Home Contractor Cuts Corners
Most people believe home improvement contractors are notorious for cutting corners. Yet hereÂ’s a project that has had its corners cut in all the best ways. These cut corners are not examples of shoddy workmanship, they are the features of exceptional design.
(PRWEB) December 29, 2004
While typical homes are somewhat rectangular in shape, this early 1980’s two-story home had its corners “cut off.” Sylvain Côté, the owner of Absolute Remodeling Corporation, intends to maintain the homes original octagonal shape and large structural chimney at its core. His plans include adding an additional story to the existing “upside down home,” as it is sometimes referred to when the bedrooms are downstairs, relocating the bedrooms upstairs where they ought to be. The floors of the home are supported by twenty-three large, two hundred year old antique beams fastened to the chimney, borrowing Gustav Stickley practical concept of merging utilitarian and aesthetic ideals, found in the Arts & Crafts movement. The absence of interior load bearing walls on all levels offers complete design flexibility and is good foresight; when the kids move out, the master bedroom can become doubled in size in an instant.
But the bigger story of this 3600 square foot “open floor plan” lakefront home is that it is a Green home, an Energy Star certified home, and a Zero Energy home.
Green homes reduce energy consumption, protect ecosystems and more importantly the occupantÂ’s health. Building and remodeling green is not much different than conventional construction. It starts with the design. Home orientation is considered. Renewable, low maintenance, long lasting building materials are given priority. Engineered lumber instead of dimensional lumber is preferred, which along with advanced framing techniques, reduces the amount of wood necessary for framing by as much as 33 percent. Natural passive heating and cooling is used as much as possible. A high level of quality insulation is a must.
Energy Star certified homes use proven technologies and advanced building practices that ensure your home is as energy efficient as possible. Energy Star labeled homes must pass a stringent evaluation, including computer-based energy analysis, inspections, and certification testing. New York Energy Star program standards are the highest or about to become the highest in the country, making them above national standards. IsnÂ’t nice to know that New York State is the pioneer of such programs?
Zero Energy homes (ZEH) combine state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems such as solar water heating and solar electricity. A ZEH, like most homes, is connected to the utility grid, but can be designed and constructed to produce as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis. With its reduced energy needs and renewable energy systems, a ZEH can, over the course of a year, give back as much energy to the utility as it takes.
It is impossible to grasp the magnitude of this project without paying a visit to the Absolute Remodeling Corporations award winning Web site. You will find over fifty pages dedicated to this project alone, which is called “Transformations.” On the site, you will also find pictures taken periodically from a time lapse camera, as well as several dozen video clips.
Perhaps a bit entertaining, but certainly informative, is the new impressive compilation of the most innovative, best performing building products. Manufacturers have competed against each other to “make the cut” and earn a share of Transformations. You will also find over one hundred links to relevant Web sites and related articles.
No “cutting of corners” here, this online library is expanding every week and can be valuable to any future homeowner contemplating a green construction project. The choices homeowners face when building can certainly be intimidating, confusing and overwhelming. It is not surprising, since over 3000 components makes up the average home. Using the Internet certainly facilitates the selections task, but only www. absoluteremodeling. com has all the latest information related to green home building “under one roof.”
DonÂ’t waste the most precious, non-renewable commodity and resource that none of us can afford to waste -- time. Use our library.
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