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Sustainable Living = Smart Homes

posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3:12pm

See more on: Green Living, Housing

The American vocabulary has recently been expanded to include the use and understanding of a new lifestyle term – sustainability. What this word means, in essence, is that by working together to create stronger, healthier, more energy-efficient homes and communities, we can do something that is good for the earth and good for us. Following are some examples of products, programs and ideas that should get you started on making your home a sustainable home.

When buying a home, consider looking at master-planned communities such as Lowry, Stapleton, Belmar and Hyland Village in Westminster that are breathing new life into outdated and abandoned properties. "Recycled land" saves open space and provides an intelligent alternative to suburban sprawl.
If you are remodeling or building a new home, consider using blown cellulose for insulation. Made from old newspaper and other recycled paper products, blown cellulose produces an insulating value (or R value) that's 25 percent greater than that of fiberglass. Since blown cellulose is treated with a boron-based fire retardant, it is 22 to 55 percent more fire resistant than fiberglass – making it one of the safest materials used in home construction.
Time for a new deck? Recycled content decking is a composite of wood fibers, plastic milk jugs and plastic grocery bags. It provides a strong, maintenance-free alternative to traditional redwood decking and, needless to say, it saves redwoods.
Research ways that you can improve the air quality in your home. One resource to guide these efforts is the American Lung Association®. They developed the Health House® program after seeing increasing numbers of Americans suffering from allergies and asthma. The program outlines rigorous standards for construction and ventilation of the entire house and garage, including moisture control, reduced use of carpet, a central vacuum system, and low-volatile organic compounds (VOCs) levels in finishes and furnishings.
When thinking about air quality, carefully consider your paint choice. Standard household paint releases VOCs into the air, creating a potential health risk. In fact, nine percent of the airborne pollutants creating ground-level ozone pollution come from VOCs in paints.
And, while on the topic of air, check your air ducts for leakage. Air leakage from improperly sealed duct systems, like those sealed with duct tape, contributes to energy loss in forced air distribution systems. You can find sustainable sealants, such as Ductmastic, a flexible, not-toxic sealant that can move with the expansion, contraction and vibration of the duct system components.
When taking on a project using wood, consider structurally engineered lumber. It employs laminated wood chips or strands in the production of framing components, and is stronger and straighter than traditional, solid-sawn lumber. An added benefit to this product is that by commonly using wood from faster-growing plantation trees, it saves old-growth forests.
Today's flooring choices are vast and, luckily, include sustainable options such as fast-growing, cultivated bamboo; lyptus hardwood, a eucalyptus hybrid grown on high-yield Brazilian plantations; and reclaimed timber, salvaged from deconstructed buildings. Consider these new flooring options when you are building or remodeling your home.
Install ENERGY STAR®-qualifying, double-pane, low-e (low emissivity), vinyl windows in your home. Low-e glass has a special metal oxide film coating that reflects long-wave heat energy, while passing shorter-wave, visible light. In the winter, long-wave radiant heat is reflected back into the house. In summer, outside heat energy is reflected away from the house.
Sealed combustion appliances do just that – seal the combustion process from the indoor environment so that flue gases don't ever mix with the air that you breathe inside the home. Consider this type of product for all gas-fired appliances in your home.
If you are updating your fixtures or building a new home, take a look at those that save resources. Advanced fixture designs, such as 1.6 gallon/flush toilets and 2.5 gallon/minute showerheads, reduce flow rates while maintaining a soft, strong spray.

Eric Wittenberg is president and CEO of McStain Neighborhoods, a Colorado-based developer and homebuilder recognized both regionally and nationally for its environmentally responsible community design and building practices. For more than 40 years, McStain has created neighborhoods of enduring value that connect people to each other and to the natural environment on Colorado's Front Range. McStain Neighborhoods is the only home builder that's been invited to build in all of Denver's premier redevelopment projects: Lowry, Stapleton, Belmar and Platt Park. For more information about McStain, call (303) 494-5900 or visit www.mcstain.com.

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