7. LEED and HERS rating

We, as of 12-16, received our LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification of Platinum and are presently (as of 2-13-16) have received a HER’s rating (Home Energy Rating System) of Zero, with the average home now being 100%.

We used local material for as much of the building as possible, with "local" being manufactured within 500 miles.  We also recycled the materials on the job site. For example, lumber that may have been used for supports for pouring of the concrete foundation, etc, was reused in framing. If a board was cut, the leftover piece was saved and used later when a shorter piece was needed, rather than ordering more lumber. This type of reuse of material reduced the whole building project to accumulating just 5 dumpsters of trash. All the dumpster contents were recycled to reclaim metal, etc.

Flooring, baseboards, oak posts and beams, and door trim for the house were made from lumber removed from a non-repairable 1954 barn on the property and kiln dried and milled as required. The flooring is a mix of Red Oak, White Oak, and Walnut and is laid in random widths of 8", 6", 5", 4". The mantel was from the 1880's and stripped and refinished by the owner. All woods were not stained but finished in clear WOCA oil unlike polyurethane can be touched up as needed with out having to refinish all the floors. This can easily be done by the homeowner. The kitchen cabinetry was made from the "rustic" cherry with knots that is not usually used.

Most of the porcelain tile was purchased from a local manufacturer Florim USA (within 20 miles of the house site) and was made from 40% recycled material one of the best recycled content for tile in the industry. All paints and finishes are low VOC.  About one half of the tile was purchased from a discontinued line that was sold at a reduced cost.

Some items used were purchased from the local Habitat Restore and also left over material that was not used was taken there to be reused on other local projects.