As a custom green builder, I know for a fact that the savings of living in a green custom home can be considerable. Just how considerable was pointed out in an article I recently read that explored the connection between green houses and mortgages. The article was based on a new study of 71,000 home [...]
by Brita Belli Green Home 2013 Homeowners looking to build green have plenty of certification programs to choose from, but they all revolve around one key principle – saving energy. Complete article… Reprinted with the permission of Green Home 2013.
Healthy Homeowners By Dan Briody Green Home 2012 Annual Issue Etta Kantor still remembers the reaction she got from her builder when she described the type of house she wanted him to build. “He was so excited,” she recalls. “He said ‘Oh, you want to pull out all the stops!'” For most builders, it is [...]
We all know that over the long term, sustainable building pays you back by saving water, energy and – ultimately – the planet. But what about those upfront costs? Don’t you have to pay a lot more? The fact is, sustainable building doesn’t have to cost more. That surprises many people because [...]
As a green custom home builder, we’re often asked how custom green building differs from traditional home building – and how green custom homes themselves are different. The best way to illustrate what’s different about building a green custom house is to take you through a very basic version of the checklist we use [...]
“Green building” is a popular term these days. But what does it really mean? When it comes to green home building or remodeling, it’s important to remember that you’ll see the best results by working with an experienced green builder who knows how to make a variety of eco-friendly, energy-efficient products and systems all work [...]
With a Passive House able to cut 90% of a home’s traditional energy costs, no wonder we’re starting to hear from more homeowners who are interesting in learning what’s involved in building or remodeling a home that meets Passive House standards. But along with that interest, we’re hearing a few misconceptions about Passive Houses. We’d [...]
Candlewood Mountaintop Contemporary Certifications: LEED for Homes Platinum Certified Zero Energy Ready Home Certified Energy Star Certified Indoor Air Quality Plus Certified View Project Photo Gallery and Information
As you probably know, we’re passionate about sustainable building. More and more of our clients are becoming passionate, too. One of the easiest ways to begin is to see what can be reused from your existing home. If you’re building a new sustainable home, for instance, you can look to a variety of sources for [...]
Did you know that a home energy audit can reveal far more than drafts, poor insulation and other energy-robbers? It can also reveal habits – times you use the most energy, rooms you spend the most time in, etc. Even better, it can show you how to turn those home energy habits into a home [...]
As a builder that believes in making green building part of every project, we keep a careful eye out for new products. Sometimes, it’s not the actual product itself that we love, but rather it’s the green, sustainable and common sense ideas behind the products that can be applied in many different ways as we [...]
Working with a custom home builder gives you the opportunity to enjoy a not just a new home, but a new home built and designed just for you! So now is the time to ask yourself whether “what’s popular” is always what you want in your new home. Let’s look at counters, for example. For [...]
By Kevin Ireton Editor, Fine Homebuilding Originally published 2011 The houses we build today evolved in response to the availability of cheap fossil fuels. That’s why you can routinely find new houses in Texas with air-conditioning systems installed in uninsulated, 140° attics and homes in New England with no windows on the south side. Complete article… [...]
Scientific Method By Dan Briody Green Home 2011 Annual Issue MIKE TROLLE KNOWS THINGS ABOUT HOUSES THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW. He knows how much heat a flat-screen television throws off. He knows how much heat the toilet flushes of a family of four will suck out of the air. He knows the insulating properties [...]
Old + New: Best Use of Advanced Building Technologies GreenBuilder – The Green Design Guide, December, 2010 The Adirondack-style shingled home, complete with a pond and running stream, holds its own along the estate-studded back roads of New Canaan, Conn. But it is a beauty that’s simply the veneer on a highly engineered and [...]
