This home boasts exquisite detail in craftsmanship and style, however, looking further reveals the health and efficiency of this Green Remodeled home.

Water Conservation

Did you know that the average household uses 185-291 gallons of water a day? According to Green Building Supply, 60% flows right down the drain either through toilets or showers.

This home has some key features that reduce water consumption, as well as your water utility bill. You will find dual flush toilets by Toto in all of the bathrooms. These fixtures use up to 68% less water than a standard toilet and have an excellent customer review rating. One button is for liquid (0.8 gallons of water used) and the other is for solid (1.6 gallons of water used).

Low flow showerheads are also installed in all the bathrooms. You can easily adjust the water flow during your shower with a small lever. Reduce the flow for lathering a shampoo; turn it up for a rinse and save 30-70% water.

Energy Conservation

You will notice all new Marvin Energy Star certified windows in this home. These energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frames, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer.

All the new appliances are also Energy Star certified. Did you know that a refrigerator can use up to 20% of a home's electricity consumption? This new Kitchen Aid refrigerator uses 15% less energy than the minimum federal governmental standard. The Bosch dishwasher is another Energy Star appliance that performs 48% better than the federal government standards.

The HVAC system was properly sized using a Manual J Calculation (square footage, number of windows and doors and other components were included to ensure optimal efficiency and performance). The furnace is rated as 95% efficiency, therefore, 95% of the fuel consumed is converted to heat. Most air conditioning units contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the refrigerant, however, this home's AC contains Puron earth friendly refrigerant (CFC-free). All the ductwork is completely sealed; therefore there is minimal loss of heat and cool air into the unfinished wall spaces of this home.

You will not notice any recessed can lighting in the insulated ceilings of this home. Recessed lighting creates a leaky area for heating and cooling to escape, therefore reducing the energy efficiency of a home. You will notice dimmable light fixtures, halogen fixtures, and some florescent lighting in the home. All of these fixtures use less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.

The insulation in almost the entire exterior walls of the home is formaldehyde-free and recycled content cellulose. While avoiding formaldehyde improves the indoor air quality of the home, using the recycled content cellulose reduced the need for virgin materials. In addition, there was extreme care taken in filling all holes, cut away areas (such as for electrical wiring), and gaps with additional insulation. By creating a tight building envelope, the efficiency of energy use in this home is excellent.

Indoor Air Quality

If my home is so tight, how does it affect the air quality? This energy efficient home has an energy recovery ventilator. Mostly used during the winter, this system exchanges indoor stagnant air with fresh outdoor air while transferring a minimum of 80% of indoor heat. This system also self regulates the indoor air pressure which insures proper air quality in your home.

A remodeling project can introduce many potential chemicals into your home; however, there are many excellent quality alternatives that were used in this home. All paints and stains are zero and low VOC products. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are liquid or gas by-products of certain solvents which dramatically decrease the indoor air quality of a home.

All the floor finishes are water borne as opposed to polyurethane oil based finishes that release strong odors and VOCs. All the cabinetry is made from no added formaldehyde wood. (All wood contains trace amounts of formaldehyde as a naturally occurring chemical.) All the carpeting in the home is wool as opposed to artificial fiber that can release chemicals and reduce air quality.

Resource Conservation

During the construction phases of the Richwood home remodel, we were able to reduce the impact of the project by conserving, reusing, or recycling resources.
A majority of the wood and lumber products are either Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, engineered, or composite. Some of these products include:

• Composite overhead door
• Composite front entry door by Thermal-tru
• Composite deck and railing by Trex
• Fiber cement siding from James Hardie
• Exterior trim boards by MiraTEC
• MDF interior doors by Trustile
• More than 75% FSC certified framing lumber and sheet goods

You won't notice by looking at it, but all the interior trim boards of this home are made from an ingenious product called finger-jointed wood. Smaller lumber pieces are cut and joined to make longer boards. Thus, saving large trees from being used, while reusing lumber scraps that would otherwise be discarded.
You will notice the flooring in the lower level is all cork. Cork is derived from the cork oak tree by striping the bark without harming the tree.

While 75% of the existing hardwood flooring was refinished, the stone veneer on the exterior was also reused. The Re-use Center, a resource for recycled building materials, was able to take appliances, cabinets, and some wood flooring for re-use. Atomic Waste Sanitation was able to recycle over 61% of the waste generated by the project.