No flooring product has zero impact on our planet, but some green materials are better than others. I have listed a few of the eco friendlier options you might use in your home with both the pros and the considerations that need to be pondered. Bamboo is one eco friendly option. Bamboo is a fast growing grass that can be selectively harvested annually. It is extremely durable and harder than red oak and maple, has 50% less contraction and expansion than wood and is a renewable resource. Cork is another eco friendly renewable resource material made out of the bark of the cork oak tree. Only the bark is used so the tree does not have to be cut down. Cork is great because it often contains recycled content, is easy to clean if properly sealed and gives great foot support. Rubber is another new eco friendly flooring material available these days. Virgin rubber is derived from rubber trees, a renewable resource; recycled rubber reduces the environmental burden of discarded tires.
Linoleum uses the same ingredients today as when it was invented in 1863, linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments, all pressed onto a jute backing. The ingredients are renewable items and often are recycled content, which is good for the planet. Stone is another option to consider for the kitchen. It is a natural resource and a very durable material. Stone, however, is a finite resource, can result in using significant embodied energy if the stone is mined or fabricated overseas and, if the stone requires sealing, the sealers can produce potentially harmful VOC emissions. Tile is another eco friendly durable material if you use tiles that contain recycled content. Tiles are durable, easy to clean and can use recycled materials like broken window panes and recycled granite dust. They do use though a significant amount of energy to fire and transport so try to make sure to look for local sources and make sure they use recycled content. Advantage Development Co. is a Custom Home Builder in Asheville NC that believes in using eco friendly building materials. Call us today at 828-215-9064 or visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ and learn why we are the local builder of choice.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Asheville NC Custom Builder Builds Green and Lives Green
Green buildings reduce the impact on the environment, with innovative design techniques that improve the quality and performance of the buildings. More and more people are increasingly inclined to adopt green values to their old and new homes and are also insisting on the governments incorporating them in public places. One of the primary reasons for this growing awareness is energy saving and thereby reduced energy bills. It also makes safer homes for children and more productive places for employees. For environmentalists, it is reducing global warming or the greenhouse effect on a war footing. Global warming is already making its presence felt by unseasonable rains, the increase in summer temperatures and a decrease in winter temperatures.
In the U.S.A, more than half of the energy is consumed by buildings and constructions. Buildings emit more than one-third of Carbon dioxide, consume one-fourth of the worlds wood harvest and 17% of the worlds freshwater resources. In North America more than one-third of the landfills are occupied by building debris. This type of environment crushing pollution can be mitigated by a large extent with building techniques that provide better bargains and costs.
Home energy costs rank next to mortgage bills. Energy savings are assured throughout the life of a green building. Power companies give energy credits for green buildings and tax benefits are also available. In a recent survey in the U.S, it has been found out that home market value increases by 20 dollars for every dollar decrease in a power utility bill. Advantage Development Co. in Asheville NC is a Certified Green Builder and believes in Living Green. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder.
In the U.S.A, more than half of the energy is consumed by buildings and constructions. Buildings emit more than one-third of Carbon dioxide, consume one-fourth of the worlds wood harvest and 17% of the worlds freshwater resources. In North America more than one-third of the landfills are occupied by building debris. This type of environment crushing pollution can be mitigated by a large extent with building techniques that provide better bargains and costs.
Home energy costs rank next to mortgage bills. Energy savings are assured throughout the life of a green building. Power companies give energy credits for green buildings and tax benefits are also available. In a recent survey in the U.S, it has been found out that home market value increases by 20 dollars for every dollar decrease in a power utility bill. Advantage Development Co. in Asheville NC is a Certified Green Builder and believes in Living Green. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Asheville NC Custom Builder explains LEED Green Building Certification
When you have built a home or other building using environmentally safe Green Building materials and products, you may be eligible for a LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This group was created by the United States Green Building Council and the aim is to make all Green Building projects of the highest quality and ensure that all the necessary standards are being met to make it environmentally friendly. The LEED certification that you will receive if your building has a good enough rating comes in the form of a plaque stating that your building is a safe and healthy place to live or work in and that it is profitable and safe to the environment. Green Building is not only about preserving the environment and saving water as well as other resources, but it actually promotes a healthier lifestyle because you and your family will not be breathing in dangerous formaldehyde or other toxic compounds anymore.
The LEED certification is based on 4 levels from (certified), which is the lowest level to (platinum) status which is the highest level. It is easy to register for LEED online and if you think your building has everything that the LEED certification team of experts is looking for then you can benefit financially as well. The main aspects that LEED will look for in a Green Building is its sustainability, if it had low operating costs and a high asset value, if the amount of waste to the landfill was reduced by recycling or reusing certain parts, if it conserves water and energy (perhaps by having solar panels fitted), and whether it reduces harmful toxins and gas emissions. Advantage Development Co. is a custom home builder in Asheville NC and has a LEED Certified Rater that can have your new home LEED Certified. LEED Certification is the U.S. Green Building Council National standard and is the highest level green building rating available. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ or call 828-215-9064 to set-up a free consultation.
The LEED certification is based on 4 levels from (certified), which is the lowest level to (platinum) status which is the highest level. It is easy to register for LEED online and if you think your building has everything that the LEED certification team of experts is looking for then you can benefit financially as well. The main aspects that LEED will look for in a Green Building is its sustainability, if it had low operating costs and a high asset value, if the amount of waste to the landfill was reduced by recycling or reusing certain parts, if it conserves water and energy (perhaps by having solar panels fitted), and whether it reduces harmful toxins and gas emissions. Advantage Development Co. is a custom home builder in Asheville NC and has a LEED Certified Rater that can have your new home LEED Certified. LEED Certification is the U.S. Green Building Council National standard and is the highest level green building rating available. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ or call 828-215-9064 to set-up a free consultation.
Asheville NC Custom Builder helps clients Choose Energy Saving Roofs
Changing just the color of a roof can cool it by 80°F and cut energy bills by up to 40%.
Depending on a roofs color and location, roof temperatures can easily reach 190°F, and dark roofs absorb as much as 95% of the suns heat, which can dramatically jack up cooling costs. Studies by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Florida Solar Energy Center show that cool roofs result in up to 40% energy savings. They estimate that about $750 million in utility-bill savings could be realized each year in the United States through cool-roof technology. A roof is generally considered a (cool roof), if its components and design lower roof temperatures by 50°F to 60°F. The chemical company BASF cites studies showing that when a black roof has a surface temperature of 190°F, an identical white roof in the same setting will be just 110°F. (At the Energy Star site, you can calculate savings by roof type.) But you really do not need a scientific study to know that black roofs are hotter than lighter-colored roofs (or tile roof systems that allow air to flow beneath them).
Yet many builders and contractors will not risk putting a light-colored roof on a spec home (and buyers seem loath to select them as options), because light roofs are not fashionable, and buyers fear difficulty re-selling a home with a roof that sticks out like a sore thumb.But now, with the advance of roofing technology, especially from 3M and BASF, a number of cool-roof options (reflective coatings for metal roofs, reflective granules for three-tab shingles, and reflective cool-roof concrete tile systems) are available that allow you to spec or offer cool roofs sheathed with dark-looking shingles. These technologies join widely available radiant barrier products, like LPs very effective TechShield radiant barrier. So, good-looking, high-performing cool roofs are within reach. They just take some work to spec and source, and they cost more up front, sometimes four times as much as traditional shingle roofs. Therefore, the challenge for builders is to achieve a premium market price for their higher-cost cool roofs, by explaining to home buyers that a return on their investment will be realized through years of lower utility bills. Visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why Advantage Development Co. is the best builder in Asheville and the surrounding WNC area.
Depending on a roofs color and location, roof temperatures can easily reach 190°F, and dark roofs absorb as much as 95% of the suns heat, which can dramatically jack up cooling costs. Studies by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Florida Solar Energy Center show that cool roofs result in up to 40% energy savings. They estimate that about $750 million in utility-bill savings could be realized each year in the United States through cool-roof technology. A roof is generally considered a (cool roof), if its components and design lower roof temperatures by 50°F to 60°F. The chemical company BASF cites studies showing that when a black roof has a surface temperature of 190°F, an identical white roof in the same setting will be just 110°F. (At the Energy Star site, you can calculate savings by roof type.) But you really do not need a scientific study to know that black roofs are hotter than lighter-colored roofs (or tile roof systems that allow air to flow beneath them).
Yet many builders and contractors will not risk putting a light-colored roof on a spec home (and buyers seem loath to select them as options), because light roofs are not fashionable, and buyers fear difficulty re-selling a home with a roof that sticks out like a sore thumb.But now, with the advance of roofing technology, especially from 3M and BASF, a number of cool-roof options (reflective coatings for metal roofs, reflective granules for three-tab shingles, and reflective cool-roof concrete tile systems) are available that allow you to spec or offer cool roofs sheathed with dark-looking shingles. These technologies join widely available radiant barrier products, like LPs very effective TechShield radiant barrier. So, good-looking, high-performing cool roofs are within reach. They just take some work to spec and source, and they cost more up front, sometimes four times as much as traditional shingle roofs. Therefore, the challenge for builders is to achieve a premium market price for their higher-cost cool roofs, by explaining to home buyers that a return on their investment will be realized through years of lower utility bills. Visit our website at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why Advantage Development Co. is the best builder in Asheville and the surrounding WNC area.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Asheville NC Custom Builder Talks about Energy Tax Credits
Tax credits are now available for home improvements:
They must be "placed in service" from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. Must be for taxpayer's principal residence. $1,500 is the maximum total amount that can be claimed for all products placed in service in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and windmills which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016. Must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement to qualify. Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010), use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version), it will be available late 2009 or early 2010.
If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters. Advantage Development Co. in Asheville, NC is a certified green builder and Energy Star partner. Call us today at 828.215.9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder. Need "Green" Certification on that new home? We are a LEED Certified Green Builder.
They must be "placed in service" from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. Must be for taxpayer's principal residence. $1,500 is the maximum total amount that can be claimed for all products placed in service in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements, EXCEPT for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and windmills which are not subject to this cap, and are in effect through 2016. Must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement to qualify. Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010), use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version), it will be available late 2009 or early 2010.
If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters. Advantage Development Co. in Asheville, NC is a certified green builder and Energy Star partner. Call us today at 828.215.9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder. Need "Green" Certification on that new home? We are a LEED Certified Green Builder.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Asheville NC Custom Builder Helps Homeowners Position Skylights
A variety of skylight shapes exist for sloping or flat roofs. Some skylight shafts exert nearly as much influence over the energy properties as the actual skylight itself. Sky lighting may take the form of general glazed areas such as atria, attached conservatories or sun spaces. In this form roof lights are less likely to be factory-manufactured items and more likely to be constructed on-site. Excellent day lighting is provided by skylights which have the potential to displace much artificial lighting, improving light quality, reducing heat generation and saving on energy costs. Under an unobstructed, overcast sky the amount of light, or luminance, from directly above (the zenith) is about three times as much as from the horizon.
A skylight can admit more than three times as much light as a vertical window of the same size. While this performance differential may be reduced in reality (ex. by a long shaft), in most situations a skylight has the potential to be a very effective day lighting device. Even under overcast conditions use of skylights can result in spaces that can be predominantly daylit with little supplementary artificial lighting required. Additional energy needed for space heating and cooling because of thermal movement through larger window areas will be minimized. The right size of skylight admits just enough light for the job and no more. Several methods exist for helping to decide on the size and spacing of skylights. Advantage Development Co. In Asheville, NC has extensive experience in the sizing & placement of skylights in your new custom home. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder.
A skylight can admit more than three times as much light as a vertical window of the same size. While this performance differential may be reduced in reality (ex. by a long shaft), in most situations a skylight has the potential to be a very effective day lighting device. Even under overcast conditions use of skylights can result in spaces that can be predominantly daylit with little supplementary artificial lighting required. Additional energy needed for space heating and cooling because of thermal movement through larger window areas will be minimized. The right size of skylight admits just enough light for the job and no more. Several methods exist for helping to decide on the size and spacing of skylights. Advantage Development Co. In Asheville, NC has extensive experience in the sizing & placement of skylights in your new custom home. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we are the better builder.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Asheville NC Custom Builder explains SEER Ratings
SEER stands for the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The higher the SEER rating of a unit, the more energy efficient it is. The SEER rating is the Btu of cooling output during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy. SEER is determined in a laboratory setting to rate the efficiency of the equipment only. It is also important to remember that SEER is only speaking to the efficiency of the cooling capacity of the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) In the home or small office with a handful of computers, HVAC is more for human comfort than the machines. In large data centers, a humidity-free room with a steady, cool temperature is essential for the trouble-free equipment. There are other components of an HVAC system that also affect the efficiency of the system. Think of it this way: You could buy a Toyota Prius that is rated to get 55mpg, but if you load it down with 5 people, poke a few holes in the gas tank, and never change the fuel filter, you'll be fortunate to get 25mpg.
Duct leakage also results in a large decrease in your system's overall efficiency. What would happen to the system's efficiency if it was pulling thirty percent of its return air from the attic, instead of the living space? Do you think it would cause the efficiency to go down? You bet! What if your supply duct work was losing 25 percent of its air into the attic or crawl space? What would this do to the efficiency of your system? This equates to having a hole in the gas tank of your Toyota Prius--not a good idea. Duct leakage also decreases (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality considerably by pulling in air from unhealthy places.
Studies show that less than two percent of residential HVAC systems have been properly air-balanced. The average residential HVAC system performs at 50 to 65 percent of its rated efficiency, due to the imbalance of airflow, excessive duct leakage, lack of insulation, and improper charge. This means that your brand new 19 SEER unit that is installed onto improperly designed ductwork may be performing at a 9.5 to 12.5 SEER Rating. Advantage Development Co. has third party experts that verify the quality of construction that goes into your new custom home, assuring that every system operates to peak performance thus saving you the most energy. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we should be your next builder in Asheville, NC and surrounding Western North Carolina.
Duct leakage also results in a large decrease in your system's overall efficiency. What would happen to the system's efficiency if it was pulling thirty percent of its return air from the attic, instead of the living space? Do you think it would cause the efficiency to go down? You bet! What if your supply duct work was losing 25 percent of its air into the attic or crawl space? What would this do to the efficiency of your system? This equates to having a hole in the gas tank of your Toyota Prius--not a good idea. Duct leakage also decreases (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality considerably by pulling in air from unhealthy places.
Studies show that less than two percent of residential HVAC systems have been properly air-balanced. The average residential HVAC system performs at 50 to 65 percent of its rated efficiency, due to the imbalance of airflow, excessive duct leakage, lack of insulation, and improper charge. This means that your brand new 19 SEER unit that is installed onto improperly designed ductwork may be performing at a 9.5 to 12.5 SEER Rating. Advantage Development Co. has third party experts that verify the quality of construction that goes into your new custom home, assuring that every system operates to peak performance thus saving you the most energy. Visit us today at http://www.advdevco.com/ and see why we should be your next builder in Asheville, NC and surrounding Western North Carolina.
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