Mike Keliher's Profile

Pardon the self-serving nature of this comment (Marvin Windows is a client of mine), but I think it's relevant:

What qualifies and what doesn't is a bit of a complex issue because there are so many variables that determine a window's efficiency: type, size, glass options, etc. The PDFs here break down which products qualify and which don't: http://marvin.com/?page=Tax_Credit

You can find all sorts of additional information on EnergyStar.gov and the National Fenestration Rating Council's site.

(For the word geeks in the house, "fenestration" means "makin' windows": http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fenestration)

My wife likes to hang on to a lot of stuff. I'm much more likely to clear out the clutter. It's an ongoing process of accumulation, getting fed up and then getting rid of a lot of stuff. That's life, I suppose.

And like Charlotte said above, books are the exception. Books, books and more books. There's no such thing as "too many books," in my mind -- just "not enough bookshelves." :)

Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House and other "bigger is not better" books, talks a lot about how to take inventory of the rooms and spaces in your home and how to analyze that space to make sure you're getting the most of it. Some of her ideas might be helpful: http://marvinblog.com/remodeling-using-quality-over-quantity

I'm no expert in this area, but I know you can spray paint without using a can of spray paint (I assume the badness comes from the propellants that come out of the spray can or something like that, right?).

http://www.google.com/products?q=paint sprayers

Windows and doors, insulation, solar energy systems, hybrid cars and more all can qualify for a tax credit, too. More info in the Q&A post from Kathy's Remodeling blog found here: http://marvinblog.com/link-love-carbon-offsets-remodeling-tax-credits-and-more