Archive for February 7, 2006

Hardwood Flooring – Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

February 7, 2006 at 11:50 pm · Filed under Green Home Building, Interior Design Ideas

Of all the environmentally responsible flooring materials we have seen on the web, we think that the Brazilian Cherry hardwood floor from EcoTimber is definitely one of the most beautiful.

Known in South America as Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry’s popularity as a flooring material is well-deserved. Open-grained like Oak, but more than twice as hard, this wood features dark brown or black streaks contrasting with a background that ranges from dark orange to reddish brown. Brazilian Cherry darkens to the color seen here within several months of installation.

Our Brazilian Cherry flooring is certified according to the Principles & Criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

EcoTimber offers FSC-Certified Brazilian Cherry Flooring in both Unfinished Solid and Prefinished Engineered formats.

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Harbor Trading – Reclaimed and plantation teak furniture

February 7, 2006 at 11:24 pm · Filed under Green Home Building, Interior Design Ideas

We just adore the furniture from Harbor Trading, each piece is made from reclaimed and plantation teak.

Our goal is to provide our customers with heirloom furniture without harming the ecology, the people or their traditions. The factories we use work with the families to not only purchase and dismantle their current wood home, but also help them build a new brick home which is stronger and safer in the elements. Many families in Indonesia only dream of having a new brick home and this helps them achieve their dream.

In turn, as our customers, you receive new, unique, quality teak wood furniture without damage to the rain forest, while helping to provide safe and durable homes for families in Indonesia. Once the factory purchases and dismantles the homes, they re-use every part of the house to create and build our unique furniture. The teak wood is used “as-is” in its rustic form, or planed down for a smoother finish. All of our furniture is hand crafted and finished with hand-rubbed stain.

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How to Finance Your Green Home – Home Loan Information

February 7, 2006 at 9:00 pm · Filed under Green Building Tips, Home building on the Web

Found this great resource for people about to approach a lender for a home loan for their green-home dream: Article – Construction Lending, How to Finance Your Dream: Building Your Dream Home. A Borrower’s Checklist

Okay, so you’ve selected your community, your lot, and your architect. You’ve got a terrific set of plans, and you’re ready to build. What about construction funds? Have you selected a lender and considered the documentation they will need to make a lending decision?

Take a moment now to look over the list. Obviously, the sooner you get the complete set of items the sooner you can start construction. Please note that though the second group of items your contractor will give you, you’ll still need to collect these items and assemble them to complete your loan package.

  • 1. Plans and specifications for the proposed construction completed by the architect
  • 2. Purchase Contract or Agreement for lot if lot has been purchased within the past 12 months or if it will be purchased as a part of this transaction
  • 3. HUD-1 Closing Statement provided by the closing agent if property was purchased within the past 12 months
  • 4. Copy of Listing Agreement on current residence to be sold
  • 5. Architect Agreement
  • 6. Copies of any permits obtained (may also have been obtained by Contractor)
  • 7. Copies of any approvals from city/county/homeowners’ association

Items to get from your Contractor:

  • 1. Property Profile provided by the Contractor
  • 2. Line Item Cost Breakdown listing costs for all materials and labor
  • 3. Builder’s Statement listing the builder’s project and credit references
  • 4. Copy of Builder’s current Contractor’s License evidencing that he is licensed to build the type of structure proposed
  • 5. Construction Contract between you and the builder stating the fixed price for completion of the improvements showing a start and finish date

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Canadian condo sets new standard for sustainability

February 7, 2006 at 12:21 pm · Filed under Green Building Tips, Green Home Building, Heating and Ventilation, Home building on the Web

Originally posted at Jeff McIntire-Strasburg’s sustainablog:

A North Vancouver condo complex has become the first residential building in Canada to receive special status for sustainability.

West Coast Projects Ltd. Principal David Sprague and Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto

Project developer David Sprague, principal of West Coast Projects Ltd., is advising other development companies to embrace sustainability as a standard business practice – because it will soon be a requirement.

The 16-storey Silva Building, located in the 100 Block of West 16th Street near Lonsdale Avenue, earned a leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certification almost a year after it opened last February.

First established in the U.S., LEED is a sustainability-certification process that encourages the development of buildings that feature energy and water efficiency, enhanced livability, indoor air quality, conservation of materials and resources, waste management and sustainable site planning.

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WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: LEED @ Home

February 7, 2006 at 12:01 pm · Filed under Green Building Tips, Green Home Building, Heating and Ventilation, Home building on the Web, Smart Home Building

From: WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: LEED @ Home

The US Green Building Council has released its long-awaited draft of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for homes. LEED-compliant commercial buildings are both remarkably energy-efficient and provide interior environments friendly to workers. With the release of the LEED for Homes draft, developers and homeowners can see what steps are the most critical for making a home a green house.

Technically, what the USGBC has released is a set of guidelines for pilot projects meant to test the utility of the various elements on the LEED for Homes checklist. It’s likely that, once the pilot projects are completed and analyzed, the LEED for Homes rules will be modified. These projects will be built in 12 different regions (PDF) in the United States; interestingly, while most locations (including big states like California, Florida and Texas) are covered by single providers, Colorado has three.

Even if you aren’t a developer, potential home buyer, or even in the United States, the LEED for Homes guidelines make interesting reading. The Pilot Rating System document (PDF) explains the goals of the LEED for Homes project in more detail, and discusses each item on the LEED for Homes checklist in full. The draft checklist (PDF) itself includes numerous references to issues that we’ve talked about frequently on WorldChanging, including: site density, permeable pavement, rainwater harvesting, high-efficiency lighting, and more.

It’s particularly interesting to see the relative credit scores for different items. Highest rated individual items (not counting “packages”): up to six points for renewable energy use, six points for “very high efficiency fixtures (toilets, showers and faucets),” and up to ten points for “Home that is Smaller than National Average.” Those three items alone can put a house 2/3s of the way to LEED certification, presuming that the various “required” features are in place. LEED silver, gold and platinum levels, of course, would need substantially more effort.

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