Housekeeping Channel - For the Home You Keep.  The Resource for Better, Faster, Healthier Housekeeping.
Forgot your password?
My House USER NAME
PASSWORD
REMEMBER ME

Follow us on Twitter

 

Article

Carpet Industry Supports 'Cash for Caulkers' Legislation

Seeing it as a way to increase sales and put people back to work in the carpet industry, the Carpet and Rug Institute is pleased with a proposed new federal program that gives homeowners a tax credit for making energy-efficient home improvements.

 

article continues below ↓

The legislation, called the Home Star program, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and similar bills are pending in the Senate. The program is supported by President Obama and has been playfully called "Cash for Caulkers" in homage to Obama's earlier "Cash for Clunkers" auto industry stimulus.

 

Carpet is a natural fit for the Home Star program, as it has long been recognized as the only floor covering to measurably improve the R-value (thermal resistance) of floors. The R-value measures how much a material resists the movement of heat through a ceiling, wall, or floor in a building. The higher the number, the more effective the insulation. Recent research conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as independent scientific studies, have demonstrated that carpet increases the R-value, or insulation level, of the carpeted area, compared to other flooring materials.

 

"The enhanced R-value realized with the use of carpet can actually contribute to energy savings and lower utility costs," said Carpet and Rug Institute Vice-President Frank Hurd.

 

"In the Home Star bill, carpet would help homeowners qualify for the highest-level "Gold Star" $3000 tax credit reserved for renovations that result in an overall 20 percent energy savings," Hurd said.

 

The Carpet and Rug Institute
Bethany Richmond
Communications Manager
email: brichmond@carpet-rug.org
phone: 706.428.2125

Carpet Industry Supports 'Cash for Caulkers' Legislation:  Created on June 14th, 2010.  Last Modified on January 21st, 2014

 

About The Carpet and Rug Institute

The Carpet and Rug InstituteThe Carpet and Rug Institute, headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, is the national trade association for the carpet and rug industry. Its members are manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers, representing over 90% of all carpet produced in the United States. CRI is the source for science-based information and insight into how carpet and rugs can create a better environment — for living, working, learning and healing. For more information, visit the CRI Blog.