The Chapins' new home meets the highest standards of green homebuilding, incorporating many products and systems that:

•  Use less energy,
•  Create healthy indoor air quality,
•  Save water,
•  Minimize waste,
•  Reduce the impact on the environment.

The home is being certified as an ENERGY STAR® Home and to the highest level of the National Green Building Standards. The green building measures taken were confirmed by an independent third-party verifier to ensure accuracy.

Energy Savings

Saving energy is important to the family budget and to the future of the planet. This home is expected to use at least 30 percent less energy than a typical new home, thanks to features like these:

•  Installing a gas furnace that runs at over 90 percent efficiency;
•  Sealing the heating ducts with mastic (NOT duct tape – it leaks!) and testing the system for leaks;
•  Providing high efficiency windows and French doors to reduce heat loss;
•  Carefully insulating and air-sealing the entire envelope of the building;
•  Choosing Energy Star-approved appliances and light fixtures;
•  Planting deciduous trees on the south side of the house to shield it from the summer sun.

Healthy Indoor Air

Healthy indoor air quality is especially important to families with children, since indoor toxins have been linked health problems from asthma to learning disabilities. Here are some of the steps that have been taken to ensure this house will be healthy to live in:

•  Providing formaldehyde-free insulation and building products;
•  Choosing paints and finishes that are low in toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds);
•  Using non-toxic adhesives, caulks, and sealants;
•  Eliminating carpet, which traps dust, pollutants, and moisture;
•  Detaching the garage from the house to keep fumes out of the living space.

Water Conservation

Fresh water has been called the most precious commodity on earth, and using water wisely is important for our health and the health of our rivers, lakes, and the Puget Sound. This project was designed to conserve water both inside and outside the house:

Inside:

•  Choosing dual-flush toilets that use only the amount of water needed;
•  Installing low-flow faucets and showerheads;
•  Providing a water-saving, front-loading clothes washer.

Outside:

•  Planting drought-resistant landscape plants instead of a grassy lawn;
•  Providing a drip-irrigation system to establish the new plants instead of water-wasting sprinklers;
•  Installing pervious pavers for the driveway and patio so stormwater can filter through the soil and be cleaned before entering our waterways;
•  Designing a ‘rain garden' that will store stormwater overflow temporarily to give the ground time to absorb it.

Waste Reduction

More than 40% of the material in our landfills comes from construction sites. Special effort was made to reduce the amount of waste produced during this project:

•  Appliances, decking, and other reusable materials were salvaged for future use on other projects;
•  Portions of the original house contaminated with lead paint were carefully removed by hand, so that the rest of the debris could be recycled;
•  Demolition debris was taken to a facility that recycles 98 percent of the construction waste it receives;
•  Most of the framing was done off-site using a panelized system that results in virtually no wasted lumber;
•  During construction, waste materials were taken to a facility with a 98 percent recycling rate.  

Environmentally Friendly Materials and Practices

How we build, furnish, and landscape our homes has a direct impact on the environment. Here are some of the choices that were made for this home to lessen that impact:

•  Choosing wood flooring from a forest certified as sustainably managed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC);
•  Using natural linoleum flooring instead of vinyl;
•  Selecting cabinetry made from fast-growing, renewable wood products;
•  Providing tile made from recycled content;
•  Taking care to protect and retain more than half the trees on the site;
•  Removing the topsoil from the site to protect it during construction, amending it with compost, and returning it for landscaping.