WHY SHOULD I BUILD OR BUY A GREEN BUILT HOME?
Q:        Why should I build or buy a Green Built Home?

A:        Green Built Homes are superior products: they save money on monthly utility bills and maintenance expenses, provide better indoor air quality and give homeowners and their families a sense of pride and well-being in knowing that their home has a reduced impact on our environment. In addition, Green Built Homes are more comfortable, durable, healthier, and safer.

Q:        How can Green Built Homes maintain improved indoor air quality?

A:        Poor indoor air quality can affect the health of a home's inhabitants, potentially aggravating existing health conditions such as asthma and allergies. Indoor air quality is influenced by a variety of factors including moisture, ventilation, off-gassing building materials and high volumes of airborne particles.

    * Moisture - Excessive moisture can lead to mold growth, which has been making many headlines lately. The best way to prevent excessive moisture is to ensure that a building's envelope is properly sealed and to provide adequate ventilation. Proper installation and maintenance is of utmost importance. It may also be necessary to regulate the humidity in a home with a humidifier or dehumidifier. The EPA recommends that the indoor humidity be maintained in the range of 30-50%.
    * Ventilation - Proper ventilation means a controlled, regular introduction of fresh air into a home and the exhausting of stale moist air from the home. Drafty windows and electrical sockets are not adequate modes of ventilation! When properly designed natural ventilation is not sufficient, mechanical ventilation is a must. There are a variety of potentially dangerous gasses commonly found in a home. Carbon monoxide can enter a home through the door to the garage, and measures should be taken to weather seal or otherwise close the garage off from the living space. Radon is a naturally-occurring carcinogenic gas that can enter a home through the foundation. Radon mitigation measures can be taken when foundation drainage is installed. Ventilation can prevent these health hazards from accumulating in your living space.

Q:        What are Green features that you incorporate into your homes?

A:        We incorporate many Green features into our homes including:
            * Programmable Thermostats
            * Recycling Bin Center
            * Low Maintenance Materials
            * Energy Star Appliances
            * Water Saving Plumbing Fixtures
            * Housewrap all Exterior Walls
            * Sprayed Foam Insulation around all Exterior Penetrations
            * Sprayed Foam Insulation in Sill Spaces
            * I-Joists instead of Dimensional Lumber