| Green Building & Remodeling |
Homeowner Benefits
You may have heard a lot of things about the word Green, it is the latest big buzzword. So, what's in it for you, the home owner, if you decide to pursue a Green remodeling or building project?
Increased Comfort
Green homes subscribe to whole-house design principles that not only make them more comfortable, but healthier and safer, too. Better insulation, air sealing, indoor air quality and lighting are just a few of the reasons why this is true.
Lower Utility Bills
Consumers enjoy the savings gained from lower utility bills. Green building, at any level, typically requires energy efficiency which exceeds building code level. No one can predict exactly what the savings will be for any given home, and home owners, because there are too many variables. Suffice it to say, given the same home and same home owners, a home built to Green standards will be more economical than the one which doesn't adhere to Green standards.
Mortgage Savings
Preferential mortgage rates are available from some lenders. Different programs have various benefits, rules and qualification requirements. Some require Green certification, others require energy ratings. It may behoove the home owner to check with lenders and find out what lenders currently offer.
Reduced Maintenance and Repair Costs
Green homes incorporate building materials and construction details which strive to increase the useful life of the individual components, as well as the whole house. Longer lasting materials not only reduce impact on the resources required for replacement, they minimize landfill use while they also reduce maintenance and repair costs.
Personal
Green building is good for the environment, good for people and good for the future, in so many ways. Consumers who choose Green, should feel good about doing their part to take care of the world in which we all live.
Increased Value
A Green home offers greater durability and energy efficiency, which increase both the initial appraised value of the home and, to an even greater extent, the resale value. While currently these may not be realized without an educational effort directed to appraisers, lenders, and the real estate community, these features can offer real value to the consumer.
The list above is from the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Green Building for Building Professionals, Student Guide. The course is 15 hours long and is part of the requirements to become a Certified Green Building Professional, which we've completed.
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| Certified Green by FGBC, Parade of Homes 2008 |
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| Front porch dressed for the Parade of Homes, No wood on this exterior |
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| Sustainable construction means using long lasting materials: cement siding, stain-able fiberglass front door, paint-able vinyl door and window trim, composite decking |
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And the house is clearly tightly built - my utility bill for March surprised me by how low it was.
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This was only the second home, built in Tallahassee, which was certified Green by the Florida Green Building Coalition. We built it for a wonderful couple, who wanted Green incorporated into their home as much as possible. They were a lot of fun. They spent the two Parade of Homes weekends, with us, greeting and talking to people.
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| Master shower: Green can be beautiful and accessible, bench seat with hand held shower plus standard shower on opposite end |
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| Green Can Be Beautiful: Custom made cabinets and wood flooring using materails and finishes with low or no VOCS, Green is a partner of a modern life style |
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| Green Can be Beautiful: Country kitchen, looks into the family room and dining room with the garden area out back; No VOC paint joins the NO VOC materails and finishes on cabinets and floors |
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| Foam insulation in walls and attic stops air infiltration, increases comfort, no VOC's, superior insulation product |
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| Treat the wood to protect it from termites instead of poisoning the soil; more effective, last longer, doesn't enter the soil or water system |
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| Applied concrete finish, almost unlimited color and design choices, durable enough for the driveway, low VOC's, non-slip finish adds safety to porches when wet, |
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| Efficienct use of a Narrow lot |
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This was the first home certified Green by the Florida Green Building Coalition, in Tallahassee. We built it for a really great guy, who was referred to us because of our history of energy efficient construction and work with solar water heaters and photovoltaic. This 2,100 SF home was built on a vary narrow in-fill lot in town. When he was interviewed, in 2005, he was quoted as saying his average utility bill was $30-$40 per month (Thirty to forty @ month, not a miss-print)
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Commetary & Our Green History
Everyone is jumping on the Green building bandwagon, and it’s certainly about time. Green building and energy efficiency really can’t be divided because it’s all about being efficient with the resources we have, whether they’re building materials or energy resources. The Florida Green Building Coalition has check lists available so anyone can incorporate green building practices and products in their home, whether remodeling or building new. We encourage you to learn as much as you can about green building, green builders, and green Remodelers so you can make your choices wisely. We hope this will be the same way you use the limited resources of our planet. Everyone should know Green buildings can be just as attractive as less efficient ones.
A long time ago, long before anyone called it GREEN I was studying, building and learning more and more about it. A little history:
Back in 1983-84 when I built my own home, it was oriented true sun south, the old fashioned way. We did this by driving stakes in the ground, on site, then plotting and measuring the shadows on the winter and summer solstice along with September and March.
Our first yellow page listing in 1989 said,
“Building Energy Efficient Homes in Harmony with the Environment.”
In 1991, I Completed the Florida Solar Energy Center’s Energy Efficient Florida Home Building course.
For the 1994 Parade of Homes we built a home using PAAC, precision aireated autoclaved concrete. The brand was Hebel. These light weight, energy efficient blocks have long been used in Europe; then the product was brought into this country. This was another company and a process; although they were very good products for resource and energy conservation, they were also somewhat ahead of their time. The company failed along with its competitor, Ytong, which made the same type product in a different configuration. The blocks, however, made a very solid, quiet, energy efficient home.
In 1997 our Parade of Homes entry won the Electrical Energy Efficiency award. This award was aided by inclusion of a solar water heater in this Parade home. This was the first solar water heater, in the state of Florida, installed under the Florida Solar Energy Center’s “Something Free Under the Sun” program. The program was to help builders put solar water heaters in Parade of Homes houses. This was to help build awareness of the efficiency and availability of solar water heaters.
Between 1997 and 2005 we built several homes incorporating photo voltaic systems. These systems employ solar panels which charge storage batteries that provide a portion of the home’s electricity.
In 2005, we built the first home in the Tallahassee area certified Green by the Florida Green Building Coalition. At the time, it was the only home of its type in this area. Our 2008 Parade home is the second.
Green building encompasses a vast array of things. Those mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a wide variety of planning, designs, products, strategies, alternatives and expertise involved in the design and construction of superior homes, which, if done properly, can result in a very comfortable and energy efficient home. Vinyl and wood framed low-e glass windows, insulation products like Icynene foam, and geothermal closed loop heating and cooling systems are just a few of the products and systems one might include, and with which we are well acquainted and experienced.
Green is a banner which can be attributed to many products and companies, but the savvy consumer will look behind the alluring label to see if GREEN is simply a veneer, to increase sales, or a real long term commitment with the experience to back it up and make it work.
1988 was our first year as a licensed contractor, so in 2008 we’re celebrating 20 years of Experience and Learning as a Contractor.
Welcome to Energy Efficient Green Building. After all, there’s only one planet and we’re all in this together. Let’s help others recognize this and realize in the long run, Green choices are the ones that serve us all the best.
Sincerely,
W.M. “Kip” Carpenter, CAPS kip@kipcarpenter.com
CBC 057 502 www.carpentersconstruction.com
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