Air Quality is Important in that New Home

Indoor air pollution, the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials, can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because contained areas enable potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces do. With new homes being built tighter and more energy efficient, this can be a real concern. If you do not analyze all of the actual building materials that go into your home you could be breathing in toxic chemicals for years to come after moving into that nice, new home.

You may think indoor air pollution does not apply to you. After all, you live nowhere near a highway, farm or industrial plant. You do not smoke and you do not use a wood-burning stove. But indoor air pollution comes from some places you would not normally think of, like your house (building materials), the land it is sitting on (radon leakage, here in the mountains) and everyday items you can purchase at the store (chemical cleaning agents). In addition, if you consider that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, and around 65 percent inside their homes in particular, you can see why indoor air pollution is an important issue. Advantage Development Co. is a certified green home builder and can build you that new home while assuring you indoor air quality (IAQ) will be of the highest levels possible on a new home in the Asheville area. Visit us today at www.AdvDevCo.com to learn more about us, and why we build better homes.

Asheville Builder shares about Tax Credit Changes

First off, let me start by saying that North Carolina state government has renewed the 35% renewable energy tax credit for active solar, PV, passive solar, and other renewable energy systems. Coupled with the 30% federal tax credit (which now thanks to the stimulus has no cap for individuals), this is now a 65% off discount on these technologies if you pay enough taxes to use the credits. Remember, tax credits are directly subtracted from the tax amount you owe the feds and state, and you can roll the deduction forward for up to five years if you fail to use it all in the first year.

The major new change is that geothermal has been added to the list of renewables for the first time. There is a cap, but it is pretty high ($8400 on the credit) so many small/medium systems will not reach the cap. At 65% off, the price of a geothermal system can look a lot like the price for a high-efficiency air-source heat pump. And a geothermal system with a water to water heat exchanger to replace a boiler system powered by oil or propane can look like a fast payback. I will not just throw out numbers because different home sites will vary a lot, but if you pay taxes, geothermal should be very seriously considered for both new homes and upgrades of existing homes. Visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about us and custom home building.

Asheville Builder shares on Exterior Wall Debate

There has been an ongoing debate about energy efficiency of exterior walls (2x4 or 2x6), which is better? In terms of wood used, if both have the same stud spacing, the 2x6 obviously uses more wood. But if you can go up to 24inch on center for the 2x6 walls, it is about the same volume of wood used. (About 1/3 less due to spacing, but 1/3 more due to thickness). Some drywall installers complain, but there is no problem here, sheetrock does just fine with 24inch spacing of studs.

In terms of R-value, 2x4 will get you between R-13 and R-15 for most cavity insulations, and 2x6 can give you R-19 to 23. From an insulation standpoint, you're obviously better off with the higher R-value. Another option is to use 2x4 walls but apply a rigid foam board to the exterior sheathing, thus upping the R-value of a 2x4 wall to about R-18. This can also be done for 2x6 walls, giving you a new R-Value of about R-24. There are some considerations when using exterior foam board that relate to attachment of your siding so be careful. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning builder here in Asheville always ready to discuss design considerations with our new home clients. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more.

Asheville Custom Builder Explains FSC Certification

The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. This impressive goal has in many ways been achieved, yet there is more work to be done. FSC sets forth principles, criteria, and standards that span economic, social, and environmental concerns. The FSC standards represent the world’s strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes. Like the forestry profession itself, the FSC system includes stakeholders with a diverse array of perspectives on what represents a well-managed and sustainable forest. While the discussion continues, the FSC standards for forest management have now been applied in over 57 countries around the world. Advantage Development Co. is a certified green custom home builder in Asheville NC and always strives to only use FSC certified wood in the fine homes we build. Visit us today at www.AdvDevCo.com to learn more about us.

Asheville NC Custom Builder talks Green Cabinetry

What is the difference between a conventional kitchen cabinet and one that is green certified? They all look the same but if you have done your homework you will know that there is a difference. Green products do not pollute your home with unhealthy chemicals and they are made using materials that take the environment into account. Some day eco-friendly cabinets will be the norm, but as of now we need to look a little harder to find products that are truly green. Green kitchen cabinets may cost more because not all manufacturers are using FSC certified hardwood or formaldehyde-free substrates. Certified Wood has been certified by an independent third-party to indicate that it has been grown and harvested using environmentally responsible practices. FSC indicates that wood has met environmental forest management standards.

What makes a kitchen healthy? Most cabinets are not very health-friendly. Most of them are made from ply-wood or pressboard covered with a veneer or a laminate. Plywood and pressboard are glued together, most often with glue that contains formaldehyde, which gives off noxious fumes. Cabinets are a major source of pollution in your home. Often wood used in cabinet-making comes from an environmentally unsustainable and sometimes illegal source. It will be up you to use to ask for products that do not contain unhealthy substances such as urea formaldehyde and vinyl. Be prepared to insist that your wood is FSC certified or that reclaimed woods are being used. Advantage Development Co. has been an award winning custom builder in Asheville since 1990 and likes educating clients on home building materials such as green cabinetry. Visit us today at www.AdvDevco.com to learn more about us.

Asheville NC Custom Builder shares on Net Zero Homes

By 2015, if General Electric has their way, all our homes will be running on smart grids with mini-turbines and solar panels to produce electricity, consuming zero net energy in the process. GE says that their smart energy system, dubbed the Net Zero Home project, will center around a $250 central management hub that will allow all of a home's networked appliances and on-site power-producing equipment talk to each other, as well as to the smart grid outside the home. As an Asheville Custom Home Builder and certified green professional we have embraced new green technology, employing it in all of our new construction when possible, providing our clients with more sustainable, higher quality, more efficient homes. Visit Advantage Development Co. on the web at www.AdvDevCo.com or call us today at (828)-215-9064 for a free consultation, you will be glad you did.

Asheville NC Custom Builder shares on Cork Flooring

The very best material for avoiding damage from denting and dog claws is cork flooring. We have heard this time and again from dog owners. Where wood and bamboo are durable because they are hard, cork is durable because it is resilient, it yields under the pressure of the dogs claw and then returns to its original shape. And cork is naturally quiet, warm, hypoallergenic, fire resistant, a great alternative to conventional carpet, yet as long lasting as a wood floor. Nova Cork flooring products are even FSC-certified! Advantage Development Co. is an Award Winning Custom Home Builder in Asheville NC now in our second decade of building fine luxury homes. We love educating our clients on new sustainable, eco friendly green building materials that are durable and healthier for your new home. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about us and why we are better.