Georgetown Village goes “green”
Here’s an interesting report on the Village from KVUE and my comments below:
BY TOM HARRIS, KVUE NEWS
06:35 PM CDT on Monday, October 29, 2007
Green homes appear to be the wave of the future when it comes to building houses in Central Texas. A development in Georgetown promises some of the best state-of-the-art technology for environmentally friendly houses.
Developers are building more than 2,000 green-built houses. When it’s done, Georgetown Village should be the largest development of its kind in Central Texas. Emily Thomson of GreenBuilders says they are using high tech construction as well as recycled materials. “We are using eco-cycled tiles in our homes so it is made out of recycled materials and some clay to even down to the floors we are walking on,” Thomson said. They are also using water base stains on the cabinets — which is better for the environment — along with detached garages so fumes don’t leak into the house.
Madison Wickham of GreenBuilders says the most important feature is the air-tight foam for insulation. “This particular insulation is quite a bit more expensive but pays for itself in the long run,” said Wickham. “The idea is to include a lot of different features like this insulation that in the front are more expensive, but in the long run they pay for itself.” Thomson says another advantage to an airtight home is that it helps keeps out the pollen. “What we are doing with green building is we are not only giving you an affordable home, but we are also giving you a healthier home for you and your family,” Thomson said.
CEO of GreenBuilders Clark Wilson says building green just makes sense, “It’s a smart thing to do and the right thing to do and a green built home will save you 50 to 60 percent on your energy bill, freeing up hundreds of dollars to do something else with,” Wilson said. The homes’ prices will run around $250,000. The company is also planning on two more green communities in Central Texas — one in Buda, the other in Driftwood.
I live just a few houses down from these environmentally friendly homes. My main concern is that with such “air-tight” precision being built into these homes, have they thought about the effects of indoor air pollution? Check out this site: www.tryfreshair.com and find the best solution…
Friday 02 Nov 2007 | Your favorite HOMEboy | Georgetown Village
Hi Edward,
You are correct–a home can be too tight. This is why all of our homes include a Honeywell Whole-Home Air filtration system. This system is designed in conjunction with the HVAC to optimize the quality of air inside our homes.
Madison, thanks for the comments, the homes are looking great and I love those energy saving features.
When I think of indoor air pollution, 3 things come to mind:
1. particulate matter
2. odors
3. germs and bacteria
The problem with ordinary filters is that it’s a “passive” technology. The air doesn’t get cleaned unless it passes through some type of membrane, filter or metal rod. It works, but it’s not efficient. It will probably knock out the first two pollutants, but the third, I’m not too sure.
Ecoquest uses something called “ActivePure Technology” that actually takes the cleaning agent to the source! Imagine, a plumber, with a nasty cold and leaky nose, walking through your house and touching your bathroom doorknob as he fixes your toilet. Before he leaves he grabs the faucet to wash his hands. This technology actually KILLS the germs on the surfaces throughout your home! Not many air purifiers can claim to clean surfaces as well!
How it works (taken from website):
What do we know about hydrogen peroxide? It’s perfectly safe to swish with, yet it kills germs and odors. So, imagine diluting hydrogen peroxide and misting it into the air. It floats through the air, settles on surfaces, and kills germs and odors at their source. That’s basically what ActivePure is doing.
Nature keeps air fresh outdoors through the natural processes of a thunderstorm and sunlight. If you take all outside air out of your home, there could be potential health problems. This technology simply captures those same processes and puts them in a box that you can put in your home. “You’ve essentially taken outside, and brought it inside!”
Here’s one builder who was featured on Extreme Home Makeover and incorporates our technology: http://www.majestichomesonline.com