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November 14, 2008
Every Day Counts
"Every day counts," says Greenmeister Jack. He's starting to sound like a guru. Well, not really. It all goes back to this incredible schedule they are on. The rain cost them four full days of work. They have all these charts where they assess progress and keep track of deadlines. And everybody has to be happy. Sponsors, builders, Core Communities who developed Tradition. But Jack-o never gets stressed out, he says. He seems like a cool cucumber to me, I have to say.
I asked Leon, how do you find someone to build you a green house with all those shysters out there claiming they're green when they aren't?
He said to look for a builder that is LEED certified or someone who has really done the research so they know what goes into building a green home. The builder should be willing to research everything that goes into the house to make sure it truly delivers on its claims.
There is no question Leon is a good builder. He built the first Green Home, where all the technology installed was focused on sustainability, and he is following suit here in St. Lucie Tradition.
The concrete mix is a recycled product that contains fly ash, which is a coal product. The walls have the highest efficiency -- they are foam-insulated concrete. The metal roof system, which will last for at least 20 years, has solar panels for heat.
The garage, another 600 square feet of space, holds more solar panels on the roof to heat the home's water. The windows are super efficient and high impact glass. The central vac aids in indoor air quality.
Being a Floridian, I asked about the shutters. Jack said they were putting up Bermuda shutters. (Ever heard of those?) Leon and I were left scratching our heads.
Oh! He meant Bahama shutters.
Jack wasn't having it. "What? Do you wear Bahama shorts or Bermuda shorts?"
What could we say?
Posted by Marilyn Bauer at 11:42 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
November 7, 2008
Carpets Make Good Green Sense
The green guys and I started talking carpets. You know you never can get a straight answer when you ask someone in a flooring store if carpeting is more toxic than laminates or tile. Some say yes, others no. Some don't answer and show you some crazy variation on Astro Turf.
I knew Jack would have the answer. He said that although a lot of people will tell you carpets are homes for a multitude of toxins, he thinks that carpets make good green sense because they trap toxins and hold them in place rather than blowing them around your living space. You can just go in with a vacuum cleaner and suck them up.
Jack said Shaw Industries, one of the Green Home sponsors with a strong commitment to healthy environments, have been coming up with more and more kinds of carpets made from recycled nylon that are great solutions to what has passed for eco-friendly in the past. I can't wait to see what these carpets look like.
In my house, my carpet doesn't trap anything. In fact it sheds nylon fibers, dirt and probably some of those horrific-looking dust mites.
Posted by Marilyn Bauer at 10:54 AM | Comments (39) | TrackBack
