Green building means improving the way that homes and homebuilding sites use energy, water and materials to reduce the impact on human health as well as the environment. Conventional Building construction needlessly consumes large quantities of wood, water, fuel and other materials. Building a green home conserves these resources, by making environmentally preferable and sustainable decisions throughout the building process. Decisions that will minimize the environmental impact of the home, while it is being built and for over the many years it will be lived in.
DID YOU KNOW… that a typical home can cause twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the typical car over the course of one year driving use?
The most important trend today and for the future generations to come is green living. No longer an overpriced style known for its limited aesthetics, green practices are becoming increasingly favored by homeowners as a smart, healthy-and ever more luxurious-alternative to conventional building practices.
Sabatello believes in the wisdom and forward thinking behind green building. We enhance the beauty and functionality of your home, and create a healthier more comfortable home by offering sophisticated green options.
Building a home green is easier than you may think. Green building gives homeowners the unique opportunity to incorporate cost-saving and earth-sustaining green concepts into their homes. SABATELLO’s approach to teaching Green Building is an all-encompassing approach that emphasizes making a home healthy, comfortable, and efficient. Consideration is given to indoor air quality, energy conservation, resource conservation, reduced construction material waste, and the use of products that are better for the environment (and for people).
SABATELLO is committed to Green building practices, and the following are examples of many Green Building practices that we employ:
- Much of our construction wasted is sorted by our waste hauler and is recycled.
- Use upgraded insulation and foamed infiltration practices
- Use fluorescent lighting wherever possible
- Install Programmable thermostats
- Improve natural light quality by window placement and use of solar tubes
- Control water runoff by use of gutters and underground piping
- Pervious concrete paver brick
- Specifically detailed window and door installation protocols to avoid moisture intrusion
- Use of durable construction products such as concrete, metal, stone, brick and tile
- Porcelain and ceramic tile flooring products made with special attention to minimizing the green house gasses during the manufacturing process.
- Whenever possible, we consider the advantage of passive solar benefits, such as:
- Home orientation
- Window positions
- Overhangs
- Thermal massing
- Natural ventilation
- Shading
- Low flow plumbing fixtures
- High Efficiency air conditioning systems
- Finished cabinetry and flooring- finished in controlled conditions with vapor recovery systems
- We offer readily renewable (sustainable) flooring such as bamboo
- We offer the use and availability of low and no VOC paints
- Upon request, we make available the following products and services:
- LED lighting
- Hot water recirculation systems
- Tankless hot water heating systems
- Installation of air conditioning air handler within air conditioned space
- Donation of used appliances, cabinets and building materials to charity for reuse
What should homebuyers look for first in a green home?
Energy efficiency is the place to start. That’s because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain and risks of global climate change. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. The easiest way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes save money on utility bills, provide a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality and help protect the environment.
Typical features to look for in an ENERGY STAR qualified home include:
- An efficient home envelope, with effective levels of wall, floor and attic insulation properly installed, comprehensive air barrier details and high-performance windows
- Efficient air distribution, where ducts are installed with minimum air leakage and are effectively insulated
- Efficient equipment for heating, cooling and water heating
- Efficient lighting, includes fixtures that can earn the ENERGY STAR
- Efficient appliances, including ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, refrigerators and clothes washers
These energy efficiency improvements save homeowners money – about $200 to $400 per year on utility bills. More importantly, monthly energy savings can easily exceed any additional mortgage cost for the energy efficiency improvements, resulting in a positive cash flow from the first day of home ownership. As a result, the cost effectiveness of ENERGY STAR improvements can help offset additional costs associated with other green home features.
DID YOU KNOW… Each ENERGY STAR qualified home can keep 4,500 lbs of greenhouse gases out of our air each year. And because homes have such long life spans, this environmental benefit lasts for many, many years.
What is your shade of Green?
Increasing your home’s sustainability, a green home conserves natural resources such as wood, water and fuel, which are otherwise continually depleted under conventional building methods. Employing energy efficient design and elements, a green home can reduce your bills and increase the value and comfort of your home. A green home can also be a healthier home. By improving indoor air quality and reducing vapors and particulates released by materials used in standard construction projects, sufferers of asthma and allergies can benefit greatly through the use of green materials in a project.
Experienced in green building techniques and products, SABATELLO is consistently at the forefront of the latest and greatest, for function and style, in green building. Whether you want your project to be totally green, or just a touch, our team can help you make the right choices. SABATELLO is committed to only using methods and materials that are warrantable and long lasting. Good green practices mean low maintenance and longevity.
Why should I build Green?
It’s easier on the earth, it can lower energy costs, and it provides a healthier home in which to live. According to the Sustainable Building Industry Council (SBIC), housing alone consumes 20% of America’s energy. Homeowners who choose to build green can lower their energy consumption by 30-50%. It’s widely agreed that forests produce 40% of Earth's oxygen, and that building supplies use 25% of its forests. Building green by incorporating recycled materials or sustainable species will help homeowners to tread more lightly on Earth’s natural resources. More than 15 million Americans are estimated to have asthma, and more than 28 million Americans suffer from hay fever and other allergies, all of which are aggravated by poor indoor air quality, which can be improved by building green.
In summary, Green building reduces operating costs in the home by increasing efficiency, conserving natural resources, increasing the value of the home, improving indoor air quality and in turn, overall health; reducing waste, reducing emissions costs, and increasing productivity of occupants and improving quality of life.
I know there are many facets of Green Building. Can you explain them?
Energy conservation is one facet. The average home today utilizes systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and most homes are not built as efficiently as they could be all of which results in high energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy believes if current buildings were green-improved, they would use $20 billion less energy per year. Green building puts a strong emphasis on making homes as efficient as possible with modifications like energy efficient appliances and thermostats that can be programmed at different temperatures for different times of the day.
Indoor air quality is another facet. There are many sources that contribute to the air quality inside a home. They include pollutants brought in from the outside, toxic chemicals existing inside the home, and the activities of the occupants that create pollutants. Major contributors are tobacco smoke, smoke from the burning of wood, coal, kerosene or other such substances, toxic fumes from sealants or chemicals from cleaning products, lead paint, asbestos from insulation, damp carpets or fabrics, and certain pressed-wood furniture products that release chemicals into the air. Green building seeks to remedy these problems with things like better ventilation systems and using wood, paint, and sealants that are nontoxic.
Reduced material waste and resource conservation is yet another aspect to green building. When building a home, there is often a large amount of construction waste. This amounts to 136 million tons of waste annually, according to the EPA, which in turn makes up 20% of the waste in landfills. Green building focuses on reducing this waste and reusing materials whenever possible, as 85 to 90% of materials thrown out can be recycled. Using local materials, building with engineered lumber, and using recycling companies to remove waste are all ways this can be achieved during construction.
Use of environmentally safe products is another facet of green building. Many products and practices used in the construction of a home have negative effects on the environment. From chemicals and materials that pollute the air to the disturbing of the surrounding landscape, a myriad of actions taken can cause harm. With green, care is given to minimizing or eliminating products that could cause harm to the environment or the occupants during construction or after.
How can I implement everyday green concepts into my home in smaller ways?
Green living can be done in small ways and doesn’t necessarily have to encompass the entire home. It’s easy to pick and choose elements that fit each particular homeowner. The following can be used:
- Cause: Non-toxic paints and sealants
Effect: Reduce vapors into the environment
- Cause: Programmable thermostats
Effect: Saves energy and reduces greenhouse gasses in the environment
- Cause: Energy efficient appliances
Effect: Saves energy and reduces greenhouse gasses in the environment
- Cause: Natural flooring
Effect: Readily renewable products maintains sustainability
- Cause: Local building materials
Effect: Minimizes greenhouse gasses by reducing the exhaust produced by transportation of materials
- Cause: Natural fiber rugs and fabrics
Effect: Improves Indoor Air Quality
- Cause: Recycled material roof shingles and tiles
Effect: saves energy by reducing greenhouse gases produced by manufacturing process
- Cause: Energy efficient lighting
Effect: Saves energy and reduces greenhouse gasses in the environment
- Cause: Insulated hot water pipes
Effect: Saves energy and reduces greenhouse gasses in the environment
- Cause: Tankless water heaters
Effect: Saves energy and reduces greenhouse gasses in the environment
- Cause: Quality insulation
Effect: Saves energy
- Cause: Native plants for landscaping
Effect: Reduces green house gasses by minimizing the exhaust needed to trim and transport the trimmed waste, reduces water usage by lack of need for regular irrigation, and reduces the need for excessive fertilization, thereby reducing the greenhouse gasses from fertilizer manufacturing
