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Subdivision aims to turn homes 'green'
7/24/2008 11:17 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend



By SUZANNE R. STONE

Staff writer

GRANITEVILLE -- Shumaker Homes Inc. of Columbia is aiming to make a patch of Graniteville land a little greener.

Shumaker Homes is the developer for the Sage Creek Subdivision, which is to include the area's first section of certified "green homes," built to be eco-friendly. Construction manager David Watkins and community manager Matt Shealy gave a mini-tour Thursday of a model green home under construction for guests such as Aiken County Planning and Development Department building official Richard Hallman, as well as Sparling-Gale Insulation & Specialties' manager Michael Zabrocki and sales representative Stan Johnson.

Watkins showed off some tricks of the green-building trade: the duct vent tubes, which were fastened together with caulk joint rather than duct tape for a more secure seal, insulation going in behind the fireplace and the bathtubs, low-flow plumbing fixtures and low energy coated windows surrounded by foam sealant for minimal heat transfer.

"Basically we're trying to enclose the space of the house and make it really tight," Watkins said.

The Sage Creek green development is being built to the specifications of Environments For Living (EFL), which after an inspection will give a three-year guarantee on the original home buyers' energy usage levels. Requirements for EFL certification are more stringent than those for the Energy Star rating, according to Watkins.

"For a house this size, and the model home is the largest of the three house sizes in the development, we estimate it will be $72 per month to heat and cool. The smallest house plan will be $56 a month to heat and cool," he said. "Our asking prices are 3 to 5 percent higher than non-green houses, but it comes back in the energy savings."

More than 50 percent of the building materials were brought in from a purchase area of 300 miles or less to reduce transport emissions in accordance with EFL requirements. The tour concluded with a duct blaster test to estimate how well the heating and cooling systems are sealed, by measuring how much force is required to maintain a set air pressure in the ducts. EFL requirements call for a maximum level of 75 pascals of force; the Sage Creek model home clocked in at 38.

For the model home, Shumaker brought in building crews trained in green building techniques from Columbia, but the company hopes to bring on and train local companies as the development progresses, Watkins said.

"About 10 years ago we went to a class on building forensics and energy efficiency, and we hung out with builders who've been doing this for years in places like California, Colorado and Oregon. This will be our 40th green home we've built," Watkins said. "Our two biggest hurdles are educating the customers on what makes a home green - we take them through every nut and bolt - and educating our trade partners and vendors. Really, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to build this way."

The scheduled completion date for the Sage Creek model home is Aug. 25. For more information about the subdivision's green homes, call Shumaker Homes at (803) 787-4663 or visit www.shumakerhomes.com.

Contact Suzanne Stone at

sstone@aikenstandard.com.





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