What Is Building Green?
The term “Building Green” has become one of the most important terms and practices that have changed our industry in this century. With the advent of the popular programs on HGTV, and even now Planet Green channels, in addition to our nightly newscasts, we are constantly reminded to live ‘Green”, increase our “Energy Efficiency”, and reduce our “Carbon Footprint”.
Commonly, like many things “Building Green” is interpreted differently in many forms, products and industries. Here we will give you and overview of what it means to go “Green” when it comes to building your new custom home.
For Years John Hall Homes has been dedicated to providing the very best Green, Energy Efficient homes, that actually reduce your Carbon Footprint, as part of the extensive features that are standard in a John Hall Home.
In 1987 John Sr. was named as an Energy Efficient Builder from U.S. Department of Energy for building the first Passive Solar home in Illinois. The lessons learned from that home have evolved over the years into each home that we build. Each John Hall Home built today is built to ‘Energy Star” standards.
At John Hall Homes we target the best, and most cost effective measures to craft each of our homes to a higher ‘Green” standard than most other builders.
Read on to learn how we incorporate Building Green and Energy Star into your new custom home:
Site and Water Protection
A plan to reduce the impact of development and the natural features of the building site is the first step we take towards building your home responsibly for the environment.
This plan will help prevent erosion, sedimentation and water pollution due to storm-water runoff. In addition the plan will conserve water and even protect water quality.
According to research completed by the NAHB, When a home is complete on an acre of land with our energy saving features, and with complete landscaping your home’s carbon footprint is reduced to nearly non-existent due to the clean burning furnaces, AC’s, and the Oxygen given off by the typical landscaped yard. More Oxygen is put into the environment than an open field of land.
Other ways of outdoor water conservation include landscape design and innovative irrigation systems. Indoor water conservation can be addressed by selecting low-flow plumbing fixtures, radiant heated floors and tank-less hot water heaters.
Energy Efficiency
The design of your home and how it will be oriented on your building site has a great impact on how energy efficient your new home will be. John Hall Homes will use their design expertise to take advantage of sunlight and cooling breezes. Natural light streaming in through windows during daylight eliminates the need to turn on electric lights during the day and passive solar can warm your home in the winter while prevailing breezes can cool your home in the summer reducing
the heating and cooling load. In addition, well insulated, windows, doors, walls and ceilings help reduce energy loss, reducing your overall energy usage.
In order to achieve Energy Star status, we build a more efficient and tight home that greatly reduces the energy loss of heated and cooled air through small openings, and windows and doors in your home. We perform a Critical Seal detail where we Foam Insulate around all Exterior Doors and Windows, as well as any open corners or areas that are prone to air leakage. We also caulk in around the perimeter of the home at the base of the walls and the top of the walls.
Open celled foam is then sprayed to fill in above the top of foundation wall and the exterior of the floor joists of the home.
90% + High Efficiency Furnaces and 13 SEER Air Conditioners with Fresh Air Intakes complete this efficient system.
We use only Energy Star certified Andersen Brand windows or equal with LowE High Efficiency Glass.
Many products have earned a blue ENERGY STAR™ mark. These products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the US Department of Energy. Many ENERGY STAR™ products are available including light fixtures, HVAC, appliances and even home electronics. With the help of ENERGY STAR™ Americans saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion
on their utility bills.
We also offer even more energy efficient option like Geo-Thermal Heating, BIBB and Icynene insulation, as well as radiant heat, modulating furnaces, and whole house air exchang
Sustainable Practices
Using engineered products and waste-limiting framing options, your custom home conserves materials that would otherwise become waste. The effort of eliminating the amount of waste during construction conserves our landfill capacities.
John Hall Homes uses Green sustainable products in every home that we build. We use products that are recycled, and synthetic in many areas that make sense, and are not cost prohibitive.
Products like Fiber Cement Siding, Synthetic Exterior Trim, Aluminum Soffits & Facia, Water saving faucets & fixtures, Moisture Resistant OSB, MDF Baseboards and interior trim materials. Our focus is to use those types of products where it makes sense and the quality is equal or superior to the replaced product.
To stay “Green” while selecting your homes finishes look for rapidly renewable, recycled, post consumer and salvaged products. Cork and bamboo are renewable resources as well as natural materials. Linoleum, also made of natural materials is a nice alternative to vinyl. The added benefit of these flooring options is the improvement of indoor air quality. They reduce or eliminate toxins found in common flooring options and they reduce dust that is collected in carpeting.
It’s now common to find more tile in a custom built home. Glass, ceramic and porcelain tiles containing recycled content are readily available. These tiles are very durable and will compliment your new home beautifully.
These are just a few sustainable items you can incorporate into your new home however many more products are on the market. John Hall Homes will help guide you down the path of sustain
Designing Your Home
After taking all of these “Green” practices into consideration, really think about how you will live in your new home. John Hall Homes will help you design and build a home that truly meets your needs instead of a home filled with rooms that will seldom be used. A more efficiently designed home would use fewer materials and save on heating and cooling conserving even more energy.
Lastly, consider designing a home that incorporates universal design allowing you to stay in your new home for years to come. As time passes you’ll be able to move through your home with comfort and ease and continue to live in the community you call home.
