Green Homes Las Vegas Undressed

Green Shopping Bags Las Vegas

One thing that I noticed when I came to Las Vegas three years ago were the plastic bags that inhabit our city. The wind whips them everywhere; it’s like they’re our state bird.

I still have a connection with the Pacific Northwest and I was reading the Seattle Times online edition. They had an article on plastic bags.

The City of Seattle is now imposing a 20 cent fee on plastic bags starting in January of 2010.

You know how when you go shopping and the cashier uses “like” way more bags than you really need? Then there is double bagging; do the math that is a lot of money.

Edmonds, Washington has become the first city in the state to ban reusable plastic grocery bags at retail stores.

“They’re really no more than a convenience we’ve gotten used to,” Councilmember Strom Peterson said before the meeting. “The risk to the environment outweighs the convenience.”

In approving the ban, Edmonds joins cities and countries around the world that have banned or discouraged disposable plastic bags, including France, Germany, India and China. San Francisco banned them in 2007, and a similar ban goes into effect in Los Angeles next year.

We all know, I being one, that you can just go out a buy a reusable bag. I actually did that last week; not really proud of my effort so far.

Do we then turn back to paper bags?  It takes 14 million trees to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used every year by Americans, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. So, I guess that doesn’t make any sense.

You can buy reusable shopping bags anywhere; you just have to have the discipline or develop the routine to use them. I find that I go to the store and then remember that I left the reusable bag at home and now I’m depositing 6 plastic bags in the garbage can.

Whole Foods and Sheryl Crow have come up with “A Better Bag.” In fact they have done a couple of things in that regard. They have a program to feed children in Rwanda; $30 bags but $10 goes to The FEED Foundation. The better bag program is much more reasonable starting at 79 cents and going up.

If Las Vegas ever decides to charge a fee for plastic bag usage, do the math, not a bad alternative.

If you can afford to have some fun with this by all means get involved and help the less fortunate. Every time you use that $30 bag you can know that you’re helping someone else. A novel idea?

Green Links Las Vegas

Here is a link to a closer look at coal from Greg Haegele, Deputy Direction of the Sierra Club. His article in treehugger is titled “Ten Dirty Things About Big King Coal” and it doesn’t present a pretty picture.

Is there really new technology that will provide us with a viable path to energy independence? Matthew McDermott writing for treehugger talks about Joule Biotechnology and their plans for using CO2 in a process to engineer fuel.

Planetsave has an article, written by Daniel Hohler, asking the question “Is there Really Penty of Fish in the Sea?”

The last link is from CleanTechnica and Susan Kraemer. Susan shows us what China is doing in renewable energy. It is good to see that they are involved since they are big time polluters and have high needs for oil and gas. I just hope that the U.S. doesn’t get left behind because of partisan politics.

Green Links Las Vegas

This weeks Green Links Las Vegas starts with a very sexy electirc car. Michael Graham Richard writing for treehugger shows us the sporty version of the electric car; a Fisker Karma.

Colin Dunn a writer from Corvalis Oregon, the home of the Oregon State Beavers, provides us with a slide show on the benefits of organic farming. Here is the link from treehugger.

We now have a photo of a green bee; they are found in Florida. You’ve heard of the canary in the coal mine as an indicator of a toxic environment; now we have bees and balloons! Here is the link to an article by Jeff Kart at CleanTechnica.

So, who is the first nation that is planning on being 100% solar powered? Tuvalu, its claim to fame was that they sued the Bush Administration because of the sea level rise. Susan Kraemer, with CleanTechnica, tells us more in this link.

Nike goes green; with a little pressure from the folks at Greenpeace. Andrew Williams tells the story in Plantesave; noting that Nike has stopped all imports of leather from the Amazon region in Brazil. Here is the last link for the week.

Green Home Las Vegas – Hacienda Verde Part Two

Hacienda Verde has an audio video control system with a very thick bundle of wires that runs throughout the home. There will be iPod docking stations in every room so that you can listen to your favorite music anytime and anywhere in the home. There is a 10-camera video security system in the home providing exterior security. You will be able to view the front door and have audio at the same time.

Getting light into the home was a major aspect of its design. The large gallery area has two skylights that can be opened by remote control or the wall keypad. Heat can be vented out of the sky lights since they open outward. Additionally, they have a solar screen that can be used when the need for light or venting is not there. In the spring time when you’re not using the air conditioning heat can build up in the home; the skylights allow the venting of this heat.

Signature Custom Homes is taking the additional step of spraying all the wet areas of the home with a mildew/mold resistant spray. There is a yellow film over the framing and piping and this where the application has been made. So, if in the future, if there is a leak the mold spores which are already in the wood are not released; the wood has been sealed.

The great room has floor plugs, for lighting fixtures, avoiding cords running to wall plugs and just providing more flexibility.

The vents shown here in the great room are inline vents meaning that they are less noticeable than those of the past. During construction these vents are sealed with plastic. This keeps the dust and dirt of construction out of the duct system; a green component required by LEED.

Off the great room are ten foot sliders made by Loewen doors. There are 6 leafs with two leafs in the center of the door; these are the operable leafs creating a large passage way. It is important, when you live in Las Vegas, to have your large glass areas on the east or north side of your home. These glass doors are on the north side of the home and there is a covered patio; so you won’t have the heat effect of the sun beating down on the glass.

Moving upstairs Brian takes us to one of the bedrooms. He points out the blown in cellulose insulation on the exterior walls. They also applied the cellulose to the large pillows you can see up in the attic.

Instead of putting the insulation on top of the drywall they are putting the insulation on the underside the roof sheeting. This enables the builder to create a climate controlled attic; you don’t have to deal with a hot attic environment. The heating and cooling envelope of the home has been expanded. The recycled paper or cellulose has also been treated with borate which will take care of any pests that get into the insulation.

The have added solar light tubes which reduces the need to light the home during the day. The lighting control system is built into a closet that is vented just like the audio video control system downstairs. This venting removes the heat and any gasses that may try to build up in the closet.

The master bedroom has a lot of natural light, with French doors leading out to a balcony. There are no windows on the east wall and the windows on the south wall are smaller.

The master bath room has also been treated with the mildew/mold spray as a protective measure and the exhaust vents move the moisture in the air out of the home.

Richard Zimmerman with Sonoran Leed for Homes, has been doing a spot inspections of the home. Richard is affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council; a non-profit organization that certifies homes based on the Leed (leadership in energy and environmental design) for home standard. There are 4 levels of certification; certified, silver, gold and platinum.   

Hacienda Verde will surely hit the highest level of energy and environmental design.

Brian Plaster of Signature Homes can be reached at 702-671-6034. Please give Brian a call if you are looking for a fresh approach to building your dream home.

Green Home Las Vegas – Hacienda Verde

Brian Plaster’s green home in Las Vegas is Hacienda Verde. The home will be roughly 4500 square feet with six bedrooms (five bedrooms and a den) and a three car garage.

Brian was able to get me a video that was produced just a few months ago. This video will allow me to show you a number of features as they are being installed. Many of these features are not going to be visible upon the completion of the construction; however, they will add immensely to the comfort and environmental health of the home.

One of the key elements in building a green home is the building envelope. Brian and Signature Custom Homes are using a number of new techniques to insure that the building envelope is sealing every hole. This process avoids the loss of cool air in the summer or warm air in the winter.

There are three types of insulation that are used in the home. The first is a cellulose (recycled newspaper) product. The cellulose insulation is combined with a fire retardant and the recycled nature of the product is a major factor in its use.

Blown in Cellulose is used primarily in exterior walls.

The second type of insulation is the standard fiberglass insulation; this is also a green product that is formaldehyde free.

 All the interior walls use the fiberglass insulation.

Hacienda Verde is using Andersen 100 series windows. The windows are made of polymers and recycled wood to form a composite called Fibrex.  They use argon gas between the glass layers to make it more energy efficient and sun smart glazing adds to the efficiency of the glass.  

In Las Vegas we are all aware of the heat that can be generated in an unconditioned space like a garage. Hacienda Verde has tackled that problem with a third type of insulation. This sprayed in foam insulation is Icynene. The use of petroleum-based products is much reduced by the use of castor oil.

The insulation is blown into the ceiling of the garage creating a completely sealed moisture and air barrier between the garage and living area. This barrier is essential in keeping the heat or cold out of the living spaces above the garage. Icynene has very good accoustical qualities and provides a sound barrier to the sounds of the garage.

Creating a healthy environment is an important consideration when building a green home. A garage can be a rather toxic place unless you have an electric car. Brian has added an automated air exchange system. When the garage door closes it is activated and run for 15 minutes to get rid of all the nasty fumes. A central vacuum system helps to vent the dust and debris out of the home.

The City of Las Vegas gave Brian a couple of choices for fire protection. He could either install a fire hydrant in the front of the home or put in a fire suppression system. The fire suppression system won out for a couple of reasons. Safety, piece of mind and increased home value. Most people think that if one sprinkler goes off they all do; that is no longer the case. In the new systems, only the sprinkler heads that have been heated beyond 135 degrees will discharge water. The sprinkler heads are placed about 10 feet apart throughout the home.

There will be more to follow over the coming weeks; I hope you find it informative.

If you have an interest in building a green home and would like to contact Brian Plaster; his phone number is 702-671-6034.

Green Homes Las Vegas

This is the beginning of the Green Homes Las Vegas series that I have been promising. I have interspersed this post with photos of past work done by Signature Custom Homes. In subsequent posts I will show you photos of the green home “Hacienda Verde” that they are building.

Brian Plaster, Vice President of Operations for Signature Custom Homes, is building his own LEED-Platinum Certified Green Home. You will get to know a lot about Brian; how he thinks and his visions on green home building. I hope that you will enjoy the journey.

Signature Custom Homes was the first home builder to sign up to participate in the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership. The partnership program was established to help builders design and construct more environmentally sensitive or “green” homes in Southern Nevada.

The guidelines set forth by the partnership will provide a blueprint to help builders in Nevada. The process will also use third-party inspections and verifications to insure that design and construction guidelines are being adhered to. The home will then be certified; meaning that the programs green building requirements have been met.

You should know that Signature Custom Homes has been building in Las Vegas for over 30 years. Richard and Wendy Plaster founded Signature Homes in 1978 and has now built over 14,000 homes. It is one of the oldest and largest privately-held home builders in Las Vegas. 

Custom-home building became a way of diversifying the company beyond their involvement in single-family home, condominium and apartment development.

Richard and Wendy’s son, Brian, started his work in the construction industry at a very early age and he has worked on almost every aspect of building and design work. Brian sits on the board of directors for the Southern Nevada Home Builders and is involved in local charities.

Signature Custom Homes has received a number of design awards; and has received the prestigious Diamond Builder Award. Only 41 home builders, nationally, have been honored with this award since 1989.  The award honors builders who have a longstanding reputation for building homes of exceptional quality; for providing outstanding customer service and receiving the highest satisfaction ratings from their clients.

The company gets very involved with their clients. They provide personalized websites allowing the client to view and monitor the building of their home. This partnership is essential. It allows the client’s unique needs and personality to flower in the building of their home.

Green building goes far beyond energy conservation. The Green Building Partnership’s goal is to direct the efficient use of resources, materials, energy and water; maximize the indoor environmental quality in new housing; and educate homeowners about the operation and maintenance of a green home.

Experience in building green is essential and Signature Custom Homes is up to the task. Signature Custom Homes is located at 801 South Rancho Drive Suite E4, Las Vegas, Nevada 89106. You can reach Brian Plaster at 702-671-6034. Here is their website. 

My next few posts will deal with the various elements and concepts that go into putting together a green home. Please ask any questions that you may have; I will find the answer.

Green Links Las Vegas

Green Links Las Vegas starts with a story on wind power. Timothy B. Hurst writing for CleanTechnica reports on new wind turbines that can be integrated into transmission towers. Click here for the article.

Gwyneth Paltrow has a link to the Peapod electric car on her Green blog site GOOP. Click here  and you will be transported to the site.

Here is a post about the World’s first solar powered cargo ship. Sarah Parsons writing for inhabitat explains that the massive array of solar panels only contirbutes to 10% of the ships power needs; but it is still a step in the right direction. 

Tina McCarthy has a piece in ecosalon that speaks to the issue of water usage. She presents some eye catching numbers; seems as though we are taking a lot for granted when it comes to water use.  

Senior Smart Home

Smart Homes are no longer found in a dream world; they are now available to the mainstream population. This is happening because of the advancements that have taken place in computer systems and sensors.  Affordability is the issue that has held this technology back; that is now changing.

One growing sector of society now has a chance to live out their lives at home rather than a nursing or retirement home. Seniors are now in a position to use this technology to stay in the comfort of their own homes.

Everyone wants to hold on to their independence and enjoy the quality of life that they have become accustomed to. There is a sense of pride that comes with taking care of oneself.  

There are a number of applications that are available to assist the senior citizen. Some may not be needed initially; we all know seniors who are doing extremely well late in life. However, if things do change, wouldn’t be nice have something in place to allow a seamless transition to a more assisted living environment?

There will inevitably be doubts surrounding the Senior Smart Home. Is the technology my friend or is it an enemy pointing out my changing capabilities as I grow older? Will someone be watching me all the time on video or monitoring my movements by the use of sensors? What will happen to my privacy?

The Senior Smart Home concept is a different form of dependency; the individual chooses this path. It can provide comfort to the individual using it and to the family that has justifiable concerns about the health and safety of their loved one.

I believe that the key element is the time of implementation; a time when the need is not essential. It can be a time of learning for everyone that is involved; a time to understand that this independence can be reached without isolation.

Early involvement by the user and family members can make this a successful strategy. Seeing how something works in advance of an emergency can give everyone a sense of comfort.

I recently met, Teri Lyn Vander Heiden, a woman with a mission. Her goal is to build a Senior Smart Home for herself. She has a story to tell and a vision of a future that she wants to share. I will be creating a site on Green Homes Las Vegas for her to do just that.

Maybe you are a senior or have a parent who is trying to face the challenges of aging while maintaining their independence. Perhaps we all can find some solutions to a better life.

Here is a link to a walk-thru of a Smart Home, while not a Senior Smart Home, it does show you some of the technology that can be found.  As best as I can, I will help Teri bring some new ideas into your lives.

Green Flooring Las Vegas

This post, about green flooring, will center on cork. Most of us think of cork primarily as stoppers in wine bottles; now it is becoming a new green flooring alternative.

The largest producer of cork oak trees is Portugal and their forests are the most carefully regulated in the world. Cork trees are never cut down; their bark is harvested.  When a tree is about 25 years old; they remove about 50% of the bark. The tree is not harmed since the bark will grow back. The typical tree which lives for about 250 years may be harvested as many as 20 times.

The bark is stacked in the forest where it is allowed to cure. The cork is then boiled to make it more pliable and to expand its cells which form a very uniform pattern much like a honeycomb.

Cork has a natural ability to resist rot, insects, and mold, cork flooring is also fire retardant. If cork flooring does burn, it does not give off toxic fumes like other flooring materials.

The colors and styles are numerous; allowing the user to create an environment that matches their individual style. The manufacturers use a micro-bead ceramic oxide technology that is green friendly and exceptionally durable.

Cork flooring can be a great replacement for carpeting for those with allergies. Cork flooring does not absorb dust or pollen, making it easier to rid your home of these potential allergens.

Cork flooring has very good accustical properties reducing echo effects. These properties make cork flooring a great choice for larger bathrooms.

You’ll find that many people prefer the warmer and softer quailites of cork over tile flooring. This works well in kitchens where cork flooring is easier on your feet and more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time.

 I have also heard that cork flooring works very well with radiant heating. Here are a couple of natural flooring manufacturers and there website links:

Ceres Natural Flooring

Torlys Smart Floors

Green Links Las Vegas

Let’s start the 4th of July weekend with an article on fireworks. Michael Graham Richard writes an article on treehugger entitled “Oh No Mommy! Will the Greenies Take Fireworks Away From Us? Click here for this weeks first article on Green Links Las Vegas.

Pre-fab homes have come a long ways; and they are going green! Haly Zaki writing for inhabitat shows us a pre-fab home in the Hollywood Hills by Marmol Radziner.

The Construction industry is going green in a big way; embracing more eco-friendly materials. Justin Moresco on solve climate.com writes the article on High Tech Green Building Materials.

Here is kind of a scary article about melting permafrost. Another threat to climate change this post was on Planetsave and written by Ruedigar Matthes. One would hope that we can avoid this “Point of No Return”.

This weeks last link is about trying to put a chill into climate change. In another article from solveclimate.com written by Renee Cho; we will explore the color white.

I’m hoping to jump-start my series on Green Homes in Las Vegas this coming week; it’s been a long time and I’m hoping to the have the material that is needed soon. We’ll also be looking at the concept of Senior Smart Homes in the near future.