12:07:00.003-04:00

I’ve been blogging a lot about high humidity and the damage it can cause to your home. Too much moisture in a home can also promote mold and mildew growth which can lead to allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Since Your Crawlspace, Inc. is in the crawlspace encapsulation business, I tend to focus primarily on the improvements you can make to your crawlspace to lower the moisture content of your home. But our sister company, Carolina Green Energy Systems, is also in the full service weatherization business and we do all kinds of weatherization including energy audits, air-sealing, insulation, and the installation of high efficiency heating and cooling systems. We assess the entire building envelope from the foundation to the roof to determine the most efficient and cost-effective way of weatherizing your home and controlling the humidity.

When it comes to controlling home humidity, the first thing most people think of is their HVAC system and the most common mistake we see is over-sizing. Some national surveys have determined that more than half of all HVAC systems have not been sized correctly. Not only are over-sized systems more expensive initially, they operate inefficiently, they break down more often, and they are more expensive to operate. An improperly sized system will cause uncomfortable and large temperature swings in a home. And here’s the real kicker. An over-sized air conditioner or heat pump does not adequately dehumidify the air in a home!

An over-sized air conditioner does a fine job of cooling but cycles so frequently that it doesn’t run long enough to dehumidify the air. This can cause moisture problems which can lead to mold and mildew problems. It is an air conditioning/heat pump contractor’s responsibility to make sure that a system is sized correctly. Replacing a system based on the existing unit’s name plate is not good enough. Using a “rule of thumb” based on a home’s square footage is not good enough either. These methods might provide a good starting point or first estimate, but they’re not good enough to size your system.

More than reading the nameplate of the existing system, correct sizing requires that the contractor consider factors like the local climate, the shape and orientation of the house, air infiltration rates, and window area, location and type. Manual J, "Residential Load Calculation," published by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), is the recommended method for use in the United States and takes into account these and many other considerations. You should make sure that the contractor is trained in and follows the procedures outlined in Manual J. Bigger is not necessarily better.

Thinking about a do it yourself kit?

2010-09-13T10:17:00.004-04:00

So, you’re thinking about improving the air quality of your home by encapsulating your crawlspace. Good idea. Now comes the decision whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor to do it for you.

At Your Crawlspace, Inc, we have been selling encapsulating kits for more than six years. The kits include a 12 mil or a 23 mil woven, fire retardant, puncture resistant crawlspace liner that we believe is the best vapor barrier on the market today. Based on your measurements, we will custom cut it for ease of installation and to minimize waste

At the moment, we recommend a fire retardant, insulating, waterproof, radiant barrier for the walls. The material is like foil-faced bubble-wrap. Depending on how it is installed, it will add as much as an R-4 insulation value to your walls. While the insulation value is most certainly an added benefit, it is not the reason we recommend the radiant barrier. We recommend it because it can be installed with a low VOC adhesive. No concrete nails, no furring strips, no Tapcon screws, no Ramset nailer, no hammer drill and no masonry bit. We have field-tested the wall system and it is installer-friendly and it works. Our system has been designed with the do it yourself homeowner in mind.

So, our kits include the floor vapor barrier, radiant/vapor barrier wall liner, adhesive for the installation of our wall liner and vinyl sealing tape. But when you purchase one of our kits, you are also purchasing our years of experience and our advice throughout the planning and the installation process.

Other than the materials in our kits, you will have a number of decisions to make concerning the insulation of the walls, the caulking and insulation of the rim joist, and conditioning the air. We won’t sell you the materials for these jobs. You can buy them cheaper at your local home center or hardware store. But we will tell you where you can buy them and we’ll advise you as to their installation. The installation is maybe a little labor intensive but not difficult in the least. All it takes is a little time and a little patience.

We recently video-taped the installation of our system for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Zebra Alliance project and the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge Tennessee. Among other things, we installed and are testing a patent pending wall system. Check out this video link. If nothing else, it shows just how easy it is to install our system. We provide our system to Habitat for Humanity in North and South Carolina and their volunteers, sometimes high-school students, install our kits and do a good job of it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igae3YClgQ

Still not convinced you want to do it yourself? If there is not an experienced installer in your area, we will help you find a handyman who can do the job for you. We'll tell you what questions you need to ask and we'll walk your contractor through the installation process. Give us a call or send us an Email to get started on a healthier home.

Pay me now or pay me later - Crawlspace moisture damage

2010-09-07T15:08:00.014-04:00

In my last blog entry, I talked a little about crawl space moisture problems and promised to post a few photographs of a job we are about to start. The house was a well-built home constructed in the 1970s. It was built with good materials and it was built to code.

It was built on a typical vented crawl space. The crawlspace vents were upgraded with power ventilators to increase air circulation. There has never been a major plumbing leak. Now our parent company, Carolina Green Energy Systems (www.carolinages.com), is beginning work to repair major water damage.

Like the crawlspace in your home, this crawlspace is partly below grade. Being below grade, it is naturally cooler than the outside air. Natural convection pulls in the warm, moist air from the outside (accelerated in this house by the power ventilators), draws the air through the floor into the living space, and vents it through the attic – just like a giant chimney. In the summer, if you leave an iced tea glass on your kitchen table, moisture in the warmer surrounding air will condense on the glass, causing it to “sweat”. The exact same thing happened in this crawlspace and could be happening in your crawlspace.

These photographs illustrate exactly how much damage can be done to your home because of condensation. Floor joists and floor underlayment are saturated with water and rotting. Insulation is so saturated and heavy due to condensation that it can’t stay in place and is falling from the floor above. Water is condensing inside the HVAC ducts and they are falling to the floor because of the weight of the water. Water is dripping from all the surfaces in the crawlspace causing puddles on the floor and adding to the humidity. The guys beginning work on this project refer to it as the “rain forest”. Condensation has created so many problems in this house that it will require weeks to fix.

That doesn’t begin to address the significant health hazards of breathing mold and mildew spores thriving in this crawlspace. And due to the same convection (the chimney-effect) that I mentioned earlier, those mold and mildew spores do make their way into the living space.

Several years ago there was an advertisement for an auto service company that ended with the catchy line, “You can pay me now, or pay me later.” The same thing can be said of this crawlspace. The owner of this home would have been well advised to make a relatively small investment in a crawlspace encapsulation before all of this damage ever took place. The cost of a crawlspace encapsulation is far less than the cost of these repairs.

Crawlspace Moisture

2010-08-31T16:14:00.002-04:00

An article in Yahoo’s front page today is entitled ”5 Home Repairs Not To Ignore” and is provided by ConsumerReports.org. It’s well worth the five minutes it takes to read.

We are located on the beautiful South Carolina coast and love the water. We like looking at it. We like playing in it. We like boating on it. But as Bill Loden, a Madison, Ala. home inspector says in the Yahoo article, "If there are 10 things that can go wrong with a house, 15 of them have to do with water." Virtually all of the vital home repairs mentioned in the Yahoo article have to do, directly or indirectly, with water and potential water damage.

Being in the green-energy weatherization, HVAC, and air sealing business with Carolina Green Energy Systems and Your Crawlspace, Inc., the home repair that got my attention was Number 4, Mold and Mildew. At Your Crawlspace, Inc., we target a crawlspace relative humidity of less than 60%. Below this crawlspace moisture level, mold and mildew have difficulty growing. Above this level, mold and mildew thrive.

There are two primary approaches to controlling crawlspace moisture once the space has been encapsulated and it is probably the most frequent question we are asked by our customers. First, you can add a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers can be expensive. The most inexpensive one we install is priced in the neighborhood of $300. And the cost goes up from there to whatever you want to pay - $1500 or more.

The other approach is to add a small baffle vent or maybe two to the existing HVAC system. These are small (3” to 4”) vents that usually have a butterfly baffle that keeps the vent closed unless forced air is flowing through it. The baffle can also be adjusted to meet the recommended air-flow volume. This has become the method we prefer. Baffle vents are inexpensive to install and are trouble-free.

It is also the method preferred by the Department of Energy and the method described on their web site. We recently encapsulated crawlspaces for Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s ZEBRAlliance Project and the Department of Energy in several of their test houses. Their specifications called for using the existing HVAC to condition the air.

Due to air-handler placement and HVAC ductwork design, sometimes it is not possible to add a baffle vent. And in some climates, after monitoring the relative humidity, we recommend a back-up dehumidifier. But those homes need to be evaluated on a case by case basis to determine the dehumidifier type and size.

The Yahoo article goes on to say, “Even houses in arid climates aren't immune. Hot outdoor temperatures can drive even small amounts of water trapped in the structure to condense on colder interior surfaces, leading to mold. Musty odors, dank air, and family members with chronic runny noses are warning signs.” And in addition the health issues of mold and the general quality of life issues of air quality, excess humidity in your home can lead to very serious structural damage. My next post will include photos of a local home that has a virtual rain forest in its crawlspace and structural problems that will take tens of thousands of dollars to fix as a result.

Mining diasters and oil spills

2010-07-15T10:46:00.005-04:00

Between the Upper Big Branch mining tragedy in West Virginia; the on-going Deep Water Horizon explosion, fire, and resulting ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; all the talk of global warming; and the Obama administration’s push to find alternative energy sources, you can’t pick up a newspaper or turn on the television nightly news without hearing about fossil fuels and energy conservation. I’m no engineer or scientist so I’m not qualified to speak to all the pros and cons of different energy sources, which sources make the most economic sense, and the best alternative fuels going forward. But as president of Carolina Green Energy Systems (www.carolinages.com), I know more than a little about what happens to those fossil fuels after they come out of the ground and what we can do to promote energy conservation and reduce our need for producing and using fossil fuels. That’s the business we are in.

How do you think those fossil fuels are used once they are processed? I bet most of you said transportation – gas and oil for your car, jet fuel for those airplanes you see flying overhead, and diesel fuel for those big rigs driving up and down our highways. If that is what came to mind, you are in the majority of most Americans. And you would be wrong. Transportation accounts for only a little more than a quarter (28%) of our energy use in North America.

What about all those enormous factories out on the edge of town? Wrong again. Industry accounts for a third of all energy usage in America - more than transportation, but still not the biggest consumer of energy.

The largest consumers of energy in North America are buildings – your home, the stores where you shop, and the office where you work. They use almost 40% of all energy produced in America today. Like so many other things, energy conservation should begin at home. Sure, the idea of owning one of those fancy hybrids or a totally electric vehicle can be pretty appealing, maybe even a little glamorous. But if you really care about saving energy and getting the “biggest bang for your buck”, the best way to start is by weatherizing your home. Not only will you be helping the environment and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, in most cases you’ll save yourself a significant amount on your energy bills.

At Carolina Green Energy Systems, we have Building Performance Institute (BPI) trained and certified analysts on staff. BPI is a highly regarded nonprofit organization that considers a building as a total system. BPI considers the heating and cooling system (HVAC); doors and windows; HVAC ductwork; insulation in floors, walls and the attic; moisture in the air and structural components; and a variety of other building components and conditions to optimize them so that they work together and you get the maximum benefit and minimum energy usage.

We start with an energy audit using the latest technology like blower-doors, duct-blasters, monoxers, endoscopes, and infrared cameras. The energy audit tells us where to start. A post-audit assures that we've met our targeted savings and that we haven't missed anything. We have seen many homes with grossly oversized heat pumps that were unnecessary had the home been properly insulated, the ductwork sealed and the doors and windows caulked. Believe it or not, an oversized or improperly sized HVAC system can be an energy waster and do a poor job of heating and cooling your home. How big is big enough? I’ll talk about that at a later date. We feel so strongly about the importance of the energy audit, if you use us to weatherize your home, we will credit you for the audit regardless of who did it! Add that to the tax credits and rebates already available.

So, if you want to do your part for the environment, reduce our need for fossil fuels, and save some money in the process, consider calling a qualified professional for an energy audit and make your home a healthier, more pleasant, and more energy efficient place to live.

So, what is SEER?

2010-06-04T16:43:00.009-04:00

It wasn’t that long ago, when you went to buy a heat pump or air conditioner, the salesperson talked to you about tonnage – this is a one-and-a half ton unit or that is a two ton unit. Today, you are more likely to hear about SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. What exactly does SEER measure and does it matter?

Let’s do a little time travel. In 1970, Richard Nixon was president, gasoline was 36 cents per gallon, and your air conditioner was a SEER 6. When you went to the car lot, the salesman talked about 350 horsepower or 400 horsepower. The HVAC salesman talked about tons. Same thing. They were both talking about raw power. Just like the car salesman who never mentioned MPG, the air conditioner and heat pump salesman never mentioned SEER. SEER is like MPG in that they don’t measure raw power but they measure efficiency. In1970, efficiency, whether in your automobile or in your air conditioner or heat pump, really wasn’t that big of a deal.

Let’s move ahead to 2010. Gasoline has reached more than $3.00 per gallon. Gone are the muscle cars and the car salesman will more likely pitch MPG – efficiency – rather than raw power. In 2010, the air conditioning and heat pump contractor will tell you about carbon footprints, the cost of electric power generating facilities, and your utility bill. He will tell you about SEER. Efficiency always mattered, but now more than ever.

At Carolina Green Energy Systems, we have never sold a heat pump or air conditioner with a SEER of less than 13. The Carolina Green Energy Systems air conditioning and heat pump units use half the electricity that the 1970s units used. Do the math. Even if your old unit is still working, if you can cut your power bill in half, it won’t take long to pay for your new system. And then after that, the savings are cash money in your pocket. It makes sense to me.

In my next entry I’ll tell you a little about the services we provide when we install a new heat pump or air conditioner like an energy audit, checking for adequate insulation, and sealing the existing duct work. Check out the Carolina Green Energy Systems website at www.CarolinaGES.com or stop by our office in Pawleys Island if you're in the area.

Insulation basics and a little about the science of insulation…

2010-05-26T11:59:00.003-04:00

Heat is a form of energy and always seeks a cooler place – flowing out of your home in the winter and flowing into your home in the summer. Fiber glass insulation resists the flow of heat – keeping your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. By reducing heat flow, fiberglass insulation reduces the cost of heating and cooling your home. A well insulated home makes it a more comfortable place to live and adds to its resale value. Whether you live in an old home or a new home, it pays to insulate.

In addition to resisting heat flow, fiberglass insulation absorbs sound. When installed in the walls and ceiling it reduces the noise from outside and from one room to another.

And insulation is not just for attics and outside walls. Insulation should also be installed in other areas of your home such as ceilings with unheated spaces, basement walls, floors above vented crawl spaces, on the walls of encapsulated (sealed) crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings, floors over unheated garages or porches, knee walls, and in between interior walls (especially bathrooms), ceilings or floors for extra sound control.

Insulation efficiency is measured by something called its R-value. The "R" refers to the product’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Insulation manufacturers print R-values of their products, either on the bags or on the labels. In most cases, R-values are also printed on the facings of fiber glass batts and rolls.

Carolina Green Energy Systems is equipped and trained to assess all of your home’s insulation needs as well as install the products to make it a more comfortable, energy efficient, economical, and pleasant place to live. Visit our new website at www.carolinages.com

Cutting Edge Energy Research

2010-05-24T13:32:00.006-04:00

Your Crawl Space and its sister company Carolina Green Energy Systems were chosen to participate in a home energy-efficiency research study. A five member crew recently returned from Oak Ridge, Tennessee where they participated in an energy up-fit of two Zero Energy Building Research Alliance or ZEBRAlliance test homes. It was an honor to be asked to participate in such a cutting-edge research project.

The ZEBRAlliance is a not-for-profit research and education alliance which consists of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL), and several private industry partners including Carolina Green Energy Systems and Your Crawl Space. The alliance builds houses that incorporate ORNL energy-efficiency technologies to determine the integral effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the components. The components are tested in order to provide homeowners with information on how to buy the best and most cost effective energy technologies for their homes.

More than 300 energy sensors were installed in the ZEBRAlliance house. “I am particularly interested in seeing just how much conditioned air is necessary to control humidity in the properly insulated and sealed Your Crawl Space system installed in house 4.” said Oak Ridge’s Jeff Christian. “We are currently developing a foundation best-practices electronic handbook and this will be a featured case study supporting the DOE’s recommendations.”

The ZEBRAlliance work is attracting national attention. Christian was asked to do behind-the-scenes assistance for a recent segment of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” on ABC-TV. And the homes are so unique that they have attracted the attention of Kevin O’Connor host of both PBS’s “This Old House” and the DIY network’s “This New House”. "When you look at these properties right here, this is the future," O'Connor says. "This is the best laboratory." O’Connor goes on to say, "These houses are very different than the houses we typically see, but they look the same and that's the big achievement. People are going to be familiar with the style; they're going to be familiar with what's on the inside. The magic about them is what's in the walls, in the basement and in the roof."

Carolina Green Energy Systems researches and retrofits high efficiency energy improvements to existing homes. It does energy audits, duct sealing, insulation, crawl space moisture remediation and encapsulation, and coordinates all this with high-efficiency heating and cooling systems specifically designed to be part of a total home energy efficient system. It is a national leader in energy retrofits. Carolina Green Energy Systems has done retrofits to nearly 400 homes in North and South Carolina in the past year, implementing many of the ZEBRAlliance recommendations. Visit the web site at www.carolinages.com.

The Homestar Energy Retrofit Act…

2010-05-24T12:40:00.005-04:00

On May 6, the House of Representatives passed the Homestar Energy Retrofit Act by a vote of 246 to 161.

Homestar would give you a sizable rebates for eligible energy-efficiency projects on your home like insulation, high efficiency heating and air conditioning (HVAC), and air and duct sealing. Many of its supporters have also touted the jobs it's intended to create. "Nearly one in four workers in the home construction and services industry has been laid off. Passing Home Star says, ”'Help is on the way,'" said Henry Waxman, the California Democrat who chairs the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

There's a lot to say about the substance of the program, but one of the more remarkable aspects of this story is the broad business and political support that came together behind it. The House vote was bipartisan. There are two Republican cosponsors in the Senate including Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. There's a long list of businesses, big and small, supporting it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, two of the most conservative business groups in the country and ardent foes of climate legislation, came out in support of the bill.

Why is Home Star garnering such broad and deep support? Because it makes good common sense. Energy retrofits substantially lower homeowners' monthly bills. These savings go into the homeowners pockets where it ultimately gets spent, creating even more economic stimulus. All this, not to mention smaller carbon emissions and less need for new power generating facilities.

Because Home Star requires a pre and a post energy audit, unlike many energy-related policies, the benefits are predictable and almost guaranteed. We welcome this aspect of the bill. Your Crawl Space and Carolina Green Energy System wants nothing more than for the consumer to see exactly what we can do to save them money. It is better than any advertising we could ever purchase. Visit our web site at www.carolinages.com.

Its bipartisan supporters are optimistic about the bill. They expect a Senate vote, conference committee, appropriations, and a presidential signature by Memorial Day.