We are going to bite the bullet and start remodeling our house. With the economic downturn, we have decided that this is the more fiscally responsible thing for us to do (as opposed to demolishing and rebuilding). I have already started ripping up a basement hallway, bathroom and closets and I built my first wall! As part of the overhaul, our very old dinosaur oil furnaces, air conditioning unit and water heater are going to be hauled out for good. In their place we are having a local contractor install a geothermal heating solution that will replace our furnaces, air-conditioner and it will aid in heating our hot water with power harnessed from our lake. No more costly oil deliveries! Our “carbon foot print will decrease significantly as a result. While the cost is more than a conventional system, the project will completely pay for itself in 5 years (in part thanks to Federal Tax initiatives promoting alternative energy solutions!) Stay tuned for pictures and future commentary on this project.
