What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
Green Designationsrn1) The third home in NC to be awarded Platinum Level LEED for Homesrn2) The second home in NC to be awarded Gold Level NAHB Standardrn3) One of 2,500 homes in the country to meet DOE Builders Challenge with a HERS rating of 52rn4) Energy Star HomernrnOverall Featuresrn- Home is completely Hypoallergenicrn- Etched and Sealed Decorative Concrete Floors rn- Passive Solar Design = House Faces TRUE South for Warmth in the Winter and Cool in the Summer rn- Seer 16.5 Air to Air Heat Pump with ERV and each room has a cold air return for complete air exchanges resulting in better heating/cooling and eliminating dead airrn- Electric Bills average $72.90 per month (Unusually Cold Winter and Hot Summer)rn- Prewired for future PV or Micro-hydro SystemrnrnInterior FeaturesrnDoors and Windowsrn- Jeld Wyn Windows with Ideal High Solar Heat Gain Factors and Ideal Low U-Factors on South, North, East and West facing windows for North Carolina’s climatern- Matching eight-panel doors through-out the homern- Eight-Panel glass solid wood doors to allow light through-out homern- Eight-panel solid wood pocket doors for all but Hall, Linen and Pantry ClosetsrnrnWalls, Ceilings and Floorsrn- All Interior & Exterior Walls are covered with no-fly ash drywallrn- Paints, Primers, Caulking, Sealers, Glues are No or Low-VOCrn- Etched and sealed decorative concrete floorrnrnFixtures and Appliancesrn- See-through Fireplace in Living Room and Master Bedroom, fed with outside unconditioned air through ventrn- Fireplace mantles constructed of Ambrosia Maplern- Fireplace face constructed of same recycled brick used on outside of homern- Savoy Ceiling Fans in each room are Energy Star™ compact fluorescent bulbsrn- Savoy Light Fixtures in each room are fitted with compact fluorescent bulbsrnrnBathroomsrn- American Standard™ Dual Flush Toilets are High Efficiencyrn- Kohler™ Water Faucets are Low-Flow, WaterSense™ and High Efficiencyrn- Kohler Water Faucets meet ADA requirementsrn- Oversized two-person bathtub in the Master Bathrn- Standard one-person bathtub - ADA compliant in Guest Bathrn- Both Bathtubs are insulated to extend the time that the water stays hotrn- Both Bathrooms are blocked for ADA compliance and are elderly & handicap-accessiblernrnKitchenrn- Stainless Steel Whirlpool Gold appliances are Energy Star™ and High Energy Efficientrn- Kitchen Counter is High Definition Wilsonart, locally produced with no-urea formaldehyde adhesivesrn- Kitchen Cabinets boxes are Pure Bond Columbia Forest Products, locally produced with no-urea formaldehyde adhesivesrn- Kitchen Cabinet Doors are Ambrosia Maple, locally produced with no-urea formaldehyde adhesives or finishesrn- Kitchen cabinet drawers fully extend for easy accessrn- Two Farmer Sinks meet California Health Standardsrn- Recycle Center in one lower Kitchen CabinetrnrnExterior Features rn- Light-colored Recycled Brick Exterior to avoid Heat Sink Influencern- Light-Colored Roof to avoid Heat Sink Influencern- 1,700 gallon Rain Catchment System captures run-off from north side of roofrn- Rain Garden-Ready to capture run-off from south side of roofrn- Outdoor Showerrn- Non-Invasive Native Drought Resistant Plants, Shrubs and Trees in landscaped gardensrnrnAdditional GREEN Construction Featuresrn- Footings contain NO Fly Ashrn- 8” and 12” Foundation Block contains NO Fly Ashrn- 6” Reinforced Concrete Floor contains NO Fly Ashrn- Septic Tank contains NO Fly Ashrn- Radon Remediationrn- 1” Styrofoam Laid on Top of Gravel Subfloorrn- Heavy Gauge Clear Plastic Covers 1” Styrofoamrn- Exterior Walls Constructed with Finger Jointed 2”x6”’s rn- Advanced Farming Techniques used for Framing Constructionrn- Exterior Walls are Insulated with Johns Manville Climate Pro (R-4.23/inch) between Studs (R-23.265)rn- Exterior Walls are also insulated with Dow’s SIS 1” Blue board (R-5.5/inch) on Exterior Side of Studsrn- Interior 2x4” Studded Walls are Insulated with Fiberglass R-13 Battsrn- HVAC Ductwork is Constructed with Solid Galvanized Pipern- HVAC Ductwork is Wrapped with R-8 Insulationrn- HVAC Ductwork is Sealed with Mastic to Prevent Air Leakagern- HVAC System is Hooked Up to an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator)rn- Hot Water Tank is a Rheem Energy Miserrn- Two Platinum 4X8 Solar Panels Supplying 85% of Hot Waterrn- Ideal roof pitch for maximum performance of Solar Panelsrn- Solar Hot Water System is a Closed Loop Glycol System rn- Attic insulated to R-38rn- Pull-down attic stairsrn- Attic Blanket Seals Attic Accessrn- Plenty of storage space in Atticrn- Bladder Tank, Hot Water Tank and Water Distribution Manifold reside in a conditioned attic space. Provides 132 Gallons of Water if electricity is interruptedrn- Garage is conditioned by separate HVAC Unitrn- Garage has a 3 Full Air Exchange Ventilation SystemProperty Description
Our “Mean Lean Dream Green Home” in New Hope Township in Iredell County, North Carolina was completed at the end of 2009. Our home has been certified as the third home in the state of North Carolina to achieve the Platinum Level LEED for Homes™ certification and the second home in the state of North Carolina to achieve the Gold Level NAHB National Green Building Standard™ certification. According to the Department of Energy’s E-Scale, our home’s 52 HERS rating is indicative of the fact that this “average home” will use about half the energy of a home built to code, thus resulting in our home being one of 2,500 homes nationwide to meet the Builders Challenge™. Our home is also Energy Star™.rnrnIn order to achieve these high-level certifications, we incorporated features that focused on sustainable living, water and energy efficiency, the use of environmentally preferred products, recycled material and local, healthy, hypo-allergenic products. rnrnOur "mean" 2404 square foot traditional ranch with 2209 heated square feet incorporates many of the “desired” features for the typical home of the future as described by the National Association of Home Builders. Our home has four bedrooms, two of which currently serve as our offices, French doors that open to the living space, two bathrooms, an open living space with kitchen, eating area and family room, a screened porch, expansive rear patio and front porch.rnrnOur large 736 square foot, heated, two-car garage also includes a workshop, equipped with 400 amp service. We also chose to use a “cradle to grave” and universal design so many of the features in the home are elderly-friendly and hand-capped accessible.rnrnWe incorporated “lean” features as well. Our home faces True South and utilizes passive solar technologies. It was designed with the proper-sized overhangs, so that the winter sun comes through the front windows but the summer sun does not. We also chose to use a concrete floor in the house which acts as a heat sink, collecting heat during the day and throwing heat off at night in the winter months. Our average monthly utility bill with abnormally hot summer and extremely cold winter is $72.90.rnrnIn addition, the south facing exposure, allowed for the easy installation of two solar panels which heat over 85% of our hot water. Likewise, our water distribution system uses a centralized manifold allowing for ease of maintenance. In addition, our landscaped gardens use native, drought-tolerant plants and shrubs as well as a 1,700 gallon BRAE™ rain-catchment system to achieve greater water conservation. 90% of the lot has been left as vegetative landscape which the neighboring farmer harvests to feed his cattle!rnrnWe chose to purchase Kohler™ and American Standard fixtures that are very high-efficiency. The low-flow, WaterSense™ faucets are less than 1.5 gpms, showers are less than 1.75 gpms and the Dual Flush Toilets are less than 1.1 gpf. The water heater is a Rheem Energy Miser©. rnrnThe HVAC systems governing the heat and air conditioning as well as the ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) and the fans through-out the house were designed and installed keeping optimizing performance in mind. The garage is equipped with air conditioning and air exchange.rnrnBoth bathrooms are equipped with a humidistat. The house has a Seer 16.5 Air to Air heat pump.rnrnThe HVAC ductwork is constructed with solid galvanized pipe, wrapped with R-8 insulation and sealed with mastic. rnrnEach room has a cold air return for complete air exchanges resulting in better heating/cooling and eliminating dead air. rnrnWe chose to use ClimatePro™, a Johns Manville blown-in fiberglass insulation product. The R-Factor in the attic is R-38 and R-29 in the walls. There is less than a 2 degree variation when the HVAC is turned off for 48 hours.rnrnWe believe that the combination of upgraded blown-in insulation, 2x6 finger-jointed studs, advanced framing techniques, exterior foam sheathing, radiant barrier roof sheathing and the overall tightness of the structure made for our high-performance, energy-efficiency home. Our Blower Door test yielded one of the lowest scores on record. rnrnWe spent more than two years researching products that could be used in the home. Our traditional brick ranch uses 92% recycled brick on the exterior and fireplaces. What appears to be a simple fireplace between the living space and the master bedroom is a Lennox™ model, with outside air supply, which has helped to heat the house as well. All paints, primers, caulking, sealers, glues are No or Low-VOC. The ceiling fans in each room are Energy Star™ and all light fixtures use compact fluorescent bulbs. The appliances through-out the house all exceed the Energy Star ™ standards.rnrnWe are very proud of the decision that we made with respect to the green kitchen. While visiting a cabinet-maker, we noticed pieces of wood on the floor. When we inquired about the wood, we were told that it was Ambrosia Maple, a “scrap” wood that is used for interior furniture, not as cabinet doors. We both loved the unusual markings and patterns in the wood. We eventually convinced our cabinet maker to not only use the wood on kitchen cabinet doors but on the fireplace mantles and bathroom cabinet as well.rnrnAdditional kitchen features include: stainless steel Energy Star™ Whirlpool Gold appliances, Wilson Art kitchen counters that are locally produced with no-urea formaldehyde adhesives, kitchen cabinet boxes that are Pure Bond Plywood Columbia Forest Products, locally produced with no-urea formaldehyde adhesives and kitchen cabinet doors that are Ambrosia Maple, locally grown with no-urea formaldehyde adhesives or finishes.rnrnOur traditional home with attention to details not only satisfies our dream but the new American Dream . . . a home that is affordable, attractive, high quality and low maintenance, as well as sustainable, efficient high-performing, healthy and hypo-allergenic!
Neighborhood Description
Our Mean Lean Dream Green Home is located in rural New Hope Township in Iredell County in North Carolina. rnrnThe home is just south of the second designated viticulture area in North Carolina known as Swan Creek Wine Country.rnrnGiven that New Hope Township is a rural community, the home is surrounded by highly wooded areas, large farms, mini-estates and horse farms.rnrnWe are minutes from Union Grove, Harmony and Love Valley, which is nationally-known by horse-lovers.rn rnWe benefit from a lMarket Area
Despite the rural setting of New Hope Township in Iredell County in North Carolina, our home is one+ hours from Charlotte, Winston-Salem, North Wilkesboro and Hickory.rnrnLikewise, we are less than two hours from the NC mountains and 4 hours from the shore.rnrnWe are less than 25 minutes from Mooresville, the home of NASCAR and major shopping centers.rnrnThe closest shopping is 15 minutes to Statesville, an up and coming city in the state.School District
Community
Friendly close community. Mainly a farming area with the Horse Capital of North Carolina, Love Valley only 3 miles away.Location of Home or Land
Rural
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Forced Air - Heat Pump |
| Cooling System | Conventional Heat Pump |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | HEPA filtration |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Rain Water Collection |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Masonry |
| Interior Finish | Gypsum Board - Sheet Rock |
| Interior Paint | Low VOC |
| Floor Material | Concrete |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Metal Dual Glazed |
| Insulation Material | Fiberglass |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | attached |
| Number of Cars | 2 |
| Garage Area | 736 sqft |
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