In the face of nature’s power forces, creating tough housing that can handle nature’s extremes makes sense. Green Builder Media has just launched a web site devoted to the art and science of building homes that can withstand virtually anything. 

Like All Guerrilla Fighters, the Beaver is Most Effective at Night

As a building professional you know all projects have their detractors, their stumbling blocks, their screeching halts ... their beavers.

Steven King's terrifying book about cell phones (Cell) used to seem far-fetched—but research shows cellphones are indeed deadly. Don't panic. An old-fashioned wired headset offers a quick, affordable defense.

WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH DEAD ZONES. Engrossed in a conversation on our cell phones, we bristle whenthe call drops. An annoyance to be sure, but it turns out these may not be dead zones after all, but rather the safest places for humans to be over the long run, according to recent reports on the dangers of wireless technologies. For example, the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy (NISLAPP) report, “Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution,” details the health consequences of microwave radiation exposure from cellphones, neighborhood antennas, wireless networks, wireless routers, portable phones, and other devices. In the late summer, another report, “Cell phones and Brain Tumors,” was released by a collaborative of EMF experts. 

At the 2014 Uponor Connections Convention, company leadership talked about green building trends and how they impact the industry as a whole. 

GREEN BUILDER EDITORS DROPPED INTO Uponor's two-day convention and were treated to a special session, just for journalists. This was not intended to push Uponor's products, but rather to illustrate the company's leadership in defining industry trends and taking a peak at issues that impact all builders today.

 

No matter what siding product one chooses for a home, Progressive Foam Halfback H2O Universal Siding Insulation works with any siding, to make it more beautiful, more durable and more energy efficient. The maker asserts that it can be installed beneath brick, wood, cultured stone, fiber cement or vinyl siding.

Jeff Wieland of Wieland Builders recently switched from housewrap to Enviro-Dri, a liquid weather-resistant barrier system. “The energy code is driving us,” says Wieland, whose Fairfield, Ohio-based company builds custom homes ranging from $150,000 to $3 million. 

JEFF WIELAND OF WIELAND BUILDERS RECENTLY SWITCHED FROM HOUSEWRAP to Enviro-Dri, a liquid weather-resistant barrier system. “The energy code is driving us,” says Wieland, whose Fairfield, Ohio-based company builds custom homes ranging from $150,000 to $3 million.

One of the biggest myths about green building products is that they cost more than traditional building materials. With more new products being introduced to the market, and existing manufacturers finding ways to make traditional products more sustainable, the cost for many products is inching down. Plus, consumers are becoming more aware that spending a little more up front can result in less money expended overall when they factor in energy savings and durability. Here are 9 products we predict will be in most mainstream homes in the next five years.

The Residential Energy Services Network Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is becoming the standard to gauge a home’s predicted energy performance. While HERS ratings have been used by energy-efficient builders for years, Kennecott Land raised the bar in mid-2011, becoming the first land developer to ask builders to get a third-party HERS score for all homes built in its Salt Lake City development: Daybreak. This TND is projected to include 20,000-units, and is about 15% complete.

According to Cameron Jackson, marketing manager for Daybreak, the company move was a success. “The topline result for why we did it at the time and why a year later we see it as a success is that it gives builders in our community a key differentiator between their new homes and existing homes.”

In the not-to-distant past, a pool was like a bad tattoo on the backside of a green home. The water waste, the energy-sucking pool pump, and the chemicals ran in direct opposition to the tenets of sustainability. But with recently adopted technology and a pool industry ready to move toward more holistic sustainable methods, it is possible for your buyers to own a restful water wonderland without the environmental guilt.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, homeowners can purchase high-performing, easy-to-install solar panels off the shelves of a major retailer, announced Akeena Solar, a leading installer and manufacturer of solar power systems.