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Built Green Colorado is well established as a viable component of mainstream building in Colorado and is being used as a model for similar programs across the country. If you are not currently a member, now is an excellent time to gain the competitive advantage of membership. If you are a member, be sure you are leveraging that value in your sales and marketing. The Built Green 2006 Year End Report, which will include even more information about the program’s successes in 2006, will be released mid-February. Look for notice of that release in next month’s e-news. |
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Many of the Energy Efficiency tax credits and deductions which are
in current law and were due to expire at the end of 2007 have been
extended through the end of 2008. Please check
http://www.igreenbuild.com/cd_2730.aspx for a full story and
explanation. |
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Forget the SUVs and other cars on the road, they account for just
about 6% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. In the US, buildings
are responsible for about half (48%) of all greenhouse gas emissions
annually. This percentage is even greater worldwide. While there may
be divergent opinions about the impacts of greenhouse gases, leaders
in virtually every industry, including the building industry,
believe immediate action is necessary to avert possibly irreparable
damage. One initiative intended to result in change in the building
sector, Architecture 2030, has been formed by the American Institute
of Architects (AIA). Architecture 2030 issued the 2030 Challenge in
January 2006. The Challenge calls for all new buildings and major
renovations to immediately reduce their energy consumption by 50%,
and all new buildings to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030. Architecture
2030 concludes that a transformation of the entire design and design
education community must occur to accomplish this challenge. To
assist in that transformation the 2010 Imperative Teach-in was
created to be an action-oriented discussion on implementing the 2030
Challenge.
The 2010 Imperative: Global Emergency Teach-in will be web-cast live from New York on February 20, 2007 from noon to 3 p.m. EST. You can join the Teach-in from your own computer in the comfort of your own office. For more details, please visit www.2010imperative.org. To learn more about Architecture 2030, please visit www.architecture2030.org. |
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Revitalizing older neighborhoods with new green homes benefits
everyone – the neighborhood, the city, the economy and the earth. As
a homebuilder, I believe it is incumbent upon our industry be more
efficient and less wasteful in our building practices.
The Denver metro area has many beautiful, established neighborhoods with old trees, parks, classic architecture and shopping within walking distance. However, many of the homes in these areas are not livable by today’s standard codes; 75 – 100 year old homes with little or no insulation, single pane windows, and weak or damaged walls/roofs from snow loads over so many years. By doing in-fill development, we marry the character of the neighborhood’s older homes with the conveniences and energy efficiency of today’s new home building practices. In-fill development re-places an old, below code home with a more efficient, less wasteful home, and helps to reduce urban sprawl in Denver therefore, keeping public transportation easily accessible and widely used from the existing neighborhoods. When doing a scrape-off, we actually recycle everything we can from the old homes including brick, hardware, and doors, therefore, minimizing the amount of waste that goes into our landfills. We also leave as many trees as possible on the lot to preserve the character of the neighborhood. Christine Regis is the owner of Domani Homes, winner of a 2006 Built Green Home of the Year Award. Contact Chris at 303-777-2660. |
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With all the snow Colorado has seen lately, there have likely been a
lot of roof leaks, too. Roof and cavity leaks into a home can be the
most dangerous and costly to repair. Help prevent leaks before they
start this year with an ice and water shield or equivalent water
proofing membrane and drip edge installation. Installing a self adhering membrane on the roof system provides additional protection from water intrusion. Membranes offer the environmental advantage of significantly contributing to the durability of the roof system by protecting the sheathing during ice-damming events. An ice and water shield is applied between the shingles and roof deck, providing residential and commercial roofs ultimate protection against leaks caused by ice dams in winter and hail and wind driven rain year round.
Grace Ice & Water Shield® is the premium roofing underlayment on the
market because of its strong bond to the roof deck, its watertight
overlaps and its ability to seal around roofing fasteners. This
product will reduce moisture penetration into the home by preventing
leaks, which ultimately provides a healthier indoor air environment
for your family. |
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Q: What are the risks associated with recessed
can lighting?
A: Recessed can lighting appears to be the lighting of choice in our market. Other than dining rooms which are typically lit by a chandelier, designers and buyers seem to prefer not having open floor plans visually interrupted by a ceiling-mounted light fixture. I was in a house recently that had close to 100 recessed can lights and began to realize that even this seemingly small feature has a dramatic effect on the house as a system and its long term comfort and durability. A non-sealed can light has the potential to leak approximately 10 to 20 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM). In that house with close to 100 recessed can lights, this would equate to approximately 1000 to 2000 CFM, or the equivalent of a hole the size of 1000 basketballs in your home. This is a problem. The stack effect in houses is the result of the physics of air movement: hot air rises and air will always seek the path of least resistance. As air heats up it will rise to the highest point of the house and seek a pathway to the attic. Uncontrolled, unintended air movement can cause severe problems with the performance of the house. A classic example is when warm air flows through a recessed can light into an attic on a cold winter day, warming the roof sheathing and causing the snow on the roof to melt. The melted snow re-freezes as the outside temperature overcomes the heat loss from the house, causing an ice dam. A less intuitive example that has been documented numerous times in Colorado is when warm air rises through a recessed can light of a first floor kitchen dropped ceiling, works its way to the rim joist, condenses and causes the exterior paint to fail. Building durability has been dramatically effected by the leakage associated with the recessed can lighting. Recessed can lights come in a variety of styles but in four main configurations. Sealed and not sealed, those that can be in direct contact with insulation, and those that cannot. When choosing a can light always select air tight IC rated recessed can lighting through out the house. They provide more durability and comfort than other can lights on the market.
This month’s question was answered by Robby Schwarz of EnergyLogic
Inc. For more information visit
www.nrglogic.com |
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The first new Built Green builder in 2007 is: Thistle Community Housing – Boulder, Colorado |
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This month’s sales tip features item # 5 from the 2007 Built Green
Checklist Trees and natural features on site protected during construction by completing all of the following:
Sales Tip: Protecting “natural features” means maintaining the natural vegetation of the site. This is especially important when doing in-fill development. Loosing a tree from lack of tree protection can mean thousands of dollars in lost property value. Native vegetation increases the aesthetic value of a site considerably. Furthermore, mature trees protect a home against high winds; decrease summertime cooling loads and, if incorporated into the design can also increase the natural ventilation of a home. Native tree species often require less irrigation than non-native species and also preserve the natural ecology of the site. |
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You are receiving this e-mail because you are a member of Built Green Colorado. The purpose of this e-mail is to make sure you are aware of our expanding efforts to meet your needs. We respect your privacy and your preferences for communications of this nature. If you'd rather not receive future e-mails from Built Green, have comments about the Built Green Colorado e-News, or would like to subscribe or unsubscribe, please email Jennifer Olguin.
If you feel this newsletter was delivered to you in error, or that you may have been included in an unsolicited mailing, please report this incident immediately to enews@builtgreen.org |
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© 2005 Home Builders Association of Metro Denver
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