Cotton-Candy basement...

As promised, here are some pictures of our newly insulated basement!

Thanks again to Steve and Kurtis from Merkley Energy Solutions for the wonderful work they've done for us!

I still can't get over the difference these changes have made already. Between the 'can't-even-tell-if-it's-running' furnace and now our completely insulated basement - we're in for a cozy winter!!

Have you been taking advantage of the rebates available for these changes? What changes have you made to your own homes? Share your stories with me!

Let the games begin....

The day is finally here!

The very helpful guys from Merkley Energy Solutions arrived this morning to tackle our basement insulation project.

I'm excited to get home this evening to see our fully spray-foamed basement! As our basement was our biggest energy-waster, now that we've installed a new high-efficiency propane furnace and completely insulated the walls - we're that much closer to reaching our home-energy targets.

As I said in the beginning - this process may be far from the instant gratification I was hoping for - but step-by-step, I'm learning and seeing the benefits each upgrade will provide. There's a lot to be said for that!

Thanks to everyone who continues to share our journey. I'll share pictures with you soon!

Always learning...

It's been quite some time since I last wrote... my apologies! It's amazing how quickly the summer can come and go. Here we are - already on the cusp of fall!

With the onslaught of cooler weather, I've learned a couple of things about my new HVAC equipment.

The first... our new high-efficiency propane furnace is sooooo quiet! I remember having guests over during the holidays last winter and their look of alarm when the old furnace would fire up. It would rattle and shake the floors - it sounded like the house was trying to take flight! We decided to give the furnace a try on one of the chilly nights this week (I know... in August!!) - and loved it. I didn't have to turn the TV up - didn't have pictures rattling on the walls - what a treat!

The second... an instantaneous tankless hot water heater does not mean instant hot water out of your taps. (Hmmm, that sounds pretty straight forward now that I write it.... but I always thought otherwise!)

Tankless water heaters aren't for everyone - and we originally debated getting one for ourselves. In the end, we decided it would make sense for a household like ours. It was on a particularly cold morning when I was waiting for the water in the shower to get warm enough to hop in that I questioned the inner workings of our heater.

Now that I understand how it works - I'm not sure how I thought otherwise! Basically, an instantaneous tankless hot water heater means that as soon as you call upon hot water - it's instantly hot. Why you don't instantly feel that hot water from your taps is because it still needs to travel through the pipes to the tap. Once you have the hot water - it will stay that way indefinitely because you're not pulling the water from a storage tank (hence the tankless part). This is good news for some - bad news for others (i.e. parents of kids notorious for getting out of the shower only once they run out of hot water!)

While this information may not be news to most of you - it did make me realize that an important part of research is understanding! It's easy to become misguided when it comes to equipment we may not all understand - and that can lead to false expectations or disappointment.

Talk to a professional - ask questions - get informed!

Thanks Ben - you're a great teacher!

Some details...

Well, the basement has been cleaned - the walls are bare - we're ready to go!

Although I've mentioned it before - I haven't really given any details about the spray foam treatment we will be applying to our basement walls.

The product is called 'Heatlok Soya' - it's a closed-cell spray polyurethane foam made from recycled plastic and soya oil. According to the pamphlet, it uses recycled plastics and vegetable oils and claims to:
- have zero impact on the ozone layer,
- have one of (if not the) highest thermal value of any insulation product on the market, and
- increase the energy effeciency of the building.

An independent lab test confirms the long-term performance of the product's thermal properties and maintains that it does not support mold and mildew.

For you visual learners - here's their latest promotional video.

Isn't science great??

And onto the next...

Well, as I've reported, our new 98% efficient propane furnace, instantaneous tankless hot water heater, and HRV have been installed by Sauve Heating Ltd and our propane has been delivered - so on the heating side, we're good to go!

Next on the agenda - basement insulation. We've been slowly cleaning our basement so the guys from Merkley Drywall and Insulation won't have any problems making their way around. I'm sure you can imagine how much fun cleaning the basement can be - especially during the summer - so you probably understand why this hasn't happened sooner. But - we're on it! Sometime next week, we should have a fully insulated basement!

Once that's done - we'll be on the home stretch. As outlined in our eco-audit report, updating our heating system and insulating our basement will be our biggest money-savers. To compliment these efforts, however - we'll have to re-insulate the exterior of our home, as well.

I'm actually looking forward to moving on to the exterior-insulation phase because it means I need to start looking at siding options. While I know I'll have to consider what type of siding we choose - right now, I'm can't help but focus on colour!

C'mon, you can relate ..... right??

House guests...

With the appearance of summer, and as we start planning our interior and exterior home insulation, we've also started thinking about how nice it will be to have our home mostly sealed from creepy-crawlers. In my husband's case - this means spiders and for me - earwigs! (ew)

But - it wasn't until just recently that I realized this is also true of some of the bigger critters, too.

I was out hanging clothes on the line when I noticed a pretty unsightly pile of droppings below a vent hole in an unused chimney on the side of our house. It didn't take much to determine they were bat droppings. A lot of bat droppings.

While I have nothing against bats - and am actually happy to have them around, I know they're not the best thing for a home! Some facts (from the Humane Wildlife Control website):

1 - Bats can eat up to 3,000 insects in one night! Yes, that includes mosquitoes. On the flip side, if they're roosting in your home, they can also cause odor, damage and contamination.

2- Bat colonies can range from one to several hundred. Judging from the pile of droppings we have accumulating - we're definitely looking at more than one!!

3 - Bat colonies double in size every year. Unless they're removed (and the home sealed), bats do tend to return to the same property each year.

4 - Bats can bite. Although the rumors of bats getting tangled in your hair or sucking your blood are false, they can bite and are the most common carriers of rabies.

5 - A bat can produce several times its weight in waste each month. If inhaled, the droppings can actually cause histoplasmosis (identified as having flu-like symptoms).

6 - A bat can fit in a hole the size of a dime. Experts say that sealing the hole isn't good enough as the decay can cause waste and damage. The most effective way to deal with a bat colony is to get rid of all the bats and completely seal the entire building from further entry.

So, looks like we'll have to address our bat problem before we start insulating. I'm hoping we can find a new home on the property for our bat friends - because without a screened-in porch, we'll need all the help we can get against the mosquitoes!

Isn't it pretty?

Well, she's in! And I have to say - part of me even considered wishing it was colder so we could fire her up!

I know! Crazy....

Don't worry, that thought-process didn't last too long!

Sauve Heating did a fantastic job installing the equipment - which involved taking out our old oil tank and switching everything over to propane!

I included the picture to the right to hopefully remind you that not only do these upgrades mean a more efficient (and less-expensive to operate) home - but they also mean even more money back in your pockets. In the case of our instantaneous hot water heater - $630!

If this year has shown us anything, it's that we all need play a part in protecting our environment - and the economy. How great to be able to do both at once!

Progress!!

I'm happy to report that the waiting game is over!

Just like our water heater, our furnace has recently decided that it's insulted with the idea of being replaced and has stopped working just to prove this point. Fortunately, it's been pretty warm, so this hasn't been a huge issue - but talk about timing!

Luckily - try as they may - their attempts are wasted. In just a few short days, I'll be the proud new owner of an instantaneous hot water heater, a high-efficiency propane furnace and HRV system. The many years my husband has spent trying to get me to appreciate the amazing qualities of these units must finally be rubbing off on me - I'm excited!

And, because a high-efficiency furnace installed in poorly insulated home will still result in hard-earned dollars leaking out the windows (and doors, and cracks in the basement, etc) - we have our basement-insulation appointment scheduled shortly after.

I appreciate the feedback I've received about whether or not an older home like ours should consider foam insulation - but after much consultation and research, we are confident this is the right choice for us! As always - be sure to do your own research to make sure you're doing what's right for your own home.

This is the exciting part - because once these upgrades are finished, we're one step closer to grant money in our pockets!!

Stay tuned!

We're in this together!!

Success! What a great story follower 'Phiddy' (Phyllis) took the time to share with me! I've posted it below. Yikes, with heating costs that high, I bet you own as many sweaters as I do!!
I like oil heat, but I'm looking forward to switching to propane - specifically - the 98% efficient furnace!!

Thanks again for the feedback - we really appreciate the support! Keep us posted on your progress!

To the rest of you, keep those stories coming - and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to try and get them answered!

"Hey there Kylee,We're just down the road from you in Jasper.

We went ahead and got our eco-audit done. Used the same guy you did... Derrick out of Kemptville. We too live in a not so new home. No records to prove when it was built but, everyone seems to think it's about 50 - 60 years old. We were rated at 41% energy efficient.... even less than your rating! Can you believe that? No wonder our heating (oil) bill was running about $100 to $125/week during our first winter here. We are going to be looking into the simple and most easily fixed things first. Insulating the attic and crawl space. The two areas we are losing most of our heat through.

Thanks for your blog. It sure has helped me on the way to making our home more energy efficient.
Phyllis

Oh and in the mail two days ago was the paperwork to fill out, send back in and then to receive our eco-audit rebate from the government.... sweet!"

The debate...

Thanks again to Timothy and Chris for the input offered on whether or not to insulate an old stone-walled basement. After doing research on the subject - it seems that opinions are quite varied! Some seem to think that insulating an old stone wall will lead to further damage down the road - as it will speed deterioration. Others believe this is only true of particular circumstances where the basement insulation is already showing damage and wear.

With interior insulation being the first on our to-do list (we should be starting in about 2 weeks) - we want to be sure we're doing the right thing for our home! We still have time... and we're still researching.

Thanks for the feedback - and the continued support!

Have any of you started your own eco-audit adventures? If so - share your stories with me! What are you doing? When? What do you plan to save?

I'd love to hear from you!

One size does not fit all...

Phew, I feel like I haven't written in awhile... probably because I haven't!

I'm happy to report that things are still coming together - first on our list will be the interior insulation. Right now, I'm sure we're like many of you - waiting to see if we'll get a tax return to help with some of these initial costs.
So, we're playing the waiting game!

Now would be a great time to thank Chris for the comments he made to my last posting. He brings up a great point! We'll certainly be doing the research on our end to be sure the choices we make are safe for our house now - and in the long run.

Remember that every house is different - with its own unique design flaws or quirks or maintenance requirements. The important thing is that I trust the professionals we've chosen because of their track record, knowledge of their industry, and thoroughness! But, afterall - it is my house - so it's my responsibility to remain informed.

The improvements we've chosen are what we feel are - and that have been recommended as - the best for our home.

Do your research - ask questions - keep informed!

I admit, I'm still learning -

The exciting news...

So, we're back in the paper! Page 11 and 12 of the Advance. Don't be confused, I actually wrote the article - not Ben.

Well, you've been very patient for the big news, so here it is!

The provincial government has now matched the 25% funding increase made by the federal government!

This is fantastic news as it means more money in your pockets - and even greater reason to act now.

It's simple:
1. Book your audit
2. Make the changes outlined in your personalized report
3. Book your post-retrofit audit
4. Wait for money to arrive in the mail!

Easy-peasy.

Looking for me?

For those of you following online - thank you! Be sure to keep your friends and neighbours updated, too!

I know not everyone gets online and will have an update for all you old-fashioned paper-readers shortly!

In the meantime - stay tuned! It's just about time to start getting the hands dirty! After all... we only have 18 months and a very big to-do list!

chocolate, turkey, and ... no hot water???

It must be karma.

We have been so happy to finally have the results of our audit - and are still coming down from the excitement of our open house; I think it's made us jaded. Or, maybe our house is insulted. Whatever it is, it sure is ironic timing!

Like most of you, we were settling ourselves for a weekend of turkey and easter egg hunts. After family meal #1 on Saturday, I was prepping myself for the second feast on Sunday when I quickly realized there was no hot water. As I had just been out for a run and had to spend the day with many people (as forgiving as family can be) - this was not a good thing.

I guess this is one of the benefits of marrying a heating guy - as my husband was quickly able to diagnose and treat the problem (although, I've been told it's just a temporary fix - our hot water tank is not happy with us).

What is it about appliances and machinery that makes them break down the minute you talk of upgrading? I swear they must have feelings.

Well, hot water tank - you can try your hardest but your threats don't scare me. You will be replaced with an instantaneous hot water tank - you're only making your time come to an end much sooner...

The guts...

Okay, for those of you who have been following along - this is what you've been waiting for! The results!

As I've mentioned - we have an older house (we're thinking late 1800's) - so, like most older homes, it's not very efficient. That said, we were pretty happy to learn that our house rated 56 points on the EnerGuide scale!

What does that mean? Well - we're above average for a house of its age in Ontario (average score is 42) - but we have a loooooong way to go in the way of improvements!

In order to be considered 'energy star' rated, a house needs to score at least 80% efficiency. The good news is - if we complete all the recommended upgrades, our rating will jump to about 81%! While we won't be able to consider ourselves 'energy star' rated (because we're an older home) - that's very impressive.

Right now, our auditor (Tim, from DT Home Energy Advisors) estimated that if we were to add up all the air leaks in our home, it would be equivalent to leaving an 18X19" window open year-round. Barf.

Our report recommended several upgrades and categorized them according to which would result in the greatest energy savings. The top of that list for us - replacing our heating system.

Because my husband works for Sauve Heating, he was excited to find us the most efficient furnace out there!
We'll be making three major changes:
1. Upgrading from our old oil furnace, to a new 98% efficient propane Luxaire furnace,
2. Replacing our current oil-fired hot water tank with a tankless instantaneous hot water heater, and
3. Installing an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) - which will help us replace the stale air in our home with fresh air - because once these upgrades are made, our house will be so efficient, barely anything will be escaping!

Next on the list, interior insulation. Our report indicated that our biggest energy waster is our basement. To fix this, Merkley Drywall and Insulation will be completely insulating our basement (walls and headers) with with a spray polyurethane foam insulation (HeatLok Soya). Not only is the insulation made from recycled plastic and soya oil, it also offers one of the highest thermal values and is water resistant.

And lastly - exterior insulation. To make sure we're completely sealing our house from the inside-out, the folks at Merkley will also be insulating the exterior of our home with 1.5" R10 foamboard.

I know what you're probably thinking - sounds expensive!

While we will be responsible for the initial costs, once we book Tim for our post-retrofit audit, we'll be able to sit back in our wonderfully comfortable home and wait for the grant cheques to arrive! Overall, we stand to recover about 50% of our costs!

Here's a breakdown of the grants we'll receive back from the Federal and Provincial governments:
Furnace - $1,125
Hot water tank - $550
HRV -$675
Basement wall insulation - $1,125
Header insulation - $225
Exterior wall insulation - $3,225

Keep in mind that these numbers do reflect the 25% funding increase the Federal government just announced, but will likely increase by another 25% should the provincial government decide to do the same!

On top of that, we can also claim the upgrades we make towards the $1,350 Home Renovation tax credit, and - according to our report - stand to shave 50% off our current heating and electrical costs!

Phew - that may be a lot of numbers, but it all adds up to one thing - SAVINGS.

If you were on the fence before - it should be clear! NOW is the time to make your home a more comfortable and affordable place to live.

Thank you!!!

Here's a great big thank you on behalf of Ben and I to all those who came to check us out on Saturday - and those who otherwise offered their support! We had a great turnout and were so pleased to see how many are also interested in making their own homes more affordable and comfortable to live in.

We were happy to see people show up right at 10 - and then continue steadily right until 4! While not everyone signed our guest book - we estimate about 50 people (plus support from both the Kemptville EMC and Advance) to have visited - success!

A few people I'd like to thank specifically...

Tim Vandermeer of DT Home Energy Advisors for walking everyone through our home audit! We must have done the fan-door test 10... 12 ... 15 times?? Thanks to you, we now know which improvements will make the biggest impact to our home, how much we'll get back for making them, and how much we can potentially save!

Steve and Kurtis Merkley of Merkley Drywall and Insulation for their insulation expertise! We quickly learned that our biggest problem is our basement. We look forward to working with Steve and Kurtis in the coming months as we plan to completely insulate our basement - and the exterior of our home (no more spiders!!). I'll post more report details soon.

Rilla Seward-McShane of Coldwell Banker Coburn Realty for her help promoting our open house, providing signage throughout the town, and her continued support during this eco-audit process. You're a true example of how to create and foster lasting relationships! (Plus, you're a true sport for letting me take your picture so many times!!)

Jim and Rob Hossie of Kemptville Windows and Kitchens for supporting our eco-audit adventure - and for demonstrating what a difference replacing old, inefficient windows can truly make to your heating and electrical costs!

A special thank you to Don and Ben Sauve of Sauve Heating! Ben (my husband) originally came up with the idea to have an open house for our energy audit knowing that information on the grants available can not only be difficult to find, but also to translate. I'm now looking forward to starting our improvements- specifically upgrading to our new 98% efficient furnace (the best you can find)!

And finally, thanks to my mom for donating so much food! Your meatball soup was delish, and the rest of the snacks were a huge hit - and to my pooch, Marley - for being so well behaved with so many visitors! I had quite a few offers for adoption... sorry folks! haha

We have since received our personalized report with the results of our audit. I'll post details soon - stay tuned!

Hopefully...

Here's hoping we see you tomorrow - Saturday, April 4 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.!

Sounds like it'll be a rainy day - perfect weather to come out for some hot coffee and learn about how to save your hard-earned dough!

I'm looking forward to seeing what we'll be able to save - I'll post details soon!

And of course, if you have any questions about our open house - or about the experiment in general, please be sure to ask.

48 hours and counting...

Well, now that hump day's come and gone, we're officially in the home stretch to the weekend!

When making your own weekend plans, be sure to include a stop at our home sometime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Why, you ask? Because you will....

- See a home energy audit in action for yourself
- Have the opportunity to learn about upgrades that will save YOU money
- Talk to local area contractors to help you learn about and even schedule these upgrades
- Learn about how much money you'll receive (and save!) for the improvements you make
- Be one step closer to a more energy-efficient and comfortable home!

Can't wait to see you there!

If you have any questions about our open house, please do not hesitate to ask!

This really is a no-brainer...

Just when I thought the deal couldn't get any sweeter!

To add on to the CTV video I posted yesterday, I've been able to dig up a bit more information about what this means! In a nutshell - more money!

For those of you who may not be familiar with the ecoENERGY-Retrofit Homes program, here's what the process looks like:

1. Book an eco-audit (that's what we're doing this Saturday, April 4 with the guys from DT Home Energy Advisors). The purpose of the audit is to explain your home's energy use, take a walk-through of your home's insulation, heating and cooling systems and other energy uses, perform a "blower door" depressurization test to identify leaks and drafts, and outline all these results in a report.
2. Make the improvements suggested in your personalized Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report
3. Get a post-retrofit audit
4. Get up to $10,000 in tax-free rebates for your upgrades!

Now, in an act of absolute, perfect timing, Natural Resources Canada just announced yesterday that grants offered under the ecoENERGY-Retrofit Homes program will increase by 25 per cent! For example, if you were looking to upgrade to a new energy-efficient furnace, the available grant has increased from $500 to $625!

In addition, these grants can be used in conjunction with the Government of Canada's new Home Renovation Tax Credit worth up to $1,350.

I know what you're thinking... what's the catch? Well - the offer is time-limited. After you've completed your audit, you have 18 months to make the upgrades and perform a post-retrofit audit to be eligible for the grants - which will only be around until March 11, 2011. If you do the math - that's not a lot of time.

What this really all boils down to - is opportunity.
NOW is the time book your own audit and take advantage of this money.

Please join us this Saturday, April 4 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in our home and see for yourself - you can join us in making your house more eco-friendly, more comfortable to live in, and most importantly - less expensive to opertate!


If you have any questions about our open house this Saturday, please do not hesitate to ask!

In the news...

We're now less than a week away from our open house - and I'm pumped!
So when I caught this clip on Canada AM this morning, I got even more excited.

I think programs like the green-home grants should be featured more regularly - especially in light of the economic crisis many of us are facing. Not only can these programs help stimulate much-needed spending, they're designed to help home-owners make the upgrades needed to help save their hard-earned dollars!

Even more importantly, these grants won't be around forever! If you're not sure which upgrades would make the biggest impact to your own home, or don't know how much help you'll actually be able to take advantage of - please come to our open house this Saturday, April 4 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m at 311 Latourell Road in Kemptville.

In case you've missed us in the Advance, not only will you be able to see the eco-audit in action, we'll have representatives from Sauve Heating, DT Home Energy Advisors, Kemptville Windows and Kitchens, Merkley Drywall and Insulation, Coldwell Banker Realty, and Tym Plumbing to answer all your home-renovation questions!

I look forward to seeing you there!

A shout-out...

To all of you in the North Grenville area - check us out in this week's issue of the Kemptville Advance! We're smack-dab in the middle of the paper!

With just 10 days until the open house - now's the time to start spreading the word.
So, grab a group of family, friends, or anyone you'd think would like to save a little money and be sure to stop by on the 4th between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Here's our address again.

You can also join my Facebook group - I've posted some pictures and started a discussion to see which home-improvement would be at the top of your to-do list in a perfect world. I'd love to hear from you!

A closer look...

April 4 is only 10 days away!!!

If you're anything like me, you're pretty sick of winter. In fact, I was done with winter about a week after Christmas! Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the changing of the seasons and the beauty of a snowfall - but I'm a perpetually cold person. I am so ready to be warm again!

What does this have to do with our audit? A lot.

You might not be able to tell from the picture - but we have an old house. We estimate it was built in the late 1800's. Although the previous owners did a great job remodeling most of the interior, it's no secret - older homes are notoriously inefficient.

Right now, our primary heat source is an old (my husband estimates 15 years) oil furnace complimented by a pellet stove we installed last year.
For the most part, we keep our furnace set at 15 degrees (about 13 at night) and pump the pellet stove depending on how cold it is outside. I think the warmest I remember seeing the thermostat (yes, even on those coldest days), was 19.5.

I know what you're thinking - I own a lot of sweaters.

Although my husband is always about 10 degrees warmer than I am - this isn't ideal. It's the byproduct of a small budget coupled with an inefficient furnace and poorly insulated house.

While there's not much I can do about my budget, I know the purpose of this audit is to explore options to help me stretch these very important heating dollars further.

On April 4, I look forward to talking with the guys from Sauve Heating and Merkley Drywall and Insulation to help make this happen.

Until then... fleece, afghans, tea, and hot chocolate remain my constant winter companions!

Spreading our wings...

We're now on Facebook!

Feel free to join our group - yet one more place to keep in touch!

At least we were somewhat prepared...

We certainly didn't jump into this whole thing expecting our house to be perfect... that would defeat the purpose. Of course, starting any home-renovation project is like peeling back century-old carpet - you could find beautiful hardwood underneath - or something really nasty!

Yesterday, we had the fine folks from DT Eco Home Energy Advisors perform a preliminary home energy audit - and let me tell you, we had our fingers crossed for the hardwood!

Thankfully, the results weren't too far outside what we were expecting. We learned that while most of the house is relatively efficient - our basement needs a lot of work - we're talking insulation and maybe a new source of heating. Luckily - it sounds like this makes us eligible for some really great funding!

We should have the results of our audit in about a week, at which point I'll share the findings with you.

And remember - our open house is coming up on Saturday, April 4!

Stop by anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to see the audit in action, learn what mistakes to avoid, and meet local area contractors that can help get your home back up to snuff!

We're at 311 Latourell Road - just off South Gower Drive.

Stay tuned!!

And it begins...

Just over a year ago, my husband and I bought our own little piece of heaven on the outskirts of Kemptville. It was a good compromise for the two of us; it had enough 'work' left to appease my husband, but didn't need to be gutted - my only stipulation! After being in the house for a little over a year now, that 'to-do' list seems to have grown exponentially!

As a young couple on a modest budget, we know we can't do it all at once. So, we've prioritized the work that:
1. Needs to be done the most,
2. Would make the biggest impact, and
3. We can afford!

While the side of me that loves instant gratification immediately jumps to plans of wrap-around decks and hot tubs, my practical side (aka my husband) knows those plans will need to wait a few more years.

Instead, we've decided to take advantage of the resources already out there - like grants and tax credits - to help stretch our budget even further. While it may not be as exciting as a new TV or granite countertops, I know that by making the backbone of our house as efficient as possible, we'll also be making it more environmentally friendly and less expensive to run!

This is our experiment - and we invite you along for the ride!

The first step?
We'll need to learn which parts of our home are the most wasteful and which grants we would be eligible to receive, so we've booked an eco-energy audit.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 4!
We invite you to come out and learn with us where we're wasting our money - if your home is facing the same problems - and what can be done to fix it!

We've enlisted help from local-area businesses to help us with our upgrades - I'll introduce them later.

Ultimately, our goal is to help minimize the impact our home has on the environment - and also save money on our heating and electrical costs. We're inviting you to share our journey so you can do the same!

Boy, this takes spring cleaning to a whole new level, doesn't it??