Green Building

While the idea of 'going green' has become somewhat trendy in recent years, there's more to it than just saving the planet - green also refers to the money you can save in monthly costs because your home is designed and built to function more efficiently.

According to the National Association of Home Builders Green Building website, building green means incorporating environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the home building and land development process to minimize environmental impact.

During the design, construction, and operation of a home, energy and water efficiency, lot development, resource efficient building design and materials, indoor environmental quality and homeowner maintenance are all considered.

The green principals followed by 4 Life Homes range from controlling erosion and runoff at the work site to recycling construction waste and using materials and products that work together to creating a better living environment and installing ENERGY STAR rated windows, fixtures and appliances.

As for the cost of doing it better - building green costs an average of 2.5 percent more up front, a study sponsored by the US Green Building Council and other real-estate and architectural groups has found; while the Green Building Council also says based on their Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores, the average home certified under LEED for Homes since its launch in February 2008 is predicted to use an estimated 30-60% less energy than a comparable home built to International Energy Conservation Code, saving homeowners hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.

4 Life Homes General Contractor Lee Rettig has earned the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders by committing to green principals and practices and 4 Life Homes has become the first ENERGY STAR Partner builder in the region.