CHB
Custom Green Home builders offers
you, the new home owner, the
opportunity to
Build a Green
Home so you can...
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conserve energy (and reduce energy
costs),
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improve indoor air quality,
•
dramatically reduce your home’s
ecological footprint (impact) on the
environment
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and save money
CHB Custom Homes first green home with smart home technology built in Thomasville and the South Georgia Area.
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Did you know?
Typical building construction, use,
and demolition, as well as the
manufacturing of building materials,
contribute significantly to
environmental problems. In the
United States, buildings account for
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Despite all these intensive inputs, we
are not constructing healthy buildings.
More than 30% of buildings in the US
have poor indoor air quality, a serious
problem given that most people spend
about 90% of their time indoors. A 1990
study by the American Medical
Association and the U.S. Army found that
indoor air quality problems cost U.S.
businesses 150 million workdays and
about $15 billion in productivity losses
each year. The World Health Organization
puts the losses at close to $60 billion.
By the year 2010, another 38 million
buildings are expected to be
constructed in the US, bringing our
country’s total to over 100 million.
The challenge is to build those new
buildings, and renovate the older
ones, in ways that reverse these
unhealthy trends. Fortunately, there
are ways we – as consumers,
designers, builders and product
manufacturers – can respond to this
challenge. By building green, we can
assist in preserving natural
habitats, watersheds, and
ecosystems, protect air and water
quality, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and solid waste, all while
conserving natural resources and
creating healthier indoor and
outdoor environments.
Green building also has tangible
economic and public health benefits.
These include lower operating costs
via reduced energy and water utility
bills, and reduced maintenance and
replacement costs due to greater
durability of materials. The use of
non-toxic materials in residential
construction is especially important
in protecting children from
respiratory and other diseases.
In
commercial settings, green building
results in improved occupant health
and comfort (primarily due to indoor
air quality measures and
daylighting) which in turn leads to
higher produc-tivity, less
absenteeism, and reduced insurance
costs and liability risk. On the hierarchy of human needs, shelter is second only to food. Everyone wants a place to live. One of the best and easiest ways to lessen the impact on the planet of fulfilling that need is to build environmentally-sound structures. Not only can we improve the global environment, building green can improve your local environment.
• Expanded foam insulation • Airtight Building Envelope • Housewrap to create a tighter envelope • Decreased drainage and grading costs due to the maximization of the home site’s natural topography • Tankless water heaters • Air exchangersAll of these features add up to significantly lower energy bills. Today, green building is approached as a holistic concept, with environmentally friendly practices integrated into every aspect of the green building process. CHB Custom Homes can recommend and implement strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. So, how exactly do you go green when building a home? When you use materials that are recycled, more durable, renewable or readily replenished (such as bamboo), healthier (such as low Voc or water based finishes), and locally-produced, you are “going green.” And how do you save money? Many of these products are comparable in cost, less expensive initially, or less expensive in the long run because of increased longevity, better performance, and lower maintenance needs. Below are some areas on which to focus your attention when building your home. Home Site & Land Use: The location of the home and how the land is developed has a significant environmental, financial, and social impact. Below are a few examples of techniques that can be used to reduce that impact. For more information and suggestions, visit CHB Custom Built Homes Sitting and Land Use Checklist. • Build on an infill lot in an established residential area or a brownfield (land re-use) development. • Build within 0.5 miles of a school, transit stop, or shopping. • Build a rear, side entry, or no garage. • Build a patio, porch, or deck located on south side of house to create a sunny, wind- sheltered outdoor space Landscape Conservation & Storm Water Management: As you know, the construction process usually greatly disturbs the site landscape. However, steps can be taken to reduce that disturbance. By preserving and reusing the natural features, resources are conserved and energy costs are reduced. Below are a few examples on how to achieve that. For more information and suggestions, CHB Custom Built Homes Checklist • Save and reuse all site topsoil. • Protect trees and other natural features during construction. • Chip and reuse site-cleared wood and brush as mulch. • Re-plant or donate live trees from the site. • Plant grass that requires less water, such as fescue. Energy Efficiency: Many techniques and practices can be employed to reduce significantly energy consumption that will not only protect the environment, but also save you money. For example, how the home is situated on the land, the type of landscape plantings used, and how the home’s water is heated all have an effect. Below are just a few more examples of what can be done. For more information and many more suggestions, visit this Energy Efficiency Checklist provided by CHB Custom Homes. • Situate garage between house and prevailing winter winds • Install ENERGY STAR windows • Use ENERGY STAR appliances and light fixtures • Install on demand hot water delivery system or solar hot water heating supplies • Install solar tubes or glass blocks for interior light Building Materials: How materials are extracted and transported have a significant environmental impact. Using engineered, locally- produced, recycled, salvaged materials can not only reduce the environmental impact, but can also reduce the homeowner’s costs. Below are just a few suggestions. • Use salvaged or regionally produced (within 500 miles) masonry and stone • Use reusable foundation forms, such as metal instead of wood • Use wood from sustainably managed forests • Use natural insulation (cotton, bio-based foam) • Use recycled roofing material • Use Interior bamboo flooring Indoor Air Quality: Because most people spend 90% of their time indoors, indoor air quality has a huge impact on health. Building materials, such as paints and binders, often release fumes, triggering asthma, allergies, or other reactions. Below are suggestions for improving the air quality in your home. Visit ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Quality section for more ideas on how to reduce the amount of chemicals in your home. • Use non-toxic cleaners • Ventilate the building after each finish application • Use waterbased paints and finishes or low voc paints and finishes on walls, floors, and other interior surfaces • Install a de-humidification system for the entire house • Physically separate the garage from the house In the United States, buildings account for:
Waste Recycling, Reduction, and Disposal: A significant percentage of Wisconsin’s waste comes from construction debris. Below are ideas for minimizing construction site waste. To learn more, visit this section of the Green Built Home Guide. • Disassemble existing buildings and reuse or recycle the building materials • Obtain products from suppliers who use packaging that has been recycled or reused • Recycle cardboard, wood, metal, brick, block and other building materials • Install recycling and kitchen scrap compost bins for homeowner use.
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Equal Housing Opportunity