I can easily understand why the architect wanted the entrance area to look this way, the catch is how did they handle it inside?

So besides (or including) a few of my notes, would you care to guess what the issues are, what might you have done differently, or does everything look good to you?

For those wondering what kBtu/SF is, it simply measuring home many BTU’s are used per square foot of space. In this case the k stands for 1000, so how many thousands of BTU’s are used per square foot. Ahh, but how does one get that number? Well in keeping with a promise back from my CEA training, here is a conversion chart to convert the most standard (and not so standard) items into kBtu.

* These numbers can vary so when in doubt we defaulted with ENERGY STAR’s numbers used for Portfolio Manager. For example the wood figure can vary based on type of wood, wetness, etc… For more on the numbers for wood; Wood Values.

For example – a 2432 SF house that used 364 Gallons of Propane last year & 10505 kWh’s of Electricity would = 28.46 kBtu/SF — (10505 kWh times 3.14 = 35,843.06) + (364 Gal times 91.65 = 33,359.73) = 69,202.79 — divide 69,202.79 by 2432 Square Feet you get 28.46.

A few more interesting conversions;

• 1 short ton (ton) = 2,000 pounds = 6.65 barrels (crude oil)
• 1 metric ton (tonn) = 2,200 pounds
• 1 barrel (bbl) = 42 gallons = 5.615 cubic feet = 159.0 liters
• 1 standard cord of wood = 8 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet = 128 cubic feet
• 1 face cord of wood = 8 feet x 4 feet x 16 inches = 42.7 cubic feet

What is a “qualified home”?

Per IRS Form 8908;

• A qualifying home is one that is designed, built & certified that it’s heating & cooling energy needs should be 50% less than a similar one (aka a reference house) built to the 2006 IECC (prior to 2012 they referenced the 2003 IECC with 2004 supplement)
• At least 1/5 of the 50% reduction must be due to building envelope improvements.
• It must be built in the United States and at this time it must be substantially completed and sold (or leased) before January 1st, 2014, for use as a residence.
• Older houses undergoing substantial reconstruction and rehabilitation work can also qualify if they meet the standards required

Are multi-family homes (duplex, triplex, etc…) eligible for the tax credit?

Yes per 2008-35 & IRC 45L – the IRS defines all homes / dwelling units are eligible as long as the building is not more than three stories above grade in height. A dwelling unit counts as a “single unit providing complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.”

Can a homeowner apply for the tax credit?

No, only eligible contractors can apply for the tax credit – remember one of the criteria is the house must be sold or leased, not built for one to live in.

What is an eligible contractor?

This can get a little tricky & if in doubt about this (or anything else in this article) you should consult your accountant / tax preparer. With that someone that builds & sells /leases spec homes easily qualifies. Production Home Builders also qualify. Custom Home Builders though fall into a slightly gray area (based on how they do business) as they are not really selling or leasing the home which ties into the “developer” clause. Per the IRS “A person must own and have a basis in the qualified energy efficient home during its construction to qualify as an eligible contractor with respect to the home.” So if a person hires a third party contractor to construct said home and then sells said home; “the person that hires the third party contractor to construct the home owns and has the basis in the home during its construction. The person that hires the third party contractor is the eligible contractor and the third party contractor is not an eligible contractor.”

What’s does this certification entail?

It does requires an eligible certifier that is NOT related to the builder and has been accredited or otherwise authorized by RESNET to use energy performance measurement methods approved by them (aka a HERS rating.) In a nutshell, a projected rating is done to see if the house as designed will qualify & if it won’t to see what it will take. There is a pre-drywall inspection to verify the quality of insulation that was installed followed up by a final inspection which includes a blower door test, duct leakage test & we verify everything that was listed in the projected rating is correct.

Wow this sounds complicated…

Hmmm I didn’t really catch a question there, but most of those steps above are all done behind the scenes with very little to no interruptions for you. As more & more locals are adopting the newer energy codes, some of these steps are already required (like the blower door & duct leakage testing.) Speaking of the new codes, you may actually already qualify for the credit depending on materials chosen as the tightness requirements are pretty much already taken care of. If you need to bump something to qualify you have a wide range of energy efficiency measures you can choose from. For example; insulating the foundation, increasing the amount in the walls &/or ceilings; lighter colored roofing, going with Low-E glass, bumping up the SEER or HSPF of the units you are installing…

Hmmm, okay but I don’t really like paperwork…

That’s ok because there is very little for you to do or worry about. For every house that “passes’ you would get a form like this one below (A proper one will not show “DRAFT” & it will have a registry ID, be fully filled out, and have a signature with a certification clause).

At the end of the year you simply add up how many passed & you sold and you fill out Form 8908 accordingly or simply place the appropriate numbers on Form 3800 under Business Credits (or better yet turn it over to your accountant or tax advisor.)

Wow, can I use this for past homes I built?

Sorry, but I would tend to say no unless you had a rating done on those houses before they were completed.

Well all my houses were /are ENERGY STAR, LEED, NGBS &/or (insert your regional program here); does this mean I will meet the requirements?

Possibly but highly unlikely on older versions where one just met the base requirements. The nice thing is many of those programs require a HERS rating & it shouldn’t take much to have your rater check to see if you qualified.  With that the requirements to meet those programs requirements and the tax credit are different. Many of those focus on the whole house & not just the space heating and cooling.

Wait a sec, my rater just said he can’t do this…

Welcome to another slightly gray area as RESNET has stated “RESNET requires that the rating firm/individual must carry professional liability insurance in the amount of least $500,000” before they will be considered “accredited”. This line was based on an older IRS standard where the new one reads “been accredited or otherwise authorized by RESNET (or an equivalent rating network) to use energy performance measurement methods approved by RESNET (or the equivalent rating network).” Well as all Raters still in good standing qualify at minimum under the “otherwise authorized” as the rating software is what we use every day. The catch is how their provider views this as they actually hold the key to drop the word “DRAFT” off the official report and allow it to be printed. (Hopefully one or will drop by and clarify this as needed)  With that, all a rater needs to do is get the insurance & inform RESNET & they are then considered accredited. Of course with Professional Liability Rates starting in the low thousands… If you are considering doing this, make sure your rater is either authorized or will become accredited if needed.

Just curious, why are you writing an FAQ when there is only 7 months left in this year / this credit?

Well that is a good question & quite honestly it hasn’t been until recently with the code changes have we had any interest. Back in 2011 we pretty much figured the credit was going to die off so we didn’t bother then. The credit quite simply did die off until January 2^nd of this year when it got another shot and was made retroactive to cover houses done in 2012. Is it looking at another extension, well with RESNET, NAHB, and many others pushing for it, it does stand a good chance in the current political climate, but only time will tell.

For More; RESNET Tax Credit Standard 13-001 – RESNET Home Energy Rating Standard – IRS 2008-35

The Issue?

While it is pretty hard to find the details on their site, the issue revolves around improving the energy efficiency of windows (Primer course on windows & NFRC label). You see while home builders are currently under version 3 (actually 3.5) of the ENERGY STAR program, windows & other items are currently on version 5 & they are protesting the changes being proposed in version 6. They claim the “proposal would reserve the ENERGY STAR label mainly for windows and skylights that use some of the most expensive technologies. This would deny average consumers the “easy choice” on which they rely…. program suddenly stops identifying energy-efficient products priced within reach of average consumers.” So what are these drastic changes?

While you might see a bunch of changes in the numbers, you will find with some digging that the primary issue is simply the Northern Climates numbers. In essence the big issue is the change from a U-Factor of .3 to .27 or essentially bumping the R-Value of the assembly from 3.3 to 3.7 is just to big of a hurdle. Why are they not worried or complaining about the other changes? Well that is because they already have those windows available. So please forgive me for simply laughing at the very last line, “ENERGY STAR has raised the bar bit by bit over time to compel consumers to buy more efficient products. That’s been good for consumers and the environment, because consumers have saved more energy and more money on utility bills. The problem with the latest proposal is that it moves too far too fast, extending the payback period too far and leaving behind too many consumers” as they are really only applying a specific payback calculation to the northern area.

Need more time?

The time argument being made by some has some validity as the effective date for the proposed changes is supposed to be January 1^st, 2014. Of course with that, seeing this process started in 2012 one might think that they would already have the designs primarily worked out & ready for the NFRC testing. Along those lines, one might think that CHEE would have been formed & started making waves before April of this year?

To difficult?

How about the we can’t do this – the price factors & technology required will price people out of the market? While CHEE doesn’t list their backers, the WDMA (Windows & Door Manufacturing Association) & the AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturers Association) appear to be the primary movers & shakers against this. In many ways they are just like the NAHB and in a tough spot as they represent such a wide variety of manufacturers. For many manufacturers there are numerous low cost ways of doing this with existing windows, but when those run out then you are looking at having to do a redesign and yes, that does cost some money.

Homeowner Prices?

Ahhh but how about the poor customer, or the “Widely available windows that currently meet the proposed new standards for much of the country are primarily triple-pane or Low-E double-pane windows that use expensive technologies to achieve the efficiency gain. And yes, they are considerably more expensive.” Well on one side of the coin, I can see that for some as mentioned above, but with that if I want to bump a window to Low E right now it generally adds $10 to the cost. Triple panes generally run right now anywhere from 5% to 25% more for like quality.

The truth of the matter

As the EPA points out “As the market responds to consumer demand for ENERGY STAR qualified products in a particular category, sales of highly efficient products increase, locking in more and more energy savings and environmental benefits over the life of those units. In the process, because of technological advances and/or reduced production costs, opportunities present themselves to raise the bar over time in terms of what constitutes a highly efficient product in a given category. In conjunction with the steady progress this approach delivers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to explore ways to leverage the ENERGY STAR platform to bring generational change.”

Eliminating the bureaucratese, this is them simply stating that as new means & methods become available that are cost effective they bump up the efficiency required. For many manufacturers the tightening specs made here & by code actually make their life easier as they can drop many lines & out dated options allowing them to streamline their processes. While maintaining the status quo is cheaper in the short term, long term it can cost especially when we get to the next item…

The codes:

The codes have been quite nice to the manufacturers as they really haven’t had any real major shakeups that impacted them. Granted the 2012 codes got tighter after 9 years, but most manufacturers were already pushing ENERGY STAR windows which easily met those requirements.

As I have mentioned before, the 2015 code changes are already underway & since they have bumped up the wall insulation (to R25 in some cases) – and many don’t see that they can gain much more there – they are turning their eyes squarely on the fenestration (which can account for 10+% of a wall). While there are a few proposals to keep the status quo, most are looking at bumping things to a minimum of an R4 (U .25) or R5 (U .2). As the latest email from the NAHB doesn’t mention either of these proposals being bumped, it appears that not only is ENERGY STAR going to have to raise it’s bar, but so will the manufacturers before they find their window lines illegal to sell in the US.

By the way, no worries as there are plenty of windows available that already exceed code & a few appear to even be simple double pane glass… As for the rest not there yet, well you got some time, but not for long…

Well as they say looks can be deceiving

The fix involved digging under the slab (there was no footing) underpinning it & installing a proper Post Base anchor

A diagram form Fairfax County showing some of the parts / terms used in a standard deck

1: Check for split or decaying wood

Make sure you look around for split boards & signs of rot. If you see paint that looks like it is bubbled or peeling as that is a sure sign of issues. It is best to probe with a screwdriver – if it pushes in easily & the wood feels soft or spongy you have a decay issue.

Talk about being obvious – yeah that is one big split

Be careful of painted surfaces as they can hide a multitude of sins. Two other major warning signs that you might have issues: the deck is attached to a cantilever & instead of using hangers they used a 2×2 ribbon board which can hold water

Besides the structural & code issues, this shows one other good reason not to attach to a cantiliver

2. Check the flashing

While flashing should always be located where the deck meets up with the house, it actually is pretty rare to see (at least in our area). If you do not have flashing there or are seeing corrosion / water sitting on it instead of draining away it need to be corrected.

Even though this was flashed, you can still see the issues caused with the ribbon board & a few small errors

3. Check for loose or corroded fasteners

Check for loose or corroded fasteners – corrosion is a sure sign that the fastener is about to go & that the wood maybe rotting in that area. If you spot areas where there is sagging or the deck seems to be swaying – those are sure signs of loose fasteners or a deck where the connectors can work loose due to improper bracing.

I think loose is an understatement here – then this also brings us to our 4th item…

If your deck is only connected with nails instead of bolts, or attached directly to a brick wall like this one was, you should call in a pro.

4. Check your railings & balusters

These should all be firmly in place & not easily move. Railings (the guard) should be at least 36″ tall (we prefer 42″) and the spacing between the balusters should not be more than 4″ (about the width of a half gallon carton of milk or juice)

5. Check your stairs

Going back to our first picture, if you have an “open riser” the opening should not be bigger than 4″. You should also check the balusters, railing aka guard, and any additional handrails are secured properly. Finally you should make sure there are no plantings or other issues blocking or growing up through the stairs – yeah they had three strikes on that one.

Closed risers, handrails, & guards – check

6. Cleanliness is next to…

Make sure you are keeping your deck cleaned off & maintained. Piles of leaves not only trap moisture but provide food for micro organisms to grow & thrive (even on composite decks). Make sure you keep up on your maintenance to not only prevent catastrophic issues, splinters, but also so you can enjoy your deck for years to come

7. Grills, Fire Pits, Chimneys…

Fire doesn’t mix to well with decks & houses – while they can add to an enjoyable atmosphere be sure to use caution and follow the manufacturers directions.

BBQ grills & siding don’t mix to well

8. Lighting & Electrical

A well lit deck is safe deck at night – so check those bulbs & any electrical running to it to prevent shocks &/or fire hazards

9. Outdoor Furniture & Seating

Make sure you give it a good once over so there are no issues. Be careful placing seats near the edges of the deck (especially one without railings)

10. Look up

While trees are great at providing shade, the last thing you want it is a dead branch falling down during the middle of a dinner party or a sick tree being blown over during a storm wiping out your deck

I think someone needs to call in a pro…

While there are numerous other items that we do check in a professional deck inspection, by checking these items you should hopefully have a great summer free from problems & full of enjoyment. If you run into an issue, are confused about something, something doesn’t look right, or you are looking at redoing your deck, make sure you call in a professional.

The root cause of this issue?

Unfortunately this is a picture of a new house being constructed that I was in last week. While one could still insulate this properly by drilling holes through the studs into the cavity & then blowing in fiberglass or cellulose… this will probably end up looking like the last picture in our “Industry Standard” article leading us to these types of lovely Infrared pictures & discomfort issues. Want to avoid this mess altogether? Common Sense Building: OFT – Optimized Framing Techniques

For those that might not know, not only is Mike Rowe a big supporter of the trades, but his foundation has enabled over 70 students to attend the competition in the last two years via travel scholarships with another 50 slated for this year. This doesn’t include the 250k scholarships available this year, or other items in past years – to learn more about this, opportunities, &/or to donate. With that I can’t wait till this years National championships and as a bonus actually getting to see Mike in person at the Opening Ceremonies – this ought to be a great year & good luck to all the competitors.

It is always interesting checking out the local displays – amazing woodwork, journey & cause

Even if you don’t sign up for classes, there are always some good learning opportunities on the floor. Modenus group talking about Blog Tour finds & upcoming designs & materials seen in Cologne, London, New York & New Orleans.

It’s also a great time to catch up with old friends, meet new ones & finally be able to put a real face to name – The three Musketeers starting from my left; Nick Lovelady aka @Cupboards, Arne Salvesen aka @ArneSalvesen & Jeremy Parcels aka @rjmcontractors

This was pretty close to the first picture I took & automatically thought, Kohler owes JB some royalty money… The first two panels on the left are from their booth which was hopping (ahhh the joys of a contest). The hype can be seen in the top right which is a shower head speaker. If you are anything like me & going – no way my wife &/or kids spend to much time in the shower, well the speaker is removable so they aren’t limited to staying in the shower while their favorite song is still playing…

Needless to say I did tweet the first picture with my thoughts on royalty, to which JB says “ha! it is surprisingly close to our broadcast icon. then again there is a cola company…”  I say no contest, but hey why not let you decide?

One of the cool things is one can see what is behind the cover or hidden in the wall for example this shower by Kohler

requires just a little wiring & plumbing

or this air jetted tub

Speaking of marketing to seniors, you also have this Sensasia Independence Shower where you program the temperature you like, close the door & press the Start button (above the right grab bar). Once it reaches temperature it automatically shuts down so when you press start again from inside (or the caregiver from outside) it starts up already at temp. (If you do have a tankless system, be warned as you might run into an issue with a cold water slug)

This is what it takes to bring everything together, though they were a little shy about having pictures taken of it due to industrial espionage. I agreed to blank out the wiring diagram for them which they taped over a little later.

While I have used glass doors before… Talk about allowing everyone to see how things are done & not having any issues seeing where that can of gravy is at.

As a Kitchen & Bath show, you can imagine there was a ton of cabinet lines there, but not many basically shouted - GO LSU – Yep this was a local company & that was one reason why they choose purple. Shoot it got me to stop & ask, so who knows

Looking for interesting ideas for Universal Design that looks good, WellBorn Cabinet had some pretty good options & tricks they were showing off.

I liked this idea for the laundry room which one can also use for ovens, dishwashers, etc…

Cabinets would sure be naked without pulls & knobs & in the unique category

Slightly more contemporary

And a couple of shots I had to get for JoAnn of Historic Shed & Ginny Powell of A Cracked Door

Getting back to cabinets, if you want some cool looking stainless cabinets, vanities or just the doors for wither indoor or out door use you might want to consider Lasertron - while the door looks like a traditional raised panel, it is a flat easy to clean panel which resists fingerprints

Speaking of stainless, anyone want a pizza oven - 800 degrees & the pizza is done in 3 to 4 minutes

In the electrical arena, it was nice to actually see these LED strips finally

Speaking of LED lighting

Now why didn’t I think of this…

Closing out the electrical section, nothing like a .3 sone ENERGY STAR rated bath fan. In case you are worried that you might not know when it is running, or did I turn it on… well they have an indicator light to let you know that “yes, it is working / running”

Speaking of “Exhaust Fans” – the answer to this weeks “Wacky Wednesday – what is it?“, yes it is a venting toilet. While this would help with the venting issue we talked about in our “Getting the details right: Bathroom Exhaust Venting” I am not sure this would be my first choice, but…

It looks like the day of the traditional toilet are quickly coming to an end as most everyone was focusing on in the wall types.

or this one…

A look behind…

Though there are a few options where it isn’t exactly mounted in the wall

While I was hoping to do a piece on just because it says WaterSense doesn’t mean it isn’t stylish I couldn’t find any with that logo primarily displayed which I do find kind of shocking & disappointing.  With that I got to say I did like the modern look of these faucets.

Are clawfoot tubs making a comeback, it sure seemed that way… In case you didn’t like the first faucet above, here is a more traditional version…

Like the idea of a shower head still?

Of course if you are like me & primarily take showers, the curbless options were out in force like this one from Tile Redi – of course seeing it is a molded base and set into a 2″inch mud bed with only a 3-year warranty I think I will pass

I finally got to see the Noble base & I got to say I am tempted to try it at least once…

Until then I think I will be sticking with my favorite trouble-free system from Schluter

Let’s see what is left, oh yes one can’t forget the Kitchen Sink – Interesting concept, but I am not sure I am sold on this idea – granted the cover piece comes up, but all that additional cleaning…

While I am not sold on the faucet, I got to say I like the finish & integrated drainage board

I invite you to check out the video, and then I recommend spending some time on his site. With over 30 years working in places like the Bahamas & Vermont he is a veritable wealth of knowledge. While he has mainly put the carpenter pouches away, he has become quite a powerhouse in Social Media circles & is helping other builders & those in the trade with their Social Media strategies.