Every now and again we come across a product that impresses us so much that we’re compelled to blog about it. Enter: the ecobee home thermostat. We’re sure you’ve heard of Google Nest, which seems to be the most well-known smart thermostat. Over time, we’ve come to prefer ecobee’s digital thermostat for a variety of […]
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Where Does America’s Energy Come From and How to Make the Best Energy Choice for Your Own Home
It’s time for a history lesson! No, don’t click away…we promise that this is super interesting – especially if you’re considering updating your HVAC or hot water systems in the near future. Over the past 100+ years, energy consumption and sources in the United States have evolved. For example, there was a huge shift in […]
Whole Home Remodel/Expansion Part 3: Building an Airtight Addition – Blower Door Testing
What was once simply empty space above the garage has now been completely framed out. Entering the space, the homeowners can now see where their new office, bathroom and guest bedroom will be. It’s starting to come together! In our last blog, we discussed framing and insulation. The next step is to make sure the […]
Choosing Electric Over Gas
At steveworks, we always recommend the most efficient and cleanest products to our clients – whether it’s building materials, appliances, deck materials, or even heat pumps. These decisions often involve tradeoffs, as carbon impact, price, aesthetics, comfort, recycled content etc. don’t always dictate the same solution. However, in the case of gas vs. electricity the […]
The Story Behind a Newton Accessory Apartment: Appliances
For some homeowners, remodeling a kitchen and choosing appliances means going “bigger” – double ovens, 6-8 burners on the stovetop, or adding a steam oven or warming drawer. In the case of our accessory apartment, bigger doesn’t mean better. Instead, we chose appliances that are not only appropriately sized for the space and amount of […]
The Story Behind and Accessory Apartment: HVAC
Work continues on the Accessory Apartment we’ve been blogging about over the last couple of months. The project is really starting to come together! A few weeks ago we installed the HVAC system now that the walls are up and the unit is insulated. The main section of the home has a gas fired furnace […]
Heat Pump Water Heaters are Efficient and Save Money
Water heaters aren’t something that many of us spend much time thinking about…until there’s an emergency and a bit of a flood in the basement if you have a tank heater. However, from an energy efficient perspective, there’s actually been a lot of progress in water heaters. According to U.S Department of Energy, water heaters […]
Building Better, More Energy Efficient, Walls
You probably don’t give a lot of thought to wall construction, but here at steveworks, we give it A LOT of thought. In fact, there are many ways to build a wall, but not all of them are… Up to official Massachusetts code standards Energy efficient Keeping best “green building” practices in mind Using low […]
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of a Remodeling Project
Last month we attended the BuildingEnergy Boston Conference at the Westin Waterfront hotel. Attended by builders, remodelers, and energy experts, the focus of the conference is to learn and share new ideas and research on sustainable, “green” building and high-performance building. In other words – it’s a conference about everything we believe in here at steveworks. […]
Don’t Ignore Your Tankless Water Heater: Yearly Maintenance Reminder
Aaaaahhhh the tankless water heater. Conjuring images of hot, steamy showers and luxurious baths…even after all the kids have bathed. Tankless water heaters promise an endless supply of hot water. Plus, there’s the energy savings that comes along with a system that isn’t required to keep a huge tank of water hot, and the water […]