Brock Builders: Asheville General Contractors for Custom Homes, Remodeling, Green Building » Green Building

Why Green Your Home Remodel?

Brock Builders — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:09:08 +0000

Brock Builders HealthyBuilt Home

While remodeling your existing home as opposed to buying a new one may save you money and produce exactly what you want, incorporating green features and practices into the process may generate an even higher ROI.

A great place to start is to consult a custom home builder who also has experience in building green and HealthyBuilt Homes. At Brock Builders we are often able to incorporate green features with little change to the budget, but that also save the homeowner money over time.

Popularity Means Better Pricing

Many home remodeling fads cycle out rather quickly, but “greening” a remodel is a trend that’s here to stay. Popularity is so widespread in fact, that incorporating green features into your home will cost you less today than ever. Plus added incentives like government tax credits, longer product life-spans and long-term reductions in energy use are converting more homeowners every day.

Greater Availability and Design Options

With increased availability also comes a wider range of design options. In the past, green home features may have been thought of as “thrifty” or aesthetically unappealing, but today green home features can be luxurious, stylish, even cutting edge. And in the Asheville area, all levels of green remodels are taking place.

Community Benefit

If you are still unsure of whether or not your home remodel should be a little greener, consider the community impact. Using greener practices doesn’t just benefit your family, but also the builders, painters and all contractors who are hired to help make your dream home a reality.

Brock Builders has green home building and remodeling experience, plus the Certification to remodel older homes that may contain lead paint that became required by law earlier this year. Please contact us if you would like to discuss the options for “greening” your home.

Wood Flooring Options for Custom Homes

Brock Builders — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:57:14 +0000

Wood flooring is a long running favorite among home owners. But with choices ranging in price, look and eco-friendliness, it helps to understand the basics. The first step you should take is consulting your custom home builder who will already have a strong understanding of what fits your home and budget.

Cost

While lower priced wood flooring materials have gained popularity in these economic times, it’s important to understand not only what you’re paying up front, but how a material will handle the test of time.

Some homeowners may want a flooring choice that has a low up-front cost and are not concerned with how it will wear in 10 years, like a low grade number one or two oak. However, most homeowners prefer to invest a little more up front for a product that’s going last, such as a Brazilian cherry.

Green Factor

Green wood flooring like bamboo is appealing, but for it to truly be eco-friendly, this renewable wood source must be local, not shipped across an ocean from Thailand. If you want a green wood flooring option, talk to your certified green builder who can help you find out what’s available locally.

Use

In newer homes, the floor plans are typically more open, making wood throughout a great choice. But wood flooring in kitchens and bathrooms will likely be damaged by water and wear over time, making cork and engineered wood products may be a better choice.

Again, this is where your home builder may be able to help, as he will have a greater understanding of a room’s use matched with an aesthetically appealing floor.

Green Landscaping Adds Great Value

Brock Builders — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:25:12 +0000

Native Rhododendron Calendulaceum

One of the easiest and too often overlooked ways to add green-value to your HealthyBuilt home build is through the incorporation of native and organic landscaping. The use of native, drought-resistant plants is quickly becoming a best-practice for saving money and doing your part for saving the planet.

Better Plants

The shift from reliance upon chemicals for healthy, beautiful greenery towards the use of processes that more closely resemble what nature intended will actually help to harness the plants’ naturally defenses and result in stronger, healthier plants.

Better Value

The use of native species and good planning to incorporate the plants into the space you’re working with can help cut down on unnecessary time and financial expenditure for maintenance.

You may even wind up saving money in ways you never expected—proper placement of the right trees can actually help reduce cooling and heating costs! So in short, well thought out landscaping means less work, less money and less waste winding up on its way to the landfill.

Better ROI

Another great reason to invest in a healthy, green landscape is the ROI you will see in the form of added value to the home. Typically, the full cost of landscaping, if not more, can be recouped at resale. As a rule of thumb in the real estate market, the right landscaping can easily translate into a 10% increase in property value.

Certified Green Builders Produce ROI

kristen — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:26:57 +0000

HealthyBuilt Home by Brock Builders

The ROI for incorporating green features into your home is apparent. But did you know that in order to make the most cost effective and energy efficient choices for your new custom home or remodel, your builder must have invested ample time and money into the proper educational and certification programs?

Adding green building features to your home has become an even smarter investment with government tax break incentives in the mix. But a lag time between the supply of certified green builders and homeowners looking for these services is to be expected. We at Brock Builders have remained on the cutting edge of the WNC green home building movement and do possess the proper certifications.

Adding green features can range in complexity from simple ENERGY STAR appliances and windows to expertly architectured geothermal wells. So when searching for the home builder for your job, look for a company with both the certifications as well as the experience.

In order to receive your ROI, these green features must be expertly incorporated into the plan and build of your home. Certified HealthyBuilt Home Builders in WNC like Brock have the know-how and the man-power to seamlessly incorporate your green home includes.

10 Must-Have Features for Your Home

kristen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:50:11 +0000

Attractive Stone Flooring, A Design Favorite

The global economy has greatly influenced home design, giving life to some unexpected trends. Consumers are building and buying homes that are smaller, smarter and greener; quite a contrast to the bigger-is-better, lavish-excess of recent years.

Whether you are planning to build a new home, buy or remodel, you should familiarize yourself with these emerging trends, which appear to be here to stay:

Energy Efficiency is Key, Smarter is Better

ENERGY STAR Appliances—Stylish, up-to-date kitchen appliances can make a great impact on your home’s visual appeal. But even more importantly these days—they can also save you money. With energy tax credits and the money you’ll save over time on utility bills, adding energy efficient appliances to your new home has never been so important.
Water Catchment Systems—Incorporating native, drought-resistant plants into your landscaping is great-looking and good for the planet. But did you know that you can make your yard even greener by installing a rainwater catchment system. Gutters deliver rainwater into insect and bacteria resistant barrels, which can later be used for watering gardens and several other non-drinking purposes.
Energy Saving Building Includes—With utility costs on the rise, homeowners are looking for houses that are well insulated and sealed from the beginning. Drafty, leaky houses are costing too much to maintain, and using up too much energy to heat and cool.
Tankless and Solar Water Heaters—Another way to quickly run up your monthly bills is by paying to much for those winter-defrosting hot baths. Solar heating systems make great, natural use of existing sunshine to heat your hot water, leaving you paying for just those not-so-sunny days.
Natural Flooring—Bamboo, cork, wood and stone have long been favorite flooring choices of interior designers, but did you know that they also help create a healthier, chemical-free environment in your home.
Outdoor Rooms—With rarely used, formal living rooms becoming a thing of the past, outdoor living and dining spaces are quickly taking over. Some popular features include large, space-heating stone ovens, built-in seating made of natural materials and huge, welcoming dining tables.
Smaller, Smarter Spaces—Bigger-is-better is a mindset of the past. Huge homes with extra rooms mean higher monthly bills, and lower spacial efficiency. Homeowners are instead choosing open and accommodating floorplans.
Smarter Storage—Built-in kitchen islands, perfectly organized garages and tons of closets can help make better use of your square footage. Too little storage means clutter and large furniture pieces to accommodate closet overflow. But adding extra storage into your build means seamlessly making room for all of your belongings.
Smart Home Systems—If you knew how much energy it was actually using, you may be more likely to turn that light off when you leave the room. Smart Home Systems not only allow you to heat and cool based on the times of day that someone is home, but they can also tell you just how much power is being used at a given time.
Front and Side Porches—Outdoor spaces add square footage and traditional attractiveness to your home. Whether you’re enjoying a summer evening out front under a ceiling fan or rocking in a chair watching the sunrise, front and side porches enhance your home’s welcoming curbside appeal.

Outdoor Rooms Add Usable Square Footage

kristen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:45 +0000

Working with your custom home builder in a part of your home you may not have imagined, you can add useful square footage in the form of an outdoor room. Backyards are too often laid with grass and beyond that, left virtually empty, save a swing set, rusty old grill, or tract of space for your dog to run.

Outdoor Kitchen

Modern outdoor rooms have expanded upon the old backyard favorites in ways that provide function in a luxurious package. Simple grills have been replaced with built-in outdoor kitchens with massive stone and pizza ovens, perfect for entertaining year round. Warm summer nights can be enjoyed outdoors with friends over a fresh baked pizza. Cold winter nights are made warm by gathering around massive stone ovens, while piping hot soups boil up atop an outdoor stove.

Outdoor Living Space

Tattered patio furniture has been become a thing of the past. Replacement options include built-in seating units with removable cushions, tall stools seated before an outdoor bar and rustic wooden dining tables and chairs. Built-in furniture, like benches and sofas can add a natural appeal to your outdoor space at a minimal carbon footprint by using indigenous materials.

Indigenous Landscaping

No room is complete without the right decor. And for outdoor rooms, that means landscaping. Working with your HealthyBuilt Certified Home Builder, you can incorporate native plants into your outdoor space, which will require little to no maintenance. Eradicating plants that are exotic to Western North Carolina in favor of native species will create harmony in the ecosystem of your outdoor space to ensure the health and well being of forces who also appreciate your outdoor space, such as migrating birds.

Since recent studies suspect perfectly manicured lawns as one of a home’s largest carbon producers, transforming your dull, grassy space to a luxurious outdoor room can even be beneficial for the planet.

Whether you’re looking to add life to your existing home in the form of an outdoor room, or you want to create a special entertaining space in your new custom build, speak with your home builder to make use of this valuable space.

Window Labeling for Tax Credit Eligibility

kristen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:59:52 +0000

Will your Energy Star windows, doors and skylights meet this year’s newer, more stringent requirements? Your green home builder will be able to help you select the most energy efficient products for your home, but it’s not a bad idea to familiarize yourself with these important new labels.

Earlier this year, new performance requirements went into effect on all ENERGY STAR windows, doors and skylights. Knowing how to identify these labels when purchasing your new energy efficient products is vital to making good investments and ensuring eligibility for tax credits.

Red and Black Labels

ENERGY STAR Red Label

There are two new ENERGY STAR labels to watch for. The label shown at right was rolled out in October of 2009. Appearing in either red or black, this label identifies window, skylight and door products which will no longer meet the high-efficiency ENERGY STAR standards effective April 1, 2010.

Blue Label

ENERGY STAR Blue Label

The new, blue label will help you identify ENERGY STAR products that are eligible for tax credits up to $1,500 when installed in 2010.

To ensure the highest level of energy efficiency and tax credit eligibility in your ENERGY STAR purchases, it is always important to consult your green home builder.

Get Tax Credits for Solar Hot Water Heaters

Brock Builders — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:27:31 +0000

Tax Credits for Solar Hot Water Heaters

Long, hot baths don’t have to be a waste of energy. Solar hot water systems can heat the water for your kitchen or bath without running up your electric or gas bill.

In fact, many homeowners are now replacing traditional hot water heaters with solar powered systems, proving to be a revolution in green building. Solar water heaters use collection plates and highly insulated storage tanks to harness the power of the sun, thereby reducing carbon footprints and saving money on energy bills.

Systems are categorized as either active or passive. Active systems circulate the water within the tank using pumps or coils. While passive systems rely on gravity and the water’s natural temperature based circulation. An experienced green builder can advise you as to which system fits with your solar water heating needs. Some factors to be considered include your home site, local building codes, and the size of your family.

Whichever system you choose, the benefits can be astounding. According to some statistics, solar water heating systems can reduce your monthly utility bill, essentially paying for itself in less than five years. Your home builder can also help you to comply with federal tax credit regulations regarding a new solar hot water heating system to further help in covering the costs of the unit and installation. Federal tax credits will pay for up to 30% of the cost of installation of an energy star solar water heating system, but only if the system is installed before the deadline of December 31, 2016.

It’s important to contact your green building specialist as soon as possible to discuss the solar heating options for your home to start saving money and energy. Whether you’re building a new construction or updating the system in your existing homes, it’s a win-win situation for all homeowners.

Home Remodeling and Energy Tax Credits

Brock Builders — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:04:37 +0000

Energy efficient replacement windows in a home remodel can earn energy tax credits.

Conserving energy through the use of “green” products might not have been at the top of your list a few years ago, but thanks to the 2009 economic stimulus bill the government has made it financially beneficial to homeowners to work toward energy efficiency. Tax credits are available unlike ever before to homeowners who are planning a home remodel with green appliances and practices.

The 2009 economic stimulus bill improves upon pre-existing credits in a big way:

2009 tax credits are now in effect until 2010
The 10% tax credit is now 30%
Tax credits that were once a specific amount are now converted to 30% of the cost of materials
The maximum credit is now $1500 instead of $500 and is for all improvements combined for the 2009-2010 period
Certain home improvements, including geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and panels are not subject to the $1500 maximum

Asheville remodeling contractors such as Brock Builders can perform a home energy audit to outline the areas that will benefit most from installing energy-efficient appliances and insulation systems. By installing a variety of energy-efficient items from the following categories, you may be eligible to claim a tax credit of 30 percent:

Biomass stoves
Exterior doors, skylights and windows
HVAC
Roofing (metal and asphalt)
Storm doors and windows
Water heaters (nonsolar)

Tax credits are also available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes and new construction) for the following categories:

Fuel cells
Geothermal heat pumps
Solar panels
Solar water heaters
Small wind energy systems

The new tax credit does have a discrepancy, however, when it comes to windows. Energy Star windows purchased before June 1, 2009 are eligible for the tax credit of 30%, but not all Energy Star windows purchased after June 1 will qualify. To meet the requirements for the tax credit after June 1, the windows in your remodel must be super-efficient windows with a U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) less than or equal to .30. According to Energy Star’s website, most of their windows will not meet the requirements for the tax credit. These confusing standards are being reviewed by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), who are urging Congress to reconcile the stimulus bill standards with Energy Star criteria.

In order to qualify for the tax credit, all products must have a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying the product meets the standards for the tax credit. The Manufacturer Certification Statement isn’t required to send in with your tax return but must accompany your receipts and records. It is recommended by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) to save all receipts with the contact information of each manufacturer, the make and model of the product, and the manufacturer’s statement that the product meets the tax credit standards.

Whether you plan to do a basement, bath or kitchen remodel, hiring a general contractor familiar with these tax credits ensures your home remodel is earning the highest credits possible, the proper appliances and products are purchased and installed, and the specific records you need are organized. When helping the environment while saving money, everybody wins.

Green Building and the HealthyBuilt Homes Program

Brock Builders — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:43:35 +0000

Custom home by general contractor Brock Builders - Certified HealthyBuilt Home

While many homeowners strive to conserve energy with efficient light bulbs or low-flow shower heads, the real opportunities to make a home truly energy and cost efficient start with the design, planning and construction processes.

Asheville-area home builder Brock Builders is currently constructing HealthyBuilt Homes, the newest example of “green building” and sustainable living in North Carolina. Learn more about exciting new opportunities available to conserve energy and materials in your next home in our full-length article on green building and the HealthyBuilt Homes process.