Before anyone gets ready to start a kitchen remodeling project and begins sorting through what can frequently appear as a never ending selection of cabinetry, it can really help to acquaint yourself with both general kitchen remodeling and basic cabinet terminology. There’s no need to get to carried away, but if you know a little bit more about the language, communication becomes easier and more effective and will help with your research or when talking with kitchen designers or cabinet makers.

Check out my Kitchen Remodeling Glossary to get familiar with some typical terms (or when you’re having trouble sleeping) and then amaze your friends, designer, and contractor with the plethora of knowledge you have at your finger tips.

If your interested in learning more about how to make your kitchen remodel as green and eco-friendly as it can be don’t miss my posts Greening Your Kitchen Remodel and Green Remodeling In Practice – Part I and Green Remodeling In Practice – Part II for other interesting tidbits and relative information you might find valuable.

And if you’re really enthusiastic – don’t miss the many glossaries and other useful remodeling information I’ve painstakingly added and have available in my Lexicon.

Including my:

• Kitchen Remodel Calculator
• Earth Friendly Consumer Glossary
• Green Building Glossary
• Aging-In-Place Checklist
• Indoor Air Quality Glossary
• Solar Glossary
• Lighting Glossary
• Window Glossary
• Carpet Glossary
• Soundproofing Glossary
• Landscape/Xeriscape Glossary
• Construction Glossary (under construction)

A part of kitchen cabinetry that tends to get misunderstood often involves the terms stock, semi-custom and custom. Contrary to what many people think, these terms are not related to the quality of cabinets but rather, how they’re manufactured.

• Stock – Stock kitchen cabinets are pre-manufactured in specific sizes, typically 3″ increments, with few if any options for modifications other than some limited choices the manufacturer might offer. They are off-the-shelf products in a limited range of styles.

• Semi-Custom – Semi-custom cabinets are like stock in that they’re also pre-manufactured but come with a wider array of options and sizes than pure stock cabinets. With semi-custom you have some ability to pick and choose various details to tailor an otherwise pre-built stock cabinet. In other words, you have some customization choices.

• Custom – Custom kitchen cabinets are built to the designer’s or customer’s specifications, with no limitation on size, style choices, wood grade or finish. They are truly made-to-order. They may be simple or they may be ornate, but the difference is that they’re made to suit your specific design requirements, in whatever size, form, finish, colour and material you so desire.

Think of it this way – basically stock cabinets are like the car you buy right off the dealer’s lot. You have to take it for what it is, with no ability to choose any options or upgrades.

Semi-custom cabinets are similar to the car that you factory-order through the dealer, with the ability to specify colour, motor and other options. It’s still a Toyota or Ford and it’s mass-produced, but you have a list of options to choose from and have some say in the makeup of the final product.

Custom cabinets are analogous to walking into the dealership and having them build a completely new car for you, per your design, from the ground up with for the most part having no boundaries whatsoever.

If there’s anything to take away from this discussion on stock-semi-custom-custom cabinetry, remember that we’re talking about how the cabinets are manufactured and not about quality or decorative style. Custom kitchen cabinets don’t necessarily imply quality kitchen cabinets. Hand-built, made-to-order cabinets can still be poorly constructed. Conversely stock cabinets that are produced in mass quantities and limited sizes can also be manufactured with solid construction and quality materials.

The overall quality of kitchen cabinetry is usually closely linked to the cabinet’s construction, meaning how they’re put together and the materials they’re being made from. You’ll be wise to pay close attention to these key features, particularly if you expect to live with your cabinets for a long time. Kitchen cabinets, particularly the drawers, take a lot of punishment so paying for some durability is a wise investment.

Key points to be aware of include the following:

• Materials – They include particle board, MDF (medium density fiberboard), plywood, solid wood, metal and laminate/melamine (the laminate or melamine is laid over the particle board or similar substrate).

• Construction and Design – Kitchen cabinets are constructed in one of two different design styles – framed or frameless. Framed cabinets employ a wood frame that outlines and mounted to the front of the cabinet box, if the door is mounted flush with the face frame the door style will be referred to as ‘inset’. Frameless cabinets do not have this feature, (no face frame) thus the name.

Also, the joinery and techniques used to assemble and support kitchen cabinets vary. Structural braces are made from plastic, wood or metal. Methods of joinery include hot-glue, staples and nails, or, more intricate woodworking techniques like dovetails and dadoes.

• Hardware – Drawer slides vary in level of quality (some use ball bearings whereas others use nylon wheels/rollers) and physical location on the drawer (sidemount or on the bottom) which affects available drawer space. Today, soft closing mechanisms are huge and standard features with many cabinet manufacturers for both drawers and doors. Shelf mounting brackets can be either plastic or metal.

You’re not limited on where to buy kitchen cabinets either, they seem to be everywhere these days. You can purchase them from kitchen & bath showrooms, big-box home centers, lumberyards, local cabinet makers, and even online.

How To Determine How Much Cabinetry and My Kitchen Remodel Will Cost.

Determining how much your kitchen cabinets will cost depends on a realm of factors, but the best place to start is by establishing a budget for your new or renovated kitchen. The NKBA recommends a budget of 15 percent of the overall value of your home be allocated for a complete kitchen remodel. There are some general guidelines for budgeting items like cabinets, countertops and appliances so by starting with a budget, you’ll be able to zero in on what you should expect to spend on cabinets.

Industry statistics show that on average, cabinets make up approximately 35 percent of the kitchen budget which is also the largest percentage of overall expenditures for the kitchen; with the cost of appliances around 12 percent and countertops 11. Again there are many variables involved but by using my Kitchen Remodel Calculator as a guide you should be able to determine a ball park figure for what your allowance for cabinetry, as well as other kitchen product spending should be. There’s nothing holding you back from spending more or less but this just means that the other parts of your kitchen design will make up correspondingly higher or lower percentages of the overall budget. So, if your kitchen remodeling budget is $100,000.00, expect to pay roughly $35,000.00 for cabinets. Again, this assumes average statistics.

Once you have an idea of what you’re willing to spend on cabinets, you’ll be better equipped to make choices on the wide range of options available to you.

One final note on costs: as I mentioned in my previous post Kitchen Cabinetry – Design & Remodeling Considerations – realize that between 40 – 60 percent of the overall cost of your kitchen cabinetry will be determined by the cabinet door style you select and your cabinetry’s overall finish; paints, glaze, distressing all add up real quickly. Other factors include the quality of construction and quantity of bells and whistles that they incorporate. Options and upgrades abound and including them in your kitchen design and cabinetry will increase the price. These options include everything from the engineering of the cabinet itself and their organizational upgrades and gadgets, to the actual materials used to construct them. The key is to prioritize what it is you really want and need by asking and answering some straight forward questions I mentioned throughout Kitchen Cabinetry – Design & Remodeling Considerations and making sure those ‘must-haves’ fit into your budget.

Given the number of kitchen cabinet manufacturers, you’re probably asking what the differences are, if any, among them all. In reality, the differences are really found in the same general categories that make them similar. It’s back to the car analogy again: the auto manufacturers all make vehicles that do the same job; they’re just variations on a theme.

How They’re Similar.

• Materials – Cabinets are made from a finite range of materials and finishes so unless someone is making cabinets out of bricks, most if not all will use similar materials (predominantly wood and wood-based products, melamine, laminate and some metals).

• Construction Style – Kitchen cabinetry falls into two basic style categories – framed and frameless. Regardless of which manufacturer you choose, they’ll produce either one or both of these styles.

• Options – Just like with cars, cabinet makers offer a varied array of options and price points.

How They’re Different.

• Stock / Semi-custom / Custom – How your kitchen cabinets are produced will vary among the manufacturers with some offering only custom pieces and others providing only stock or a combination of manufacturing methods.

• Quality – Not all manufacturers are created equal; there are those that offer more premium products in the way of materials, construction, finishes, and options. Some manufacturers offer several product lines with graduated levels of what would be considered quality features (such as better materials and finishes).

• Access to Market – Some kitchen cabinet lines are available through big-box home retailers while others are through select dealers or designers. Other cabinetry is available through the internet with direct delivery to your door. Smaller local cabinet makers may sell directly from their shop.
So what’s the bottom line when it comes down to sorting through all the various kitchen cabinet makers and manufacturers? There’s no right or wrong way to narrow down to a short list of candidates but here are some suggestions:

• Start by saving some ads from kitchen design and remodeling magazines on various manufacturers that appeal to you. Using the internet is a good way to find out more about them since most brands provide fairly good information on product lines, materials and construction. Most kitchen cabinet manufacturer websites will also tell you where you can find their products.

• Next, talk to a designer and go look at some actual product. You can do this by either hiring a professional, visiting a local kitchen & bath showroom or any home-improvement retailer. This way you’ll actually see the differences in methods of construction and quality as well as all the latest and greatest cutting edge features.

• Find some local cabinet makers in your area and visit them as a comparison to the large commercial cabinet makers.

What You Should  Know About Cabinet Warranties.

Virtually all kitchen cabinet makers offer a warranty with their product. If they don’t, that should be a red flag. Cabinets are not a cheap expenditure and they get a lot of use so regardless of where you buy them, make sure you understand the warranty.

The warranties offered by cabinet manufacturers vary with regard to what’s covered, the duration of the warranty and the manufacturer. A good rule of thumb is that cabinet makers who build quality products are not afraid to stand behind them with a solid warranty. The key points to consider are as follows:

• Duration – How long is the product warranted? What you’ll find here are different levels or tiers of cabinet warranty coverage, depending on the manufacturer. Typical durations are 1 year, 5 years or lifetime coverage.

Be aware of what the manufacturer considers ‘lifetime’; some warranties state that a kitchen cabinet’s lifetime is considered to be 10 years. This may or may not be a long time depending on your perspective and how long you plan on staying in the same house or with the same style of kitchen design.

Some manufacturers also vary the warranty coverage within their product lines. Lower-end product lines have the shortest or most limited warranty whereas the high-end line enjoys the longest warranty period.

• Coverage – Find out specifically what’s covered and what’s not. Most if not all warranties will cover defects in workmanship and materials. They usually won’t cover any damage that’s inflicted once the cabinets are in place or the result of improper use or care; or cabinet doors that are built over a certain dimension in width and/or height. Typically manufacturers also won’t cover any materials that do not have a finish or are prepped for paint.

Some makers of kitchen cabinets provide warranty on separate parts of the cabinet like drawers, drawer slides, hinges and similar hardware. These items are covered separately from the more generic coverage on the cabinet boxes and may also have different levels of coverage. For example one cabinet maker offers a 5 year warranty on workmanship and materials and a limited lifetime warranty on the drawers and drawer guides.

• Compensation – What’s actually provided to you should you have a legitimate warranty claim? In most if not all cases cabinet warranties provide either repair or replacement of the defective component, at the discretion of the manufacturer. Some may offer reimbursement of the cost of the parts if they are no longer available.

One thing to keep in mind is that usually only the defective part or parts are covered by the cabinet warranty. There is typically no compensation for any labor or parts required to gain access to repair or replace the defective cabinet parts. Examples would be the requirement to remove countertops or appliances.

The point here is to highlight that while kitchen cabinet warranties are not complex, there are enough differences and nuances between manufacturers and product lines to make it worthwhile to understand them clearly.

Lastly, I think it’s most important here to realize when it’s all said and done that kitchen cabinetry is merely a commodity and there’s honestly much much more to their purchase and your kitchen design than just this. In a real remodeling scenario it’s of course about service, trust, and what takes place (or not) during the post sell process, through your installation and beyond. These are the critical things that hold both legitimate and undeniable value and may be over looked or difficult to put a dollar amount on. Well maybe for the first time remodeler – never the second!

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

It seems as though family life has always been centered around the kitchen. Whatever culture or country you may be in, socializing takes place in the kitchen; from parties to family meals, an occasional snack, even just a simple chat with friends over coffee, often takes place in the kitchen.

Fitted kitchens have gone from being considered a luxury to an expected standard. They are a fashion trend unto themselves, and many a verbal battle has ensued behind the scenes with both husband and wife and family and friends over their kitchen pride. Yes, the fitted kitchen as we know it sure has come a long way in the last 100 years.

One of the most striking developments and one which has transformed the average modern kitchen for most people – is the revolutionary change that has taken place not only with its furniture, cabinetry and accessories, but with its equipment. The desire for efficient and reliable cooking and cleaning facilities in the kitchen has of course been long standing. By the early nineteenth century the kitchens of the wealthy were striking testimonies to human creativity in pursuit of the means and equipment for producing ever more complex and elaborate culinary styles. The forms of power available for achieving these styles however, did not stretch much beyond hand and fire until very late in the century. The twentieth century saw a rapid acceleration in harnessing electric and gas power to many of the cooking and cleaning processes formally done manually particularly since the Second World War. Much of this would not have carried much significance however, if it had not been for the explosive technological inventiveness of the post-war years which led to the demise of the traditional unfitted pieced together kitchen and introduction of not only the fitted kitchen we know of today, but a wealth of advanced powered cooking and cleaning aids.

The kitchen is easily the most used space in the home and should be addressed as such; a well thought out and orchestrated kitchen design and layout is critical. Next to the actual construction costs your cabinetry almost certainly will be the biggest ticket item you purchase for your entire kitchen remodel, and without a doubt have the biggest aesthetic impact on the overall end result.

Before even considering a kitchen design or remodeling project I think it’s best to have my clients dedicate some time to examine and determine what they truly want to accomplish with the new design and floorplan – setting goals with regards to looks, function, and budget. Doing this work up front to clarify the purpose of action and outcome ensures not only a better end result, but a happier and more satisfied client.

What don’t you like about your current kitchen cabinets?

Pin down exactly what it is you dislike about your current cabinet situation so that you’ll be specific when looking for solutions in your new cabinets and kitchen design.

Do you not have enough space or maybe it’s poorly allocated space (like that corner cabinet that just seems to have some sort of black hole that things fall into and never return)? Maybe your current kitchen cabinets are just the wrong style (just say no to those huge reveals and old arched oak uppers) or perhaps they just don’t have usable and well thought out organizational features.

The more specific you can be about what it is you want to have or change, the more focused you’ll be about targeting the right options from the myriad that are available with new kitchen cabinets.

How long do you plan on staying in the home – are you updating for the purpose of reselling or do you plan on staying long term?

The answer to this question may determine the price you’re willing to pay for your kitchen cabinetry as well as the level of customization, uniqueness and quality of construction you want to consider. If you plan to stay in your current home indefinitely, you may want to spend more of your budget on durable cabinet construction and materials. On the other hand, if you’re just out to flip for a quick resale, you may want to limit your investment to a functional but more cost-effective cabinet style, cabinet door, and construction.

Be sure to check out my Kitchen Remodel Calculator for help with putting together your budget.

What is the style of your home and your current kitchen?

The existing decor and traits of your home will customarily play a major role in the type and characteristics of the kitchen cabinetry you choose. The converse is also true too – the style of cabinets you select will influence the look and spirit of your kitchen.

Do you want to continue with the existing style of kitchen cabinetry or are you looking to change it? Period cabinets are appropriate for classic antique homes where retaining the style of that era is desired; while updated styling like European frameless cabinetry might be better suited for more of a transitional or contemporary kitchen design.

Regardless of which way you go, identifying the overall stylistic approach you’re shooting for will help narrow the focus on cabinet selection and also provide some guidance for a more thorough and comprehensive kitchen design and layout.

Are you looking for environmentally friendly kitchen cabinet choices?

As the green movement continues to grow and regulations continue to change from state to state, so do your choices for interior materials and finish selections. As mentioned in my earlier posts Greening Your Kitchen Remodel and Green Remodeling in Practice – Part I & Green Remodeling in Practice – Part II – your kitchen is full of opportunities to select sustainable eco-friendly materials, including kitchen cabinetry. With options like bamboo, FSC certified materials, reclaimed wood, etc., greening your kitchen remodel is definitely gaining popularity.

The Box.

The number one distinguishing feature of a green cabinet is that the box material is free of urea-formaldehyde. Urea-formaldehyde resins are used in conventional plywood and particleboard adhesives and can off-gas formaldehyde gas, a carcinogen, into homes. Formaldehyde gas can affect people in various ways, but when present in the air at levels at or above 0.1 ppm, acute health effects can include watery eyes, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, and burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat. Manufacturers have been quick to address the formaldehyde issue, with many replacing formaldehyde with a soy-based protein binder.

Formaldehyde-free box material is the minimum you should expect in a green cabinet, and there are two categories of formaldehyde-free box material available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF). Particleboard and MDF cabinets cost less than plywood. Most particleboards also incorporate some recycled content, but the quantity varies. The biggest drawback to these materials is that they are heavier, harder to hang, and more fragile.

• Veneered plywood or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified veneered plywood. The FSC is the primary accrediting agency for sustainably managed forestry operations. Plywood boxes require a greater initial investment but will perform better and for a longer time. FSC-certified plywood can be more expensive than non-certified wood, but it is assured to be from a sustainably harvested source.

To read more about VOC’s, formaldehyde, MDF, and controlling indoor air pollution be sure to check out my posts Indoor Air Quality – Part I and Indoor Air Quality – Part II.

The Door.

Cabinet doors should either be built entirely from hardwood or have a hardwood frame with a veneered, formaldehyde-free center panel. We’ve already addressed the sheet material component. Let’s take a look at our hardwood options.

• FSC-certified North American hardwoods. FSC certifies sustainable loggers and tracks the timber through the supply chain. Every sawmill, plant and distributor must be an FSC-certified organization for the end product to carry the FSC eco-label. FSC-certified hardwoods and sheet materials are possibly the greenest solution because they are guaranteed to have come from sustainably harvested forest products.

Be warned: Most green cabinet builders offer FSC products, but it is not the default selection. If you want FSC trees in your kitchen, you must specify that. There is usually an upcharge on FSC materials for cabinet manufacturers that is passed on to the consumer.

• Uncertified North American hardwoods. Only 3 percent of domestic timber carries the FSC label. It would be inaccurate to assume, however, that the remaining 97 percent is old-growth clear-cutting. As the Hardwood Council points out, “The volume of hardwood in American forests is 352 billion cubic feet, and they are adding growth of 10.2 billion cubic feet a year. This compares to annual removal of 6 billion cubic feet. We are not running out of trees.”

Traditionally sourced American hardwoods tend to be less expensive than their certified counterparts. Sourcing American hardwoods, especially those species native to your region, minimizes the gas and oil needed to get these materials to the manufacturer near you. However, the trade-off is that there is no guarantee the hardwood you are getting came from a source that practices sustainable harvesting techniques.

• Alternative non-native hardwood species. There are many materials not native to North America that are rapidly renewable and sustainable. German beech, a light hardwood native to Europe, with qualities similar to maple, is extremely sustainable due to practices implemented 200 years ago by European forests.

The Finish.

Finishes are the component of the green kitchen package where most green cabinetry companies fall down. Low-VOC finishes often take quite a bit of extra work to apply, require a skill set that is very different from the application of conventional finishes, and many manufacturers aren’t set up for the process.
But it’s important to understand VOCs are chemicals that readily volatilize under ambient conditions and react with sunlight to produce smog. The EPA cautions that exposure to VOCs can produce the following health effects: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and the central nervous system.

Many manufacturers will try to sidestep this issue by telling customers they use water-based finishes. Water based does not necessarily mean low-VOC. There are many water based finishes that are not low-VOC with the overall durability debate still raging. Be sure to ask. In addition, you need to take adhesives into consideration. Adhesives are often overlooked in kitchen cabinets and they too, should be low or no VOC.

Again to quote my post Indoor Indoor Air Quality – Part I: “Approximately 160 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air; with 29 million of these Americans under the age of 14 and 15 million over the age of 65.” Understanding the effects of VOCs and poor indoor air quality on human health has never been more important. We spend about 90 percent of our time inside where accumulations of interactive chemicals can cause concentrations of pollutants that can be as much as 50 – 100 times greater than our outdoor air, but yet still less than 20 percent of Americans actually believe it!

What amount of storage space do you need? Is it greater than what you currently have?

Look at what you currently have on your kitchen countertops or in other places that you’d like to have storage space for inside the cabinets. Knowing how much stuff you need space for in your kitchen cabinets will help you get an understanding of the amount of cabinet space you’ll need. Remember that the fewer items you permanently store on your countertops the more working space you’ll have.

What is most important to you – aesthetic appeal or durability and quality construction?

Let’s face it; all of the advertisements and magazine articles we see depicting kitchen cabinets are usually high-end, expensive designs with lots of up-charge options. Achieving your dream kitchen is a worthy goal but be realistic. When there’s a limited budget it may not be possible to afford high quality materials and construction as well as exotic woods and finishes. Be wise about allocating your money between quality materials/construction and aesthetic items like door styles, finishes and ornamentation. And realize that between 40 – 60 percent of the overall cost of your kitchen cabinetry will be determined by the cabinet door style and finish. Usually there’s a happy medium somewhere.

Do you really need completely new cabinets or will a face-lift suffice?

If your current cabinets are in good condition and you don’t need or want to change the current layout of your kitchen, perhaps all you need is a refreshment of the current style.

Although it’s not for everyone and usually not all that cost-effective anymore, cabinet refacing is one way to put a fresh face on your existing kitchen cabinets. It involves re-skinning the cabinets with a new wood or laminate veneer and replacing the doors. There are other cabinet refurbishment options too.

And lastly for those of you on a really tight budget, there’s always consideration for just the replacement of your cabinet doors and hinges to provide a new look and style to your existing kitchen cabinetry.

Just replacing the cabinet knobs and pulls is another way to change the look of existing kitchen cabinets and can be quite dramatic on the entire room. Don’t think that entirely new cabinets are necessary if the only problem with your existing ones are some tired doors or a style that no longer appeals to you.

As I mentioned in my post Kitchen Design & Remodeling – Kitchen Cabinet Basics before starting a kitchen remodeling project it can really help to familiarize yourself with general kitchen remodeling and basic cabinet terminology to learn your options and what will work best for your particular situation, be sure to do your research and educate yourself a little bit before you begin.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

If green remodeling moves the home to higher performance, then the project’s end result must also move the occupants to higher levels of performance. Client education is key. Much of the energy savings and many of the improvements to comfort and indoor air quality initiated by building improvements need to be supported by changes in occupant behavior. Exhaust fans need to be turned on, lights need to be turned off, with regular maintenance needs to be scheduled for major equipment.

Homeowners should be encouraged (not preached to) to alter their lifestyles in ways that reduce energy use and ensure that their home will be as healthy as can be. Specific recommendations to save energy include properly setting back thermostats, limiting water use, closing windows reducing operation of air conditioning or heating systems, closing window blinds to reduce unwanted heat gain, using a ceiling fan to increase summertime comfort without air conditioning, turning off a ceiling fan when leaving a room, turning off lights when not in a room, and using lighting while keeping ambient light levels lower.

Even the smallest efforts like wiping feet when entering and/or removing shoes, avoiding over watering plants, operating bath and range hood fans when generating moisture or cooking odors, avoiding smoking in or next to the house, and avoiding excessive perfume use, can have an impact and help to keep homes more healthy.

When speaking to my clients about their routines and behavioral tendencies I remain mindful of their present lifestyle and do my best not to sound too arrogant or scornful, there’s nothing worse than that. Remember, you’re simply their advisor and it’s still their house. Awareness of your client’s perspective while explaining the benefits of such actions makes the most sense – leaving it up to them to follow these suggestions even better – and is always my approach.

Waste Management.

It makes good environmental sense to minimize solid waste during construction because landfills are filling up, incineration of construction and demolition (C & D) waste generates pollution, and such waste represents lost resources. The first priority should be to minimize the generation of construction waste. This can be done during design by optimizing dimensions to reduce cut off waste, and it can be done on the job site through careful use of materials. Second, C & D waste materials that are generated on the job site should be sorted and stored for salvage and reuse or recycling. As part of a waste management plan, research the salvage and recycling options for different materials, and designate storage receptacles accordingly. A local municipal solid waste agency should be able to help you identify these disposal options.

Additionally, it is good practice, and good public relations to recycle consumer materials on the job site, such as glass, plastic, and aluminum beverage containers and paper products. Arrangements can be made to use either the client’s recycling containers or designate a crew member to handle municipal recyclables.

Good waste management plans for remodeling are especially challenging because of the lack of space on the job site, the small quantities of new construction waste material, the often huge amount of demolition waste, and finally, the presence of hazardous waste. Nevertheless, remodeling projects present increased opportunities for salvage and reuse.

Pollutants and Clean Air.

During any remodeling project or the construction of an addition, particularly when the house is occupied, it is very important to keep contaminants from the construction site out of the house. Many construction activities, such as concrete grinding, tile and backer board cutting, pipe fitting, drywall finishing, caulking and foam sealing, gluing, and painting can introduce significant quantities of indoor air contaminants. I do my best to specify the use of zero VOC paints and finishes and it’s always nice to work with contractors that control such contaminants by conducting dust producing activities outside if possible and capturing pollutants as they are produced.

Eco-friendly Material Selection.

A way to ensure that the wood used in remodeling projects or additions was produced in an environmentally responsible manner is to specify products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC has established rigorous standards for forest management and a process for third party certification of those forests and products derived from them.

Most FSC-certified wood products will be more expensive than non certified products because of the cost of conducting third party certifications of forest operations and verifying chain of custody certifications of products coming from those forest operations. Obtaining a consistent, ready supply of FSC certified wood products might also be a problem; supply and distribution of various FSC certified materials vary widely by region. A strong second option is to use third party certified Sustainable Forestry Initiative materials, with a third option being SFI self certified materials.

Select drywall (wallboard) products with a high recycled content and use taping materials and joint compound without hazardous additives that aid drying and setting. Conventional, paper faced drywall is a fairly good material from an environmental standpoint (recycled paper facing and low off gassing of pollutants). Drywall made from flue gas desulfurization gypsum (a waste product from pollution control equipment on coal fired power plants) is also available. In high moisture areas, specify drywall products that are more resistant to moisture, such as nonpaper faced products (monolithic and fiberglass faced drywall is available for high moisture areas). Drywall materials with higher preconsumer recycled content are becoming available. In some cases, using structure as finish components can eliminate interior finish panels altogether. For example, if the wall is being made from blocks (such as autoclaved aerated concrete, AAC), a natural clay plaster could be applied directly to that masonry surface, eliminating the need for panelized products altogether.

Capturing dust during drywall finishing and using temporary fans to maintain negative pressure and exhausting the dust in the space being finished should be standard operating procedure. To avoid contaminating the heating system, seal registers and the ductwork during drywall sanding and finishing. Recycling opportunities for drywall cut off waste are generally quite limited; on site recycling of ground gypsum board as a soil amendment is permissible in many locations. Low and zero VOC joint compound may contain chemical compounds that have adverse health effects for some individuals.

In high humidity areas where walls will frequently be washed, durable paints with high scrubability ratings will ensure longer life. In these applications, painters long preferred oil based enamel paint, but newer high sheen, water borne acrylic paints now offer excellent performance. As with all paints, look for low VOC levels.

Green Features Manual.

The benefits of greening your home are plentiful and many leading builders today are providing a homeowner’s manual when they complete a new house; the same should be provided for any significant remodeling project. This is a place to explain how systems work, collect equipment and appliance owner’s manuals, provide photographs showing wall framing before the walls were closed in, a list of contractors and subcontractors with contact information, any special maintenance requirements, and any safe cleaning recommendations. A lot of effort goes into creating a green project or remodel; with the inclusion of a homeowner’s manual, these practices can be described, specific lists created, and all relevant documentation collected in a neat and well organized, easy to reference package.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

Durability should remain the backbone of any green building project and applies to design, materials, and construction. Efforts should always be made to combine these ideas in such a way that the project responds to forces that challenge its lastingness and longevity including water, wind, ultraviolet radiation, pests, use and abuse, and even natural disasters. It is also about designing a project with lasting aesthetics and utility. Ensuring durability involves quality assurance of both design and material’s selection, in addition to quality construction management.

Designing for durability and permanence is about integrating energy efficiency with indoor air quality, energy efficiency with moisture management, and materials selection with all three. In remodeling, all of these need to be integrated with the existing home.

In last weeks post The Holistic House – Part II we talked about the subject of noise pollution and the idea that good design and proper selection and installation of building materials can reduce unwanted noise whether it originates inside the house or out.

It’s no secret that noise can be troublesome and have an effect on indoor environmental quality. Along with the direct impacts of noise, such as impaired hearing; problems such as elevated blood pressure and heart rate, cardiovascular constriction, sleep loss, depressed learning rates, and the production of stress hormones are now being attributed to noise.

Strategies including installation of layers of sound-control materials in floors, ceilings, or walls; offset wall studs or resilient channel (hat-track) furring on framing members; cellulose or mineral wool cavity fill insulation even in interior walls; sound-control wall panels; cork or other sound control underlayment in floor systems; carpeting or cork flooring; vibration control brackets for mechanical equipment and ducting; minimal duct elbows and constrictions; and of equipment with low sound ratings (often listed in sones for exhaust fans and dB for appliances) can be very effective.

Now don’t forget what I mentioned in my post Greening Your Kitchen Remodel and all those opportunities to select sustainable materials when remodeling your kitchen; because your kitchen appliances can be a significant source of unwanted noise as well. When selecting refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances, look for noise ratings which are usually listed in the logarithmic decibel-A scale (dBA). Appliances vary considerably in noise ratings. The quietest dishwashers have noise ratings below 45 dBA, which is almost unnoticeable in a kitchen if there is conversation.

Getting quantitative information on sound levels of appliances can be very difficult. Most manufacturers do not provide dBA sound ratings for their appliances. It is common to see reference to a ’sound control package’ or a qualitative description of sound levels, but consistent metrics are needed to gauge noise from appliances. The best source for this information may be Consumer Reports.

Hard, monolithic surfaces like high-density wood composite paneling, gypsum board, and ceramic tile, do not absorb sound; while softer, variegated surfaces such as carpet, cork, or loosely woven materials help manage it.

Some sound control measures can add significant cost to a remodeling project. Sound control measures can also add thickness to a wall system, taking away usable floor area. In many cases, there is good synergy between managing air leakage and managing noise generated from outside the home.

I’ve spoken a lot about the importance of IAQ, especially in my prior posts Indoor Air Quality – Part I and Indoor Air Quality – Part II and mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified indoor air quality as one of the foremost environmental risks to public health. Yet still surveys suggest that most people are not even aware of the inherent dangers associated with poor IAQ or any steps or measures they can take to rectify and improve the air quality in their home.

Considerations related to IAQ should always be taken into account during the design phase of just about all remodeling and interior design projects and should be sure to address ventilation, materials selection, filtration, and both deconstruction and construction methodologies.

Back in 2002, the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality division developed a very comprehensive guidance tool designed for commercial building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality. Although the IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model or (I-BEAM) was designed for managing indoor air quality in commercial buildings, it can be a great resource for residential construction and remodeling.

I-BEAM is now broken up into two core parts – ‘text modules’ and interactive animation/visual modules. The text modules are broken up into eight components: Fundamentals of IAQ in Buildings, Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning (HVAC), IAQ Maintenance and Housekeeping Programs, Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency, Diagnosing and Solving Problems, Renovation and New Construction, Managing for Indoor Air Quality, and IAQ Budgets and Accounts.

The animation and visual reference module is pretty hip and contains ‘hot spots’ (although they never worked for me) within each picture to identify IAQ problems and solutions. It’s an interactive way to learn about IAQ issues and find explanations using visual guides showing air flow, or pollutant flow, as various elements in the building change.

Check it out, just don’t stare at those arrows for too long. . .

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

Air leaks, or drafts, can be responsible for 25 percent of the heat loss in a newer house, more in older homes. Moreover, when air moves through the house because of leaks it is often laden with moisture that can end up in wall cavities and condense, increasing the likelihood of mold and structural deterioration. In the course of remodeling air traffic control is the key. We have grown used to sealing the obvious problem areas with foam under bottom plates, expanding foam around window and door framing, and insulation stuffed into smaller wall cavities. It is the invisible and often convoluted paths of air leakage that need our attention. Because air leaks are so detrimental to the energy performance of a house, it is always a good idea to conduct a blower door test after the house has been sealed. A fan housed in a special door frame temporarily replaces the front door and pulls air from the house, ‘depressurizing’ the structure so that air leaks can be detected with a smoke stick. Air leaks become visible so they can be corrected. The test should not cost more than a few hundred dollars and is a simple way of verifying that the air sealing has been successful.

Controlling infiltration and exfiltration requires an air barrier between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. Imagine a balloon with hundreds of tiny pin pricks in it. You can imagine that it won t be inflated for very long. When remodeling adding an air barrier is the way we keep the conditioned air in the house and stop heating or cooling the outdoors.

There are many different materials assembled into the envelope of a house, and where these materials intersect should be the focus of air sealing. A stud doesn’t allow much air to pass through it, but when there are studs nailed together, they form gaps that allow air to get through, When you install a window, you are creating a gap in the sheathing that can allow more air to escape. Pipes, wires, and ducts, as they intersect the structural members, also are places where air can leak. The integrity of the air barrier is one key to efficient heating and cooling.

Establishing and maintaining an effective air barrier is the responsibility of many members of the building team. From the start the architect must understand where the air barrier will be. Framers should frame to meet that requirement, and the insulating contractor should be thorough. The superintendent or lead carpenter must be able to see the potential for air movement before the fact. In other words, everyone needs to be on the same page.

Airflow & The Stack Effect.

Wind speed and direction create pressure differentials on different sides of the building. The side facing the wind encounters higher pressure while the opposite side has a lower pressure. These differences cause air to move in the building. If there are cracks or penetrations on the windward side, air will be pushed into the building through the insulation, and into the living space. That’s often around doors and windows. Or the air may follow wiring and create drafts in unexpected places. Because of the lower pressure on the leeward side of the house, air will be pulled out of the building and enhance the flow. This will always vary by season and microclimate conditions.

Basic convection pressures explain the stack effect. (Please see my post The Holistic House – Part I for more on convection). Cold air is heavier than warm air. It falls after coming into contact with cold window glass or poorly insulated walls, pushing warm air higher in the building. That, in turn pushes air out of the house. Warm air (under pressure) will find any way it can to escape into the attic or out through band joists – the higher the temperature difference, the greater the force. This causes infiltration from lower sections of the building. The remedy is to inspect the attic and seal all air bypasses well before insulation is installed. Also, pay special attention when remodeling to how insulation is installed, and seal around wires, ducts, and pipes that penetrate the barrier between living spaces and the attic.

Any house with an atmospherically vented combustion appliance with a pilot light (furnace, water heater, fireplace) will have flues for combustion gases. They often run from the basement through the house and exit at roof. Even when the furnace isn’t running, the pilot flame is burning and causing a draft up the flue. This draft also carries conditioned home air with it so there is constant loss of conditioned air. All flues work this way, which explains why fireplace flues should always be closed when the fireplace is not being used.

Another way to defeat this energy robbing phenomenon, when say doing a kitchen remodel, is to buy pilot-less appliances equipped with electronic ignition and to install to direct-vent or sealed combustion equipment wherever possible. This type of appliance is typically vented through a sidewall of the house, not a chimney. It uses a double walled pipe that introduces fresh air for combustion while safely venting combustion gases.

As we tighten up the house and seal all potential air leaks, we also have to provide a way to introduce fresh air and expel stale air with mechanical ventilation. Many builders wonder about the logic of tightening up the house so religiously only to install ventilation equipment that seems to undo all that effort. The reason is that it’s much less expensive to control the flow of fresh air in a sealed house with mechanical ventilation than it is to depend on random air migration through the building envelope in a leaky house.

Mechanical ventilation also helps us define the right pressurization of a house. Conventional homes with forced-air systems create negative pressure inside the house because of leaky return ducts. They suck air from the house and draw in air from the outside. Add a dryer vent, a kitchen exhaust hood, and a bathroom fan and the negative pressure can back-draft unburned gases from flues for the furnace or water heater. This can introduce carbon monoxide in the house, a potentially fatal problem.

For even more information about indoor air quality don’t miss my posts Indoor Air Quality – Part I and Indoor Air Quality – Part II.

A good mechanical ventilation system will create a slightly positive pressure in the house that resists infiltration and prevents back-drafting. At a minimum, the house should be pressure neutral.

Heat recovery ventilation, brings in fresh air while exhausting indoor air. Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) usually have two fans – one pulling in fresh air and the other exhausting stale house air. Air streams pass each other through an air-to-air heat exchanger that moderates incoming air by extracting heat from the conditioned air and conveying it to the incoming air stream – just the opposite as when you’re running an your air-conditioning system.

Heat recovery ventilators are an effective way of taking the sting out of ventilation systems that expel conditioned air that has, after all, been heated or cooled at our expense. You can read more about mechanical and heat recovery ventilation as well as the benefits of installing an air-to-air heat exchanger on my post Greening Your HVAC – Part II.

Water, Gravity & Diffusion.

If we think back to high school physics, we’ll remember that water can be a solid, a liquid or a gas. In all of its forms – ice, rain, and vapor – water can be a challenge to control in a building. Ice dams forming on roof edges allow water to back up under shingles, get around the felt paper, and find its way into the house. In the form of rain, water can penetrate siding; migrate into wall cavities, and cause mold and rot. As vapor, it can enter wall cavities through switch plates and outlets or through any cracks in drywall to find its way into wall cavities. Prevention of moisture in all phases of the remodeling project is our insurance of a very long lasting and durable home.

Water always flows downhill. Plumbers know it, but many of the trades have forgotten that fact. We should always put felt paper on the roof from the eaves to the ridge with the upper course overlapping the lower course – just like the scales of a fish. This is also critical for walls where either housewrap or tarpaper is used. Housewrap with holes or tears in it cannot work as designed, and no seam should face uphill. This may be painfully obvious, but it seems as though some builders do not follow this rule.

Water, like heat, always flows from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration. That means if we have saturated soil on one side of a foundation wall, and warm dry conditions inside the house, water will try to find a way through the concrete to the dryer side. This is why foundations should always be treated to block moisture and why perimeter footing drains and porous backfill around a foundation are important.

Fluid Dynamics & Capillary Action.

Capillary action is the ability of water to flow through a material, from wet to dry. Just like heat, moisture moves through materials based on their properties. Some are better at wicking moisture and some are more resistant. We need to know which building components will be in contact with water and protect them with appropriate materials to resist the migration of moisture.

Water vapor goes where air moves it. Think of it as a hitchhiker on molecules of air. If air can get into a wall cavity, so can moisture. It wouldn’t be such a problem if the people inside the house would stop their bad habits that create a lot of moisture. But it seems we are committed to taking showers, watering plants, boiling veggies, and worst of all, breathing. So if we cannot change our behavior we need to do our best to prevent that moisture from getting into walls and ceilings from the inside.

The most effective way to reduce interior moisture is to collect it at its source and get it out of the house. Installing good quality bathroom fans and range hoods at the same time as remodeling your home is one obvious step. Another is making sure that dryer vents are correctly installed and never terminate in a basement or attic.

Noise Pollution.

Increasingly, Americans are becoming aware of noise pollution. Whether it is produced by a neighbor throwing a party, a stereo in an adjacent room or a nearby freeway, noise can he an unpleasant intrusion. We may aspire to gain peace of mind at home, but that’s hard to do when we’re bombarded by loud and unexpected noises. It makes us irritable, distracted anxious, and hostile, sometimes without consciously making the connection to noise. Good design and proper selection and installation of building materials can reduce the intrusions whether they originate in the house or from outside.

An acoustics expert might tell you that controlling noise at the source is usually the best solution. That may work with your kid’s stereo but many environmental sources of noise like highways, trains, airplanes, nearby construction equipment are beyond our control.

When noise from the outside is a distraction, windows are often to blame. Exterior walls will typically block at least 45 to 50 decibels of sound, but even a very high quality window might not be able to block 40 decibels.

Dual-pane windows with increased air space between the sheets of glass improve acoustic isolation. ‘Superglass’ windows, in which glass is combined with a very thin layer, or layers, of plastic are even more effective. Noise however, migrates through the weakest structural element, and that could be a door or ventilation duct as well as a window. The acoustic isolation provided by a door is only as good as the effectiveness of the door seal so remember if air can get around or under the door, so can sound.

To learn more about windows please be sure to check out my previous posts Window Replacement and The NFRC Window Label.

Walls vary in their ability to reduce noise. A typical single-partition gypsum board/stud wall wiII have a sound transmission class (STC) in the mid-30s depending on such variables as the width of the stud and the amount and type of insulation in the wall cavity. Ideally, during remodeling one would want to match this wall with a similar STC rating for the glass opening. Thinner laminated glass will equal a considerably thicker piece of plate glass.

Typical wall construction of 2×4s on 16 inch centers with fiberglass insulation is not very effective in reducing sound. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) or framed walls with exterior rigid foam are more effective. Cellulose and foam insulation do a better job of reducing noise than conventional fiberglass batts (although there are fiberglass batts specifically designed for sound mitigation). The ideal combination for houses close to noise sources would take advantage of SIPs, sided with cementitious boards, along with Superglass windows. This combination results in a very quite house and coincidentally, is a recipe for a very energy efficient remodeled home.

Another option for homes close to environmental noise is the staggered stud approach, which has the added advantage of reducing thermal bridging. A further option is to add flexible C-channel to inside walls perpendicular to the studs. These are placed on 16 inch centers as backing for drywall. The C-channel absorbs some of the sound and isolates the drywall from the vibrations of the wall assembly.

Something as simple as increasing the distance from the source of noise or putting other materials between the sound source and the house when you remodel can be an effective way to reduce unwanted noise. That can be a factor in deciding where to locate a house on the site, assuming the size of the lot provides some wiggle room.

Noise barriers are also a possibility. They can be earth berms, solid walls, or neighboring buildings. Vegetation provides little if any reduction in noise. To be effective, barriers must block the line of sight between the noise source and the house. A density of 4 lb. per sq. ft. is enough, providing there are no openings in the wall. Barrier walls, however, won’t reduce noise by more than about 10 decibels.

As cities and neighborhoods become ever more crowded and traffic increases, noise becomes more difficult to control. While specialized construction techniques and materials can be used to control noise transmission inside the house, we can’t do much about urban sprawl and commuter traffic. If you can’t reduce sound to a satisfactory level by any other means, you may have to combat noise with some of your own – maybe an outdoor water feature, for example, that masks an unwanted noise or sound with a more pleasant one.

What building science tells us is that good design requires good thinking about the house in a holistic way – as an entire and complete system. By considering the thermal properties of a house from this perspective, codes become irrelevant. Obviously not in regards to passing a needed inspection, but irrelevant in terms of defining what good construction really is.

We can control how a house will perform. Determining the pathways for all forms of water is a cheap insurance policy against mold, mildew, and rot. Deciding where the air barrier will be makes it easier for the trades to do their part in keeping the house tight. Managing air pressure inside the house will keep it healthy for children as well as the rest of us. Paying attention to sound resources and designing and remodeling accordingly will keep homeowners, occupants, and clients happy and comfortable for as long as they live in the house.

To read even more about maximizing your HVAC and a holistic house whole system approach, be sure to check out Greening Your HVAC – Part I and Greening Your HVAC – Part II.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

• Thinking of the house as a holistic system of interrelated parts.

• Energy loses some of its potential each time it is converted from one form to another, which helps explain why passive solar heat is much more efficient than electric heat.

• Form follows function when it comes to design, meaning that construction should be tailored to the environment in which the house is built.

• Air leaks in the building envelope represent a significant loss of energy and open the door to moisture damage inside wall and ceiling cavities.

• Controlling the movement of heat, air, and moisture involves every part of the home and everyone on the construction and design team.

Nothing is more central to the notion of the home as a holistic system than heat flow, or to get a bit more technical about it, the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics (thermo = heat, dynamics = movement). Once we see how these principles are applied to remodeling, construction, and design, we’ll never look at a house the same way.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. That’s the first law of thermodynamics. All the energy we have is in one of many forms: electrical, chemical, mechanical, solar. The second law says that every time you convert energy from one form to another it’s degraded in the process.

Some forms of energy are more concentrated than others are. Electrical energy, for instance can do all kinds of miraculous things, like make computers work or turn heavy motors. Woodstoves. on the other hand, convert a lot of energy potential from the wood into heat, but you can’t run a laptop with it. So there is a hierarchy of energy forms that we can convert to accomplish the work we want to do.

What the second law tells us is that each time we change the form of energy (chemical to heat – heat to mechanical) it becomes less useful. This is called entropy. Efficiency is converting energy from one form to another with as little waste as possible In the end, we can measure the ‘net energy’ of any given process – the percent of the original energy potential versus the actual work we have accomplished.

Does this have anything to do with remodeling houses? Actually, it does. Our challenge as designers and builders is to make the building as efficient as possible in all energy conversions – that is, to keep energy in its most useful form and not let it escape or degrade more than necessary. In other words, to create the least entropy. The closer the building is to the source – the bottom of the energy food chain – the better.

A classical example of high entropy versus low entropy lies in the contrast between a house that is electrically heated and one that is designed to be passive solar. Electricity makes a long journey before it arrives at the baseboard heater.

Suppose the electricity we use comes from coal. Coal itself is a very concentrated form of chemical energy that was created over millions of years in a process of photosynthesis that converted atmospheric carbon dioxide into a hydrocarbon fossil fuel. Enormous amounts of energy are required to run the extraction equipment, trucks, and processing equipment. Then coal is transported to a power plant that burns the coal to boil water that creates steam. The steam spins a turbine that creates the electricity. The electricity then passes through a transformer to create 240,000 volts for high transmission lines. As it runs through the lines there are line losses until it reaches its destination. It then passes through another transformer where it is stepped down to 240 volts that we can use in our homes.

Passive solar, on the other hand uses radiant heat directly from the sun to heat a home. Here the energy makes only one simple conversion from light to heat. The sunlight passes through south facing windows, strikes a solid object, and turns into heat that is re-radiated to human bodies. There is only one energy conversion.

The efficiency of the process is determined by the transparency of the glass. At a minimum we get 50 percent of the potential heat and with well designed glass, we can get up to 75 percent. And, it’s all free! That’s eating low on the energy food chain.

In green remodeling, having an appreciation for entropy helps us select the best form of energy for the task at hand, using the most efficient appliances or designs that make energy conversions with the least amount of degradation (to heat) and retaining heat where we need it and in the form we want it. This is where the building shell comes in.

Heat Transfer and Thermal Transmission.

Energy moves in three ways – conduction, convection, and radiation – and energy movement is always a combination of all three. While we refer to insulation in terms of its conductive resistance to heat movement, convection and radiation are also taking place on a more subtle level. All of these are important in a house for different reasons and the principals help explain why some design techniques and materials work better than others.

Conduction.

Heat moves through solid substances by this process. It is typically measured with an R-value (the higher the number, the greater resistance to heat flow). Anything that conducts electricity typically has a low R-value. Metals of all kinds fall into this category. Wood, not a good conductor, has a higher R-value than metal. The insulation we use in our houses works because it traps air, giving it a much higher R-value.

So when insulating a house from hot and cold, we look for materials that allow the least amount of conduction or take steps to shield conductive materials so they do not become energy transmitters. Light steel framing for example, can move tremendous amounts of energy through the exterior walls of a house because it is such an efficient conductor. That’s why a steel framed house should be sheathed with rigid foam insulation. Cellulose, foam, cotton, mineral wool, and other types of insulation conduct very little.

Convection.

Convection is the movement of liquids and gases because of differences in density. Convection explains why warm air ends up in the upper floors of a house while the basement stays cold, or why a chimney draws smoke up and out of the house.

Our houses are filled with convective currents, some of which we feel and some of which go undetected. Convection is more subtle than conduction, but when it is not controlled, it can result in a drafty, uncomfortable house. Worse, convection can carry moisture exactly where we do not want it – into wall cavities and attics where it condenses into water and encourages mold and deterioration.

When we become more aware of how convection works, we can take steps in designing and remodeling houses to reduce its impact on comfort and health.

Radiation.

Radiation is the movement of energy from a hot object to a cooler one via waves. Think of the sun on a hot summer day. The air temperature is the same in the sunshine as it is in the shade, but we feel more comfortable when we get out of the sun and out of reach of all that radiant energy. A fireplace can keep us warm even as a great deal of hot air escapes up the chimney.

Radiant energy heats objects rather than air. That s why people are often happier with radiant floor heat than they are with a forced air furnace. Their bodies feel the heat directly rather than feeling the warm air.

Controlling Heat Flow.

We design, build, and remodel houses so we can stay comfortable and to keep the weather at bay. Over time, we’ve gotten better and better at disconnecting our houses from the climate that surrounds them. Houses today can look the same whether you’re in Alaska or Florida, and that doesn’t make a lot of sense. More logistically, houses in those vastly different climates would be designed to respond to the environment around them and thus have very different appearances.

Insulation is a key part of designing for climate. How much insulation we can get between outside and inside is partially determined by the structure of the building. Wood frame buildings were once framed with 2×4s on 16 inch centers, an approach so common that architects and designers referred to this detail simply as ‘typical.’ So this is the place to start with remodeling.

I won’t be getting into framing right now, but the important thing here is to try to avoid ‘TYP’ on construction drawings – it means that too little is being done to fit the house to its environment. A house should be designed to meet the requirements of the local environment. This means that insulation levels, or the overall R-value of the house, should be higher than the minimums required by the local energy code. In a good green home, the R-values of insulated floors, walls, and ceilings are often 50 percent higher than what the building code requires.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

“The colour of my soul is iron-grey and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams.”

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)

Colour – wow, were to begin? When I think of colour I think of many things: art, design, textiles, nature, and even music – especially music actually – but that’s another story. The impact of colour seems impossible to define, some people get it, some people fear it, and some people are in need of some serious help (sorry).

Colour can be a powerful design tool with the ability to affect a room’s appearance and even transform your mood and feelings. It surrounds us, intrigues us and excites us on many levels. We find ourselves hypnotized by sunsets, at peace in the forest, inspired by fine art, and plan for its use in our homes and workplaces. Planning colours for our living environment begins with an understanding of colour. What is colour? How does it affect us? The answer will vary greatly and depend on whether you are viewing colour through the eyes of a psychologist, physicist, chemist, artist or designer.

Colour is caused by physical qualities (wavelengths) but the effects are in the mind. Red only looks red in your mind. “Colour is seen by the eye but perceived by the brain.” – Wassily Kandinsky.

The sensation of colour does not exist without light. White light such as sunlight is a mixture of all colours as seen through a prism when the the various wavelengths are bent (refracted) by differing amounts. When refracted the light spreads out to form a multicoloured spectrum. The order of the colours is always the same violet, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange and red. This was first done by Isaac Newton in the 1660s. In the retina, at the back of the eye, there are two different kinds of receptor cells which respond to the light focused on them by the eye’s lens. These are rods and cones. The rods are responsible for colourless vision in dim illumination, while the cones operate at higher light levels and are responsible for colour perception. The colours you see correspond to the different wavelengths of visible light. Violet is the shortest and red the longest of the visible wavelengths. Light from the sun contains all these wavelengths, but just appears white to us.

When light strikes an object, the particles of energy may be reflected or absorbed. The eye sees the colour of an object by the light reflected. If light falls on an object that absorbs cool colours, such as green, the object will reflect the complement or warm colours, such as red. Black absorbs and white reflects nearly all the light waves.

Before you embark on remodeling, redecorating, or simply repainting any space in your home, it’s important to first become aware of all the colours that surround you. First off, take note of the variety of colours you already have existing in your home, even if your home appears all neutral. Be sure to not just focus on only the large things; look too, at details and accents – you might just be surprised at what you start to see. Next, take some time to look through your closet. It may seem a little silly, but we typically wear colours we are the most comfortable with. Lastly, get the heck out of the house. Personally, I find nothing more alluring than what Mother Nature has provided – pure inspiration. Take your time, get dirty, and record your thoughts and ideas. Once you’ve identified your favorites, try to think about how they make you feel and why you find yourself drawn to them. Typically these are the colours and feelings you likely want to convey in your home.

Colour is considered by many as the most important element in interior design, but there are so many variables with the things that influence the colour we see, including light, pattern, texture, and other colours that may be nearby.

Our vision is dependent on the presence of light. Together the eye and the brain distinguish the different wavelengths of radiant energy and translate light into colour. The amount of light, in addition to the kind of light, whether natural or artificial, will change how a colour is perceived and ultimately what that colour says about you and your home.

Almost everyone has some amount of naturally occurring light in their home. If you’re lucky enough to have large windows and subsequently lots of natural light, you are probably seeing colour at its best. The most evenly balanced light occurs during midday, but daylight is ever changing thus affecting the appearance and characteristics of colours continuously. Inside the home, where we usually have a combination of both natural and artificial light, absolute control of colour can be challenging, if not near impossible at times.

Natural light also changes with geographical location, the weather and the seasons. It also varies based upon how your home is oriented on the land and where the sun is at certain times of the day. If you would like to read more about this kind of stuff be sure to check out my post on Daylighting. But the point to remember here is that light quality differs from state to state and from yard to yard, with your immediate landscape and vegetation always having some sort of impact on your perception, so an awareness of your overall environment and how these elements can influence your canvass; i.e. just because a colour looks great in your best friends house doesn’t necessarily mean it will work or even look the same in yours, is critical.

As I just spoke about a couple of weeks ago with my post Let There Be Light, artificial lighting is essential for comfort and convenience. Artificial lighting can be used to accentuate and emphasize certain colours and architectural details, balance the colour and light in the room, create a mood and overall vibe, and even change the colour and perceived size of objects and décor.

Light bulbs too, play a huge role on the impact of colour in a room. Incandescent light is known to cast a warm soft glow, but lack colours from the blue end of the spectrum having the ability to make a blue room turn green.

Fluorescent light tends to enhance blues and greens, with many of today’s bulbs improved to include the full colour spectrum range. That said, fluorescents still tend to dull reds, oranges, and yellows. Beware that many paint and home stores use fluorescent lighting, so use caution when selecting paint colours in these conditions.

Halogens provide very clear, white light that is most similar to daylight. These bulbs have the ability to enhance most colour schemes. Candlelight on the other hand, the warmest of all lighting, enhances only reds, oranges, and yellows, and makes cool colours like blues and greens dull.

When selecting fabrics and finishes for your home, it’s important to realize that all materials have characteristics, texture, and pattern that modify the way colour will be seen. For example, a high gloss finish on walls tends to weaken colour, making them appear lighter due to the reflected light. Furthermore, adjacent surfaces, like a floor, reflecting that same wall can change a colour’s hue, and tint the wall with its own colour.

The texture of a surface can alter its perceived colour due to shadows at the microscopic level. Highly textured fabrics such as velvets, suedes, and chenille and pile may change colour when observed at different angles because these textures absorb light, resulting in darker and lighter areas of colour. Metallic surfaces, which are technically textured, reflect colour in different ways. White metals that are polished, such as chrome, silver, and stainless steel, reflect colours like a mirror, changing colour very little. But warm, polished metals such as brass and copper can tint colours with their own colour. Tinted, coloured mirrored walls also change the reflection of the room, often with confusing results.

Small-scale patterns on fabrics, rugs, or walls can change the overriding colour of a room based on how the patterns are viewed. When viewed up close, small-scale, multi-coloured patterns separate the colours so that each colour is distinct. But when viewed from a distance, the colours become mixed and the end result may be an unexpected and possibly unappealing third colour. This third colour is known as partitive colour, or visual mix, and can be compared to the Impressionism and Pointillism painting techniques of using small dots of colour, knowing that the eye will mix the colours together and see them as a different colour. In interior design, it’s important to view small-scale multi-coloured patterns from a distance so that you have an accurate picture of the colours your room conveys.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

Today’s kitchens are often the most active and multipurpose rooms in the house and typically offer many opportunities when remodeling to select and implement sustainable choices – resulting in not only a more beautiful and usable space, but a much more healthy and eco-friendly indoor environment overall. From lighting and appliances to plumbing fixtures and interior finishes, the kitchen is packed with ways to optimize form and function while minimizing its environmental impact. For more specifics on kitchen cabinets particularly and how to identify and determine what makes your kitchen cabinetry green be sure to check out my posts Kitchen Design & Remodeling – Kitchen Cabinet Basics and Kitchen Cabinetry – Design & Remodeling Considerations

Function

What does my client want and what does my client need?

The main way that environmental impact is expressed in the function of a kitchen is efficient use of space. The primary functions of a kitchen are workspace, food storage, entertaining, and dining. Space planning, as well as traffic flow throughout the room, should always be a forethought in the design process, and I have always considered it time well spent gathering all that is needed to get a full understanding of how my client’s currently use and wish to use both the kitchen and related spaces. These considerations are critical to the efficient use of space within the new kitchen and the home at large.

Existing Conditions

What functional or performance problems exist in the kitchen space that could be addressed at the design level, early in the project?

A project assessment should include examination of the following performance issues, in addition to user function issues:

• Water leaks – building envelope (outside) and plumbing (inside)
• Air leakage
• Environmental hazards: lead, asbestos, radon, interior humidity, mold, CO
• Thermal comfort
• Acoustical comfort
• Structural deficiencies
• Ventilation and exhaust and electrical hazards

Scope

Are there other remodeling projects that should be considered at the time of the kitchen remodel?

For example, usually a kitchen remodeling project scope does not include the insulation and air sealing of the opaque areas of the building envelope (walls, roof, foundation), but individual project conditions such as the type of exterior cladding, its service life, and the climate could influence the importance of improving the envelope’s thermal performance as part of the kitchen remodel. Serious thought should always be given to integrate current and future projects in deliberations on the scope of the project with the client. Conversely, it is easy for a kitchen redesign to result in ‘pulling out all the stops’ to maximize resale, but the designer should help their client maintain a focus on personal needs and wants, and not just what market analysis tells them about what other people want.

Size

Can the kitchen remodel utilize the existing kitchen space, does it require expansion of the kitchen into adjacent interior space, or will it involve additional new space that expands the building envelope?

Satisfying certain kitchen functions (for example, dining and storage not related to food or food prep) may mean less overall renovation or avoiding an addition without loss of kitchen function. There is often a temptation to make the kitchen space bigger and to add more bells and whistles – a second dishwasher, a larger refrigerator, a wine chiller, etc. The importance of such features should be carefully weighed because the space requirements and energy costs are significant. Even more difficult may be decisions about storage, including countertop space for everyday or occasional use appliances and concealed storage for small appliances and dry goods.

Layout

How will the kitchen plan strike a balance between utility, aesthetics, and resource efficiency – especially energy and water use?

As I mentioned earlier comprehensive space planning is critical to any successful kitchen remodeling project and converts the needs expressed by your client into action – plan for the whole team. Because tradespeople may mean different things by the term ‘layout,’ the whole team should be involved in the development of floor plans, elevations, and supporting documentation to ensure that the design is optimized across disciplines.

Ensuring the health, safety, and enjoyment of your clients in their kitchen while minimizing environmental impact, requires special attention to several components:

• Glazing – In terms of both location and total square footage.

Windows and skylights can provide views, connection with nature, natural daylighting, passive solar heat gain, and ventilation. But glazing often increases a room’s energy load and involves penetrations in the building envelope that must be properly managed. The tendency, especially in kitchens, is to over glaze rather than strategically place or select the type of glazing for optimal energy performance, views, and overall indoor environmental quality.

For additional information on windows and glazing check out my post Window Replacement and to learn more about designing with the Sun, be sure to read Daylighting.

• Plumbing layout – Long runs for hot water result in significant energy and water inefficiencies as well as the inconvenience of long wait-times for hot water. Layouts that place plumbing in exterior walls result in increased heating and cooling loads, as well as potential indoor air quality problems through moisture intrusion, so should be avoided.

• Space conditioning layout – Keep supply registers or radiant and convective elements away from refrigerators.

• Lighting design – The location and type of electric lighting can improve kitchen function, appearance, and energy performance. Provide an optimal mix of task and ambient lighting. Avoid layouts and lighting designs that force recessed lights into the building envelope.

• Appliance location – Keep heating appliances like stoves, ovens, and dishwashers away from refrigerating units. Provide adequate air space around these appliances.

• Kitchen exhaust location – Ensure that kitchen exhaust fans will be able to readily exhaust to the outside.

• Universal design – Universal design and design for aging in place mean that occupants will need to do less remodeling later, eliminating the associated material use and waste.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

Artificial lighting is generally employed for three types of uses:

• Ambient lighting – Provides general illumination indoors for daily activities and outdoors for safety and security.

• Task lighting – Facilitates particular tasks that require more light than is needed for general illumination, such as under-counter lights in kitchens, table lamps, or bathroom mirror lights.

• Accent lighting – Draws attention to special features or enhances the aesthetic qualities of an indoor or outdoor environment.

Advantages Implementing Up-To-Date Lighting.

Artificial lighting consumes almost 15 percent of household electricity. The traditional incandescent bulb with screw base currently provides most household illumination. Use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50 to 75 percent. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not serving a useful purpose. Advanced lighting controls also offer a new amenity to the end user allowing lights to come on automatically when they are needed.

There are varied lighting technologies for all lighting situations. Consideration should be given to energy-efficient lighting choices in fixtures that are on for more than 2 hours a day.

Energy-efficient lighting design focuses on methods and materials that improve both quality and efficiency of lighting. Energy-efficient lighting design principles include the following:

• Keep in mind that more light is not necessarily better. Human visual performance depends on light quality as well as quantity.

• Match the amount and quality of light to the performed function.

• Install task lights where needed and reduce ambient light elsewhere.

• Use energy-efficient lighting components, controls, and systems.

• Maximize the use of daylighting.

Interior Lighting Options.

Daylighting is the use of windows and skylights to bring daylight into the home. Today’s highly efficient windows and advances in lighting design allow efficient use of windows to reduce the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours without causing heating or cooling problems. The sizes and locations of windows should be based on the cardinal directions rather than their effect on the street-side appearance of the house, for example. South-facing windows are most advantageous for daylighting and for moderating seasonal temperatures because they allow most winter sunlight into the home but little direct sun during the summer, especially when properly shaded. North-facing windows are also advantageous for daylighting because they admit relatively even, natural light, producing little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat gain. Although east and west-facing windows provide good daylight penetration in the morning and evening, respectively, they should be limited because they may cause glare, admit a lot of heat during the summer when it is usually not wanted, and contribute little to solar heating during the winter.

To learn more on the subject check out my previous posts on Daylighting and Window Replacement.

Indoor Lighting Technologies.

Incandescent lighting has traditionally delivered about 85 percent of household illumination. Incandescents operate without a ballast, are dimmable and instantly controllable, and light up instantly. Most familiar are the standard pear-shaped, screw-in ‘A’-type incandescent light bulbs. They produce a warm light and provide excellent colour rendition. They have a low efficacy compared to all other lighting options (10 to 17 lumens per watt) and a short average operating life (750 to 2500 hours).

Incandescent lamps can be made in other shapes and variations. Tungsten halogen lamps provide excellent colour rendition. Reflector (R) and parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) lamps direct light in a desired direction. All three are slightly more efficient than standard bulbs, have longer operating lives (2000 to 4000 hours), and are often used for accent lighting.

Fluorescent lamps use 25 to 35 percent of the energy used by incandescent lamps to provide the same amount of illumination (efficacy of 30 to 110 lumens per watt) and last about 10 times longer (7,000 to 24,000 hours). Improvements in technology have resulted in fluorescent lamps with colour temperature and colour rendition that are comparable to incandescent lamps.

Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to regulate operating current and provide a high start-up voltage. Electronic ballasts outperform standard and improved electromagnetic ballasts by operating at a very high frequency that eliminates flicker and noise. They are also more energy-efficient. Special ballasts are needed to allow dimming of fluorescent lamps.

Two general types of fluorescent lamps are available. The traditional tube-type fluorescent is usually identified as T12 or T8 (12/8 or 8/8 of an inch tube diameter) and is installed in a dedicated fixture with a built-in ballast. The newer compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and circulines have smaller diameters and are usually bent or twisted into compact shapes. These are frequently sold with built-in or separate electronic ballasts and screw thread adapters for application in fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs. Dedicated fixtures that are equipped with electronic ballasts and that use plug-in (pin) CFLs are also available.

LED lighting is a rapidly evolving technology that produces light in a whole new way. It is already beginning to surpass the quality and efficiency of existing lighting technologies, such as fluorescent and incandescent. LEDs are small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. LEDs are part of a family of lighting technologies called Solid-State lighting. This family also includes OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLEDs consist of sheets of carbon-based compounds that glow when a current is applied through transparent electrodes. While not yet market ready, OLEDs will function like a thin film on a wall or ceiling that illuminates a room. Like LEDs, OLED technology is advancing rapidly.

Solid-State lighting (SSL), most commonly seen in the form of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), has the potential to revolutionize the efficiency, appearance, and quality of lighting as we know it.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting in the U.S. over the next 20 years can:

- Deliver savings of about $265 billion.
- Avoid 40 new power plants.
- Reduce lighting electricity demand by 33 percent in 2027.

LED lighting is more efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescents lighting. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, whereas an incandescent or fluorescent bulb emits light and heat in all directions. LED lighting uses both light and energy more efficiently.

For example, an incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb inside of a recessed can will waste about half of the light that it produces, while a recessed down light with LEDs only produces light where it’s needed – in the room below.

LED lighting starts with a tiny chip (most commonly about one square millimeter) comprised of layers of semi-conducting material. LED packages may contain just one chip or multiple chips, mounted on heat-conducting material called a heat sink and usually enclosed in a lens. The resulting device, typically around 7 to 9 mm on a side, can be used separately or in arrays. LED devices are mounted on a circuit board, which can be programmed to include lighting controls such as dimming, light sensing and pre-set timing. The circuit board is mounted on another heat sink to manage the heat from all the LEDs in the array. The system is then encased in a lighting fixture, architectural structure, or even a ‘light bulb’ package.

Indoor Lighting Controls.

The traditional on-off toggle switch has long been the lighting control of choice in homes. For rooms with two entrances, three-way switches make it more convenient to turn off lights when leaving the room. However, experience shows that even with convenient light switch locations, lights are often left on when rooms are unoccupied.

Dimmer controls provide variable lighting for fixtures. Off-the-shelf switches for incandescent fixtures are inexpensive and provide some energy savings when lights are used at a reduced level. Fluorescent dimmers are dedicated fixtures and bulbs that provide even greater energy savings than a regular fluorescent bulb.

Photosensors have little utility in controlling lights inside the home because lighting needs vary with occupant activity rather than ambient lighting levels.

Occupancy Sensors.

Home automation can be achieved on a small scale through smart switches. Occupancy sensors provide individual switching and timing for room lights and other fixtures.

Occupancy sensors detect activity within a certain area. They provide convenience by turning lights on automatically when someone enters a room. They reduce lighting energy use by turning lights off soon after the last occupant has left the room. Occupancy sensors must be located where they will detect occupants or occupant activity in all parts of the room. There are two types of occupancy sensors: ultrasonic and infrared. Ultrasonic sensors detect sound, while infrared sensors detect heat and motion. In addition to controlling ambient lighting in a room, they are useful for task lighting applications, such as over kitchen counters. In such applications, task lights are turned on by the motion of a person washing dishes, for instance, and automatically turn off a few minutes after the person stops.

Timers are sometimes used to give unoccupied houses a lived-in look. However, they are an ineffective control for an occupied home because they do not respond to changes in occupant behavior.

Exterior Lighting Options.

Exterior lighting for homes generally serves one or a combination of three principal purposes:

• Aesthetics – Illuminate the exterior of the house and landscape.

• Security – Placed on poles or high on the building to illuminate the grounds near the house or driveway.

• Utility – Illuminate porch and driveway to help people navigate safely to and from the house.

Outdoor Lighting Technologies.

Incandescent lamps are the most commonly used outdoor lights around homes.

Fluorescent lamps are not always suitable for outdoor use because they may not operate well at temperatures below 40° F. However, some CFLs are specially designed to operate at low temperatures down to –20° F for outdoor use.

High-intensity discharge (HID) and low-pressure sodium lamps are suitable for some outdoor lighting purposes. The most common types of HID lamps are mercury vapor, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium – all of which are much more efficient than incandescent lamps. Metal halide lamps produce a bright, white light with fair colour rendition, have a lifetime of about 6,000 hours, and are more efficient than mercury vapor lamps. Mercury vapor and high-pressure sodium lamps have poorer colour rendition but longer lifetimes (16,000 to 24,000 hours). Mercury vapor lamps have an efficacy of about 50 lumens per watt, while high-pressure sodium lamps have an efficacy of 50 to 140 lumens per watt. Low-pressure sodium lights are the most efficient and have long lifetimes (12,000 to18,000 hours), but they have very poor colour rendition. HID and low-pressure sodium lights require up to ten minutes to start and have to cool before they can restart, so they are most suitable for applications where they stay on for hours at a time. They are not suitable for use with motion detectors.

With new technologies emerging LEDs are not just for under cabinet lighting and portable desk lamps anymore. LED applications for porch lighting, step lighting, and pathway illumination should be seriously considered.

Outdoor Lighting Controls.

Outdoor lights are often controlled by toggle switches, but it is easy for occupants to forget to turn the lights off when they are not needed. Two controls that are especially useful without door lighting are photosensors and motion sensors.

Photosensors sense ambient light conditions and are used to prevent outdoor lights from operating during daylight hours. They are useful with all forms of outdoor lighting.

Motion Sensors.

Outdoor motion sensors have revolutionized outdoor lighting and security strategies. Economical models offer sophisticated features and energy-saving benefits.

Motion sensors automatically turn outdoor lights on when they are needed (when motion is detected) and turn them off a short while later. They are very useful for outdoor security and utility lighting provided by incandescent lamps.

Because utility lights and some applications of security lights are needed only when it is dark and people are present, the best controller may be a combination of motion sensor to turn on lights when people are present and photosensor to prevent lights from operating during daylight hours. Incandescent flood lights with photosensor and motion detector controls may actually use less energy than pole-mounted HID or low-pressure sodium security lights controlled by a photosensor. Even though HID and low-pressure sodium lights are more efficient than incandescents, they are turned on for a much longer period of time than incandescents using these dual controls.

Simple timers are not often used alone for outdoor lighting because the timer may have to be reset often with the seasonal variation in the length of night. However, they can be used effectively in combinations with other controls. For example, the best combination for decorative lighting may be a photosensor that turns lights on in the evening and a timer that turns the lights off at a certain hour of the night (e.g., 11 PM.).

Design Recommendations.

Designers and builders can reduce lighting energy use by selecting light fixtures and sources that use energy more efficiently, and by installing controls to reduce the amount of time lights are on.

Indoors:

• Maximize the use of daylighting.

• Install LEDs or fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling and wall mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day. These often include the fixtures in the kitchen and living room, and sometimes those in bathrooms, halls, bedrooms, and other higher-demand locations. Install dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures, rather than CFLs in incandescent fixtures, so that fluorescent bulbs continue to be used for the life of the house.

• Encourage clients to use CFLs in portable lighting fixtures that are operated for more than 2 hours a day.

• If recessed lights are used in a ceiling with an unconditioned space above it, consider using LEDs or use only Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approved fixtures that are airtight, are insulation contact (IC) rated, and meet ASTM E283 requirements.

Also consider:

-Light wall colours to minimize the need for artificial lighting.
-ENERGY STAR lighting fixtures or ENERGY STAR qualified residential LED lighting.
-Occupancy detector controls.

Outdoors:

• Security and utility lighting does not need to be bright to be effective.

• Use fluorescent, HID, or low-pressure sodium lights unless incandescent lights are automatically controlled to be on for just a few minutes each day.

• Investigate ENERGY STAR LED outdoor application options.

• Consider incandescent flood lights with combined photosensors and motion sensors in the place of other security lighting options.

• Make sure outdoor light fixtures have reflectors, deflectors, or covers to make more efficient use of the light source and help reduce light pollution.

In most applications use:

-Photosensors to turn off lights during daylight hours.
-Motion detectors to activate security or utility lighting when needed.
-Timers and other controls to turn decorative lighting on and off.

Dedicated Compact Fluorescent Fixtures.

Installing compact fluorescent fixtures that accept only CFLs ensures lifelong energy-saving benefits. Many new CFL fixtures offer a dimmable feature and perform much like incandescent fixtures.

Insulation Contact (IC) rated recessed fixtures allow complete coverage of insulation in attic installations.

Lighting Principals and Terms.

Light Quality: The quantity of light emitted by lamps is measured in lumens. By way of reference, a 100-watt incandescent lamp emits about 1750 lumens. While the quantity of light produced by a lamp is measured in lumens, the purpose of all lighting is to produce illumination (i.e., to provide light on a surface). The intensity of illumination is measured in footcandles. A footcandle is the illumination produced by one lumen distributed over a 1-square-foot area. For most home and office work, 30 to 50 footcandles of illumination is sufficient. For detailed work, 200 footcandles of illumination or more allows more accuracy and less eyestrain. For simply finding one’s way around at night, 5 to 20 footcandles may be sufficient.

Efficacy: One of the means to reduce lighting energy consumption is to use light sources that produce more light from little electricity. The ratio of light produced to energy consumed is called efficacy. Efficacy is measured as the number of lumens produced divided by the rate of electricity consumption (lumens per watt).

Three concepts are important to understand lighting quality:

• Colour temperature refers to the colour of the light source. By convention, yellow-red colours (like the flames of a fire) are considered warm, and blue-green colours (like light from an overcast sky) are considered cool. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) temperature. Confusingly, higher Kelvin temperatures (3600 to 5500 K) are what we consider cool and lower colour temperatures (2700 to 3000 K) are considered warm. Cool light is preferred for visual tasks because it produces higher contrast than warm light. Warm light is preferred for living spaces because it is more flattering to skin tones and clothing. A colour temperature of 2700 to 3600 K is generally recommended for most indoor general and task lighting applications.

• Colour rendition refers to how colours appear when illuminated by a light source and is generally considered to be a more important lighting quality than colour temperature. Most objects are not a single colour, but a combination of many colours. Light sources that are deficient in certain colours may change the apparent colour of an object. The Colour Rendition Index (CRI) is a 1 to 100 scale that measures a light source’s ability to render colours the same way sunlight does. The top value of the CRI scale (100) is based on illumination by a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. A light source with a CRI of 80 or higher is considered acceptable for most indoor residential applications.

• Glare refers to excessive brightness from a direct light source that makes it difficult to see what one wishes to see. A bright object in front of a dark background usually will cause glare. Bright lights reflecting off a television or computer screen or even a printed page produce glare. Intense light sources such as bright incandescent lamps are likely to produce more direct glare than large fluorescent lamps. However, glare is primarily the result of relative placement of light sources and the objects being viewed.

For a more complete list of lighting terms and definitions please see my Lighting Glossary.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

The analogy of the explorer as the quintessential learner can be useful to keep in mind. As we mature from children into adults and learn about constraints, develop an aversion to ‘wrong’ answers, and become comfortable in our field, our curiosity wanes. We no longer ask seemingly absurd questions anymore and sadly begin to lose our playfulness. We go from wanting to know everything to thinking we know it all. But there are some of us that retain our youthful curiosity and inquisitiveness and remain explorers as adults. So there ya’ go. . . maybe there are benefits to struggling with learning how to grow old after all. . .

If you want to develop into a broadband thinker, a final aspect of learning to consider is how to learn, which is a function of both attitude and the specific learning strategies you adopt. The most effective learners seem to have always cultivated an attitude of mindfulness or other active methods of learning. Mindfulness, an old Buddhist concept that has been explored and adopted in a modern educational context by distinguished Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer. With over 200 articles and six books on the subject, Dr. Langer makes both valid and profound points for her theory and application in studies involving classroom education, business, and overall health.

Mindfulness essentially means cultivating a flexible, open intellect and is characterized as a general style or mode of functioning through which the individual actively engages in reconstructing the environment through creating new categories or distinctions, thus directing attention to new contextual cues that may be consciously controlled or manipulated as appropriate. The distinctions made can be major or minor; what is important is that they are mindfully drawn.

In contrast, mindlessness is allowing yourself to be trapped in old paradigms, being unreceptive to new information and ideas, and rigidly looking at the world through a single perspective. It can be often illustrated as a distinct, style of cognitive functioning in which the individual processes cues from the environment in a relatively automatic but inflexible manner, without reference to any fresh or unique aspects of these cues—one deals with an already constructed environment.

By default, old categories and previously made distinctions are relied on uncritically, leading to rigid behavior that is rule governed rather than rule guided. It is not that mindlessness necessarily involves the complete absence of understanding, but rather, that information is processed automatically through preformed categories which are, themselves, no longer accessible for conscious consideration.

According to Dr. Langer many individuals spend substantial portions of their waking day in a mindless state. Go figure!

Active Learning:

• Direct experience – This is how most professionals do the bulk of their learning – on the job, day to day, by doing. The best learners, however, go well beyond experiential learning.

• Study – This consists mainly of reading, but extends to formal education, seminars, workshops, and so forth.

• Observation – Although clearly used on the job, observations represents a knowledge acquisition method by itself. How carefully do we really watch the people and things around us?

• Modeling – This approach is used very effectively by many exceptional professionals, who typically identify and emulate successful role models early in their careers. The mentoring process, for example, is based on modeling.

The first key difference in the learning habits of the ordinary versus extraordinary professionals is that the latter spend more total time dedicated to active learning and knowledge procurement. Even though a lower percentage of their time is spent reinforcing their core expertise, for example, they end up spending more absolute time strengthening this core than the average professional spends.

The second difference between the learning habits of narrowband versus broadband thinkers is in terms of where they spend their time. Narrowband learners spend the majority of their time becoming more expert in their chosen subject. Broadband learners also continue to cultivate their expertise, but they work to give it increasingly greater context. They also engage in more ‘random’ learning, which is done for pleasure and interest, but which has the effect of bolstering their intuition and ability to synthesize. Client advisors thus spend perhaps as much as one half of their learning time in the exploratory learning zones and personal interest, whereas typical experts might spend only a small fraction of their time there, a fact that Harry Truman lamented when he commented on the expert who feared learning anything new because “he wouldn’t be an expert anymore.”

Designers who genuinely step into an advisory role for their clients develop into broadband thinkers, in short, they continue to focus on the differences of each and every project to grasp the big picture through both the systematic and casual pursuit of knowledge and understanding. There is a particular aspect of this knowledge acquirement, however, that needs special emphasis – learning about your clients. Doing a competent job and having ‘satisfied’ clients alone will not bring clients back to you year after year, remodel after remodel. Doing outstanding work however, and constantly adding value through the insights you bring and the personal and professional relationship you develop will earn you deep loyalty and undeniable commitment.

As I continue to mature from ordinary subject matter expert into more and more of a design advisor’s role, my student mindset will always remain steadfast in my approach. Hopefully, my interests and drive for knowledge, together with a thorough understanding of my client’s perspective and their world, will form a powerful combination that will fuel my ability to be insightful and consistently add value to the relationship.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.