Simply plant a tree

[someguy]

if you own a home or rent or whatever, hopefully your town will allow you to plant a tree by your house home. The shade of the tree will not only keep your home cool in the summer helping your electric bill but it will also help keep the heat insulated during the winters aiding that portion of your expenses as well. One tree can reduce the heat up to 15%.

[jonyboyy]

I dont understand how the tree helps insulate the heat... can you explain please?

[shannahana]

[url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100729/LIVING03/707299971]HeraldNet: Keep your cool with shade trees, insulation[/url]

[someguy]

[URL="http://http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100729/LIVING03/707299971"]http://http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100729/LIVING03/707299971[/URL]

This should probably answer some of your questions

[someguy]

Keep your cool with shade trees, insulation

By the Carey Brothers

With temperatures rising it's time to consider some cost-effective ways to beat the heat.

The least obvious way to cool off involves help from Mother Nature. Large shade trees can have a profound affect on the interior temperature of your home.

Make a simple sketch of your home showing its location on your lot. It is important to include a north arrow or at least where the sun rises in relation to your home.

Show the plan to someone at your local nursery or to a landscape professional. They can recommend a size and type of tree, and optimal planting locations.

Decorative window awnings constructed of aluminum or canvas are another way to ward off the sun.

A negative to awnings, as with trees, is they can make the interior of the home dark and uninviting. A retractable awning, that can be raised when not needed, could make most sense.

Insulation is a must for every home. Floor, wall and ceiling insulation are excellent ways to combat heat. During the winter, the insulation will hold the heat in.

Insulation can be added quite economically, especially if you install it yourself. Many local utility companies offer rebates or low interest loans as incentives to install insulation because it improves the energy efficiency of the home.

While insulation R-values will vary regionally, a median guideline would be R-19 below floors, R-13 in exterior walls and R-30 to 38 in attic space.

Frequently, the existing insulation can remain and be added to, as in an attic, for example. Exterior walls can easily be retrofitted with insulation which is blown in through small penetrations made in the exterior at each stud bay.

Along with adding insulation, all exterior cracks, penetrations and gaps between windows, doors and other openings should be caulked or sealed with expanding foam.

Use an exterior grade paintable latex caulk with silicone. Large penetrations can be filled with expanding spray foam. As an added measure, all exterior doors and windows should also be weather-stripped.

Homes constructed with flat roofs where no attic exists can have rigid foam insulation applied above the roof decking and below the roof cover. This work can be done when it becomes necessary to replace the roof cover. Reflective paints can also be applied to many flat roofs.

A more expensive alternative, but one which will pay big dividends, is replacement windows. Upgrading from traditional single-pane windows to windows with insulated glass will make a huge difference on the amount of heat allowed to enter the home.

Options such as low-E glass, tinting and reflective film will add to its efficiency. Again, check with your local utility company for cost incentives.

Reflective window film is a less expensive alternative, but it is difficult to install yourself. Manufacturers are recommending professional installation.

Film can reduce inside temperatures up to 10 degrees or more and will even help to protect window coverings, furniture and floor coverings from fading. And, unlike shade trees and awnings, it will not darken the home.

Window screens consisting of dense vinyl fabric are an excellent way to reduce heat. These are similar to traditional window screens, but the screening is installed over the entire window, rather than just over the operable section.

Ventilating the attic can do wonders to reduce the hot-box effect. Attic ventilation can be achieved in a number of ways. The most common is the passive type where vents are installed at the eaves and the ridge of the roof. This is the type of ventilation that is required by most building codes and is minimal.

Even if you have air conditioning, add an electric attic fan to supplement the air conditioner, allowing it to labor less and save energy.

[sueerassmus]

Here is an article about a house made from straw!:

Nelsons home near Plum Creek Lake made from straw bales

JOHNSON LAKE - Clarke and Mary Kay Nelson's home at Plum Creek Canyon is made of straw, but it would take a pretty big wind to blow it down.

The Nelsons are former Holdrege residents. In the mid-1990s, they wanted to build a house on their property at Plum Creek Canyon west of Johnson Lake.

They were thinking of making the property their year-round home.

Two World War II-era Quonset huts had served two generations of the Nelson family for summer recreation shelter, but were showing their age.

"We decided that a house made of straw bales would handle Nebraska's weather and would fit perfectly in the setting of our property," Mary said.

In 1995, they began their research, then consulted with architects in Taos, N.M., who specialize in alternative building.

"You would never build a home such as this without the help of an architect," Clarke said.

They now have their home, a two-story structure with 2,100 square feet painted in suede over stucco that was applied to the bales of wheat straw. They say it fits perfectly in the setting of the property.

The land on the sides of the home gives way to forest. It sits on a modest bluff that overlooks a tree-lined cove where they can enter Plum Creek Lake.

Before construction began, the Nelsons built a large barn to protect the straw from the weather as well as to store their building materials and furnishings and to provide living accommodations during construction. The barn now serves as a garage.

The straw came from Roger D. Olson, a Holdrege-area farmer who harvested it from his wheat field and moved it into the barn with help from Todd Garrelts.

"Clarke used the computer to draft floor plans, select window locations and the views they would afford," Mary said. "He gave special attention to the openness for the movement of air and was especially observant of solar gain and loss."

The plans were provided to the architects, and they suggested refinements and provided blueprints. Once the exterior dimensions were defined and staked, the footings were poured and construction began in October 2002.

The straw was unrolled and cut to specifications, virtually all of it 18 inches thick to form the exterior walls, thick enough to be self-insulating and protect the building from invasion by rodents.

As the layers of straw went up, rebar was driven downward into the straw for stability. Added stability was obtained by wrapping the straw in steel straps. The straw was encapsulated with concrete, penetrating the straw from three-fourths to a full inch in thickness.

The exterior walls were completed in April 2003, six months after the project began. By June, another artisan had covered the exterior in soft suede stucco.

"The house is thermally efficient," Clarke said. Radiant floor heat is fueled by propane. The house has air conditioning that is seldom used, thanks to the thick straw bale walls.

As the stucco was being applied to the outside of the walls, Clarke worked on the interior walls. He experimented extensively with materials and colors to get the desired color and finish for the plaster.

He labored for many hours applying the plaster, letting it dry, then examining it to see if it was what he and Mary wanted.

Because the upper story doesn't extend to the same size as the ground floor, the ceiling in the main living area is 18 feet tall, meaning Clarke worked on scaffolding to apply the ceiling plaster.

In an effort to duplicate Nebraska's sky, three coats were used to achieve the perfect blue. Clarke's work with the interior plastering of the walls and ceilings consumed three years, and he says, "It's not done yet."

At one point, a friend sent them a card that has become a memento of their work and the time they have devoted to the home.

The card's message reads, "Blessed are those that don't need everything immediately."

"We wanted as much as possible to use materials indigenous to this area. Sand used in mixing the plaster came from both the Republican and Platte rivers," Mary said. Much of the wood used in the building came from trees on their property.

"And we have been amazed at the variety of artisans in this area. They have done work that has added beauty to the house," she said.

Metalwork can be seen throughout the house. The front door is made of alder wood taken from the Platte and Republican rivers.

The front lawn was planted in June 2005 with 3,000 plugs of buffalo grass called Legacy, which was developed at the University of Nebraska. The plugs spread so rapidly the entire front lawn was covered by September.

In a letter to an architect, Mary wrote, "We feel our investment in it is worthwhile, and it is in every way a home that is uniquely ours."

[someguy]

Save Energy With Trees

By Ellen Brown


According to the Department of Energy, strategic planting of as few as three trees can provide the average household with an energy savings of between $100-$250 annually. It may be the best long-term investment for reducing heating and cooling costs.
Your overall approach to saving energy with trees depends largely on your geographical location.

Temperate Climates: Maximize the sun's warmth in the winter while utilizing shade in the summer. Protect buildings from wind in the winter and funnel breezes toward them in t he summer.

Hot-Arid Climates: Provide roofs, walls and windows with shade and utilize evapotranspiration (the process by which trees and plants move and releases water vapor) to cool the air around buildings in the summer. Block or deflect winds away from homes that are air-conditioned.

Hot-Humid Climates: Summer breezes should be channeled toward homes in hot-humid climates. Trees should be planted to maximize shade in summer and allow the penetration of low-angle sun in the winter. Avoid locating planting beds too close to the home if they require frequent watering.

Cool Climates: Construct windbreaks to shelter homes from cold winter winds. Plant trees so the low-angled winter sun can reach south facing windows in the winter, and still shade south and west windows from direct sun in the summer to avoid overheating.

Create Summer Shade & Capture Winter

[patpatrick88]

I planted a tree last Earth Day!

[solarpowered]

While I am a very big fan of trees and we do have several surrounding the apartment building I live in. You need to take into consideration that due to the shade your walls will be more humid and this will lead to mold growing on them. Also you will need to turn on the lights more often and that will lead to more electricity being consumed and in the winter due to the shade you will not benefit from the heat that comes from the sun.