You were expecting a treatise from Thomas Paine? You should have known better. Just because my last post got philosophical for a minute, does not mean I am now a scholar. I know a couple people like that, and they bug me. I certainly appreciate scholars, but not to the extent that they act like they know more than the rest of us, and are continually trying to teach us from their broad, or deeply narrow, knowledge base. The best teachers I have ever found, are those that have broad based real life experience. Not just book knowledge, but practical living. Like most of the builders I know. They know how to get results. They have been to the school of hard knocks. And succeeded.So, green houses? Sure, GREEN houses. Green, the color of money. Common Sense green. Huh? Sure, houses cost a lot of green. And need a lot more to keep them operating properly. And maintained. Did I hear someone say "taxes"? Lots of green goes to a house. So we need to figure out how to build a house that has less environmental impact in a common sense way, that makes it a green house without taking a lot of green [money].
GOOD NEWS! We found a verifier for the National Association of Home Builders Green Build program. A common sense guy that understands the Pennsylvania Dutchman's concept of value. Understands that we are willing to spend green to get substance, not just fluff. Real expertise that is geared to providing real, honest to goodness value. During the entire verification process, from planning, to the work, to inspecting, to final certification. Today we officially enrolled the Redwood Drive house into the NAHB Green Build program. It is really happening. We went through the score card, added up all the points, and voila!!, it worked. Sure, there a lots of things we are not getting points for, items that I do not think provides real value to the Owner. Like 24" on center wall framing. Call me old fashioned, but 16" on center is a better job. And don't start talking about using steel hangers instead of jack studs. That is not going to happen in my homes until it is mandated by some code. We got lots of points for the way we lay out a lot, preserving the existing environmental features, trees, wetlands. And by minimizing dirt disturbance to limit as much sediment run off as possible. And we got lots more points in the energy efficiency section. Some items are major, like upgraded furnace efficiency. But many others are seemingly minor, but have large effects on the home. Like sealing up the duct work. Like using Energy Star ventilation fans.
So it was an exciting time. Putting together a common sense, value oriented, plan for a Green built house. One that will save the Owner his hard earned green every time he pays an energy bill. And every time he does not notice the drafts that show up in most homes.
So what shade of green do you want your home to be?
