Sustain Word

The Official Blog of The Hoots Group- The Green Builder and Remodeler for Atlanta

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Archive for 2008

In a time where we need something to stimulate the economy, here is one idea that may do just that.  Not only is it promoting sustainable building but will help our economy become independent of foreign energy.  I think that all ideas should be part of a national dialogue to make the US a stronger nation.  Energy independence is part of that package as well as financial independence.  Go green.  Go red, white and blue.  Green is the new red, white and blue.

Here is one idea that is being considered right now as part of the 2030 Challenge:

The 2030 Challenge Stimulus Plan is generating excitement and gathering steam on Capitol Hill.

The “Top 10 Ideas for America” will be presented to the Obama Administration on Inauguration Day. Change.org will then build a national campaign to advance each idea in Congress.

You can read the full Plan here.

Yes, The Hoots Group has signed up to be part of the 2030 challenge.  We were already doing it, and when I came across this initiative it made sense to support it since there is no downside to saving money and cleaner air.

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We are fortunate to have many friends at the Hoots Group.  This year we made much progress on our Eco Showroom amidst all of the changes in the construction world.  3 companies in particular were especially gracious with their time and materials.

Bamboo and Reclaimed Flooring

Since our showroom was built in the early 1900′s we wanted to be as true in the lobby and main meeting room to the materials that were available at that time.  A local vendor (J.R. Park & Co.) sourced some reclaimed Heart Pine flooring for us to display.  It makes a very favorable first impression as guest come into the building.  What is nice about this flooring as well is that we can match the Heart Pine flooring in older houses since the wood has aged and is from the same time period as many of the houses in ATL.

J.R. Park & Co. also sources some bamboo for our architecture studio.  It is a variable strand that is heat compressed to give it a unique color.  Since it is strand it does not have the identifiable look that typical bamboo flooring has and most people think that it is some sort of hardwood.  The price point is about the same as entry level oak flooring, so it is affordable as well.

FSC Certifiable Woods

InsiDesign was kind enough to let us display their cherry wood flooring next to our green bathroom and in our loft.  It was harvested from one of their sustainably managed Forest in Indiana.  It is a little over 3″ wide and has a very warm cherry look that did not need to be stained.  It’s natural look gets many compliments as well.

Advanced Patterns and fine installations

Another local vendor (Floors & Fine Interiors) did an amazing install of oak herringbone that directs people into the upstairs design studio where Waldenour creates sustainable spaces.  The floor was finished off with a natural finish that is available in very Low VOC as well.

To see these amazing green floors for yourself come visit our Eco Showroom.

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First of all, I do not believe in the class warfare tactics that are constantly used by others, so I am definitely not going to go there.  For most of the last 3 years I have ignored all of the news the best that I could.  That is one reason that or company has had such a good growth rate and people want to be around us.  We have been too busy to see what is going on in the world and we have been able to focus on our business plan and help our clients with their needs.

Recently, it is hard to ignore the news since it comes at you in ways you did not ask.  On TV, bad news is embedded into the commercials now, the recessions is built into radio ads, and the bail out is the talk of the town.  With all of the bad new I am hearing my clients have some concern about the economy.  Our clients are very high net worth individuals and they just don’t like all of the bad news all of the time also.  Do we all have less money now?  The neutral news that I am hearing is that 50% will not even have to make lifestyle changes during these times.  What???  So that means that 50% are not even hurting the way the bad news is telling us we are?  So then, 50% should do the responsible thing and be positive and help the other 50% see the light.

So there is a light.

Yes, there is a light, but do not expect it to come from traditional sources.  Do not expect the government to give you an emotional bailout.  I think that the light needs to be a movement from the bottom up.  There are many different ways to get the light to be seen and there are a number of movements that will contribute to the light.

What is the light?

Hope.

Charitable giving is down to nothing now.  Even those who can afford to give are afraid.  Personally, I am not motivated by fear so this media scare tactic is not the answer.  Look at the key words that have won political races for the past half century.  How many races were won on fear and the other won on hope?  This last election cycle there was enough fear out there already so hope won.  All parties and the media need to stop spreading fear and start looking at the hopeful sign in our times.

Where is the good news?

  • 50% of us will not be affected by these economic times in a bad way.
  • Some states are looking to import workers into their economies.
  • When times are tough, businesses look at ways of becoming more efficient (this is green!)
  • We still have food to eat and most of us still have shelter.
  • There are programs out there to help you make your home more efficient
  • There is talk about ways to keep the US strong through energy independence

New Years Resolution #1- this is for me and all of you!!!!!

Focus on the positive and avoid the negative.  Help those who do not have hope and offer words of hope to get them through the day, week, and year. Pick a cause that needs help and give some of your time to it so they can be hope messengers as well.  There are those out there that are much worse off than us, help uplift their spirit.

Try this out for a few days and let me know how it works.  Let your friends, family and colleagues know what your mission is and encourage them to join in as well.  Hope is contagious and 1 positive comment can refuel someones spirit for one day.

Yes, times are tougher than a few years ago, but we will make it through it as long as we focus on the positive.

PS- If everyone felt good about these times, than the stock market would pick up as well and consumer spending would resume.  It is unfortunate that these are the main indicators of our emotional well being, but we can control them.

Hope.

I will focus on some movements that wil not only help you feel better, but will positively effect others as well over the next few weeks in my blog posts.

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FSC in ATL

Which football conference is FSC?  I know that the ACC and SEC is going to play each other in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in a few days.  Which conference gets to play the FSC?

If the FSC was a conference it would be one where everyone wins (No- I am not implying that everyone should always win.  Competition makes us all better.) FSC aka (Forest Stewardship Council) is a council that certifies wood as being sustainably harvested.  This means that forest are maintained to maximize a good yield over a long time versus clear cutting where all of the trees that are worth something are cut at once depleting land of good trees.

Early last year I was building a house called Ecolumina (you can visit it at www.ecolumina.org) that was going to be a LEED certified house.  One of the areas where I was going to get points was in the sustainable materials section.  I needed to find some FSC certified trim.  Around the same time a friend of mine introduced me to the folks at InsiDesign.  They had just gotten the word that all of their trim was FSC certifiable, so I put in an order for our project.

After we finished the house the parent company (Koetter Woodworks) for InsiDesign was kind was very generous and invited myself and Karen (from Waldenour) to come tour their facility in Indiana.  While we were there we found out that the order that we had placed for FSC certified was the first ever order that had been placed in the world!  I was just joking when I asked if we were going to get a plaque for being the first.  Well….. look what showed up at my doorstep just a few days ago (to the left).  This was handcrafted with wood from their forest.

Thanks InsiDesign to working with us and providing us with valuable resources to offer to our clients.

Happy New Year.

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Treecycle your Christmas tree

Tis the day after Christmas.  Whichever holiday that you celebrate during this season, we hope that you enjoyed it and the time with your family and friends.

As you are winding down from Christmas, consider what to do with all of the waste you have generated from the Holiday season.  Here are a few things to do and resources to help you:

  1. Treecycle- Last year we took out tree to the Vinings Home Depot and there was a tree mulcher there to mulch our tree along with the others.  Make sure you take all of the lights and decorations off before or they cannot shred it.
  2. Protect your plants from the winter cold.  Place the mulch from your recycled Christmas trees around the bases of your more sensitive plants outside to help protect the root from the cold.
  3. Recycle all of your paper.  Depending on where you recycle, you may need to separate the papers.  White paper and cardboard can be resold at a premium, while the glossy paper and magazines are not as easy to recycle.
  4. Spring clean a bit early.  Get rid of useful items that you do not need.  There are a lot of Charities that are willing to take them before the New Year.  PS- if you turn them in before January 1st- you can get a tax write off for your charitable donation.  We have one place near where we live that has a drive through drop off that is very convenient.
  5. Speaking of taxes, there are new tax incentives to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable.  Click here for more info.

Hope you had a great holiday season and we wish you a prosperous New Year from all of us at the Hoots Group.

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20 Tips for a Sustainable Holiday

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The Hoots Group and Waldenour are going to be hosting part of a week long affordable housing training here in Atlanta, GA.  Our portion of it will cover green materials and practice that should not cost more.  We will also be presenting sustainable techniques that will save property owners and occupants money while living in a healthier environment.

Green has been promoted as being more expensive and a better method of construction.  I agree that it is better, but it is smarter construction and should not have to cost more.  There are may affordable ways of going green that should be standard practice for all builders and designers even if they are not green.

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Here are some last minute green Christmas gift ideas from EcoEmporium here in ATL:

  • To-Go Ware: Stainless Steel two tiered lunch box, bamboo utensil set
  • English Retread Handbag & Messenger Bags: Recycled tractor trailer inner tube bags
  • Naturstone: Non-toxic cookware in soapstone made to go from oven straight to table
  • Men’s & Women’s Bamboo Lounge Wear: Boxers, pants, cami’s, night gowns, tanks
  • Organic Dog Beds, Treats, and Toys
  • Kids Environmental Message T-Shirts
  • Natural, Handmade Pottery
  • Recycled Newspaper Print Bags: Totes, cosmetic cases, and small purses
  • Organic Baby Toys
  • The Great Elephant Poo Journals and Stationary: Handmade from recycled elephant poo
  • Ultimate Christmas Gift: Organic & All Natural Mattress from Green Sleep

For more information or other gifts ideas contact:

Alexis Veremakis
ecoEMPORIUM
404.875.5224
www.theecoEMPORIUM.com

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Class is in session

I was fortunate to be able to speak to many groups this year about green building and already have about 6 presentations already scheduled for next year.  A few months ago I was interviewed to talk about why we do the presentations and how can benefit from them.  A lot of good questions have come out of our presentations and I do feel that most of the audience took some information that they can apply to their daily lives or business practice.

This was recently featured in Professional Remodeler:

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Recycling during the holidays

I guess that re-gifting could be considered green, however re-purposing of materials can be even more fun.

I really don’t know why I go out and buy things for my sons for Christmas when they have more fun with that packaging.  Look to the left.   For those of you who got to enjoy Green Present wrapping 101 well here is another gem.

This weekend I had some of my family in from out of town so we celebrated Christmas with the boys a little early.  They got lots of cars etc, however they spent 2x’s as much time with the box that all of the present came in.  Usually they play fight, then cry, then go to time out for fighting, but within this magical box they tumbled for much longer than their typical attention span and did not complain about the physical contact with each other.

Watching my boys have fun the the box reminded me of my fun childhood as well.  While my parents would like to think that all of the money they spent on the toys made me really happy, they know that the best memories were of the items that were inexpensive or actually durable.

Let’s start with durable.  Durability is one of the cornerstones of sustainability.  It seems like the life cycle of the toys that we get the boys is about 2 weeks if it is made out of plastic.  Not that they abuse the toys, but the quality is not always there.  What is even more disappointing is that most of the plastic is not labeled for recycling so I am not sure if it is plastic #1 or #2.  I still have all of my Legos, Constructs and other building toys from my childhood.  I plan of giving these to my sons when they are ready for them.  I also remember getting tools and functional items when I was growing up (Now I see how I got into the construction industry.)

Inexpensive.  Why do we have to spend so much money for the holidays?  Not sure.  For my extended family- we made gifts 4 out of the last 5 years and those gifts seem to be the ones best appreciated and remembered.  A couple years ago we put together a compilation of family recipes and handed them out.  My sister in law tells us that this recipe book recipes always get so many compliments and she in turns passes the recipes along.

This just goes to show that a box can entertain kids more than plastic toys that cannot be recycled very easily.  Once the box gets worn out it can be recycled.  Gifts that are made are more appreciated as well.  they may take more time, but time well spent.

Next year I am just going to give the boys a pile of hangers, a new box and some yarn and let them play for days with that instead of giving them something that they will break or eventually lose.  I will let you know how it works out for me.  They don’t know the difference, well at least until they read this blog in 5 or years once they can read.  By then, they may forgive or just thank me for the fun trash, I mean toys that I gave them to play with.

Happy Holidays.

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Green house for sale

A friend of the Hoots Group (Jennifer Spivey) is selling a house for another associate of the Hoots Group. The story of the vision of the house and the land were just published in their local newspaper:

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Our friends at SouthEast Green have compiled a list of green vendors in the ATL area that have excellent green gift options for those of you who are still shopping.   Click on the logo below and support our local businesses.

The Green Holiday Gift Guide

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The future looks green

A friend of mine asked for me to give a tour of our green projects to her daughter and classmates a few days ago.  They were all upperclassmen at The Galloway School here in Atlanta.  The class was part of a course that focuses mainly on sustainability.  I knew that they might know a little about green building so I was looking forward to talking to them and sharing what I knew about sustainable design.

I have given tour to GA Tech students, green builders and many other very qualified professionals and I must say that these high schools students may actually have come better prepared than many of the other tour groups.  As I was explaining the different technologies in the house, I did not get the sense that this was the first time that they were exposed to green building.  I went into the details on how geothermal HVAC worked, they told me that they have seen that already (I think that is what they have for HVAC at their school).  I proceeded to show them the Solar Power and the Solar Water heaters and they seemed interested in that as well and asked very good questions.

I began to talk about Indoor Air Quality and why you need to have clean air in a green house.  I asked them what the number 2 cause of lung cancer in the US was.  One of the female students guessed Radon correctly on her first try.

These kids are smart and I feel like our future is in good hands as I work with students like these and get to speak to the students as GA Tech that are interested in sustainable building as well.

Not only are they learning about sustainable practices but they are entering their school into a competition in about one month as well.  The goal is to show a significant energy savings over other schools in the competition.  If course, I volunteered my time to help guide into victory.  You never know they may end up working with me one day.  It is a good investment into our future.

Thanks to progressive schools such as Galloway, the future definately looks green for us.

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I was looking at some posts on my linkedin account and saw this one that was talking about green fabrics as they apply to window coverings etc.  I definitely support the concept of controlling sunlight and if you can reduce solar heat gain using window coverings.

I do believe that you should first try smart building design.  Why are you having to keep the sun out?  Why do you have windows that are West facing allowing the sun to come in?

I was at a presentation of a well respected green architect Peter Pfeiffer, and he argued the point of good orientation and design of a house to considered with the movement of the sun.

Paraphrased from memory:

If you have windows that are getting to much sunlight then you end up covering them up during daylight hours.   The sunlight does overheat the house during the summer time so the window shades do help with this.  If the house is hotter so the HVAC has to work harder.  However, when you shade the windows during the daytime you have to turn on the lights.  Most incandescent and halogen lights put off enough heat that the HVAC again has to kick on to keep the indoors cool.   All of this could have been averted if the overhangs, trees and orientation of the house coincided with the path of the sun.  The shades are good for privacy and helping correct bad architecture, however good design is preferable.

For those unfortunate households that have too much solar heat gain here are a few solutions to consider to block the sun out with interior design. I will blog about exterior shutter later.

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