Tankless Hot Water Heaters

Tankless hot water heaters heat water on demand, rather than keeping gallons of hot water on stand-by, saving homeowners up to 50% on their energy bills. Plus, they're really sleek and compact.



Contact Houseworks Construction Company with questions about purchasing and installing a tankless hot water heater in your home.

Microsoft Hohm

Sign up now to be notified when Microsoft's new free online energy conservation service goes live.

From the website:

With Microsoft Hohm you can better understand your home energy usage, get recommendations to conserve energy and start saving. As with any recommendation engine, Hohm will provide increasingly more accurate and relevant suggestions for energy conservation as its users contribute home energy input and feedback.

For more information, read treehugger's informative post here.

Green Blocks Pilot Project

If you're friendly with your neighbors, get the word out about the Green Block Pilot Project, a program sponsored by the Environmental Outreach and Stewardship Alliance (EOS). EOS is recruiting Seattle homeowners to participate in free home environmental performance assessments from July 6 through August 21.

From their website:
These are the same professional assessments that cost $400 to $600 and include evaluations of home energy, water, fossil fuel, solid waste, and landscaping efficiency. Each participating home owner will receive a report outlining home performance; recommended improvements; applicable grants, rebates, and tax incentives; and available services and training.

The more homeowners in the same block that apply, the greater that chance of being chosen to participate.

Apply here.

Ideal Bite

Want tips on green living? Subscribe to Ideal Bite, a daily e-newsletter featuring green topics as diverse as pool covers to how to fix a leaky faucet.

Chose from Daily Tips, tips for Mamas or get city-specific and sign up for Seattle Tips.

You never know what you might learn that will help reduce your carbon footprint!

Ecohaus sells green building materials

Ecohaus, with locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Portland, has a fantastic selection of green building materials, from flooring to insulation.

According to an article in the May 2009 issue of Qualified Remodeler, Green Editor John D. Wagner writes that there are five benchmarks for a product to be considered green. Those are, it improves outdoor air quality, uses recycled and/or recyclable materials, reduces water consumption, is sustainably harvested and reduces fuel consumption during its manufacture, delivery, installation and use.

At Ecohaus, you'll find formaldehyde free plywood, 100% recycled-content insulation, non-toxic Marmoleum flooring and more that fit into the green product paradigm that Wagner explains.

Visit our links page for more eco-friendly companies that we endorse.

REX Awards

We've got a house up for consideration for a REX or Remodeling Excellence Award.

The Olney residence in Phinney Ridge:







From the Master Builders website:

Your 2009 REX Awards committee has come up with the theme, "A Night of Brilliance, Elegance and Excellence."Brilliance" invokes a 10-carat diamond, the gemstone traditionally associated with a 100-year anniversary; "Elegance" sets the tone for the upcoming evening; and "Excellence" well, excellence is REX's middle name.

REX is the time to recognize and honor the thinking, planning and hands-on doing that goes into creating the spaces homeowners dream about. And it's also the time to inspire and encourage those who are new this innovative profession.

Join us as we celebrate the best local remodeling projects. Only those with reservations will know the passion and the glamour of this year's event.

Formal attire is encouraged

The awards banquet takes place on Saturday, June 20 at 5 p.m. at the Lynnwood Convention Center
3711 196th St S.W.
Lynnwood, WA 98036

Cost is $100 for members, $110 for non members before June 16.

Click here for more info.

What is Green building?

Green building is ultimately about the relationship of a home and its occupants to the world around them. It is a process of design and construction that fosters conservation of energy and other natural resources, and promotes a healthy personal and global environment.

Houseworks Construction Company stays up-to-date on the growing variety of building strategies and skills that conserve natural resources while providing maximum benefit to the homeowner — such as lower costs and healthier environment.

We are informed on forward-thinking conservation methods:

* More efficient estimating
* Advanced framing techniques
* Usage of sustainable materials
* Water saving plumbing devices
* Recycling methods of job site waste
* Utilization of durable products to reduce waste
* Recycling content products which reuse natural resource

Our mission is to keep you aware to avoid/limit use of hazardous materials:

* Low V.O.C. paints
* Whole house ventilation systems
* Products containing harmful off gassing materials, such as certain carpets, and particleboard containing urea formaldehyde.

Here is a diagram of what elements go into the greening of a house:


Click here for a larger version.