Green building practices are well rooted and showing persistent, continued growth in new and rehabbed homes throughout the St. Louis region. Explore the many benefits of building Green during the 4th annual St. Louis Regional Tour of Green Homes on Saturday, June 19 from noon to 4 p.m.
You can download a self-guiding map to 10 certified-Green home sites and visit any number free of charge. Homebuilders, building owners and trained volunteers will be on hand to interpret features of each site and answer your questions about building materials, methods and the cost benefits of owning a green home or improving an existing one. Talk with these experts about your plans to build or remodel your Green Dream House!
All 2010 Green Tour homes showcase materials and construction practices that save energy and cut utility bills, safeguard indoor air quality, and conserve water through choice of fixtures and landscaping. Special features include geothermal heating and cooling, tankless water heating, and maximized daylight combined with efficient indoor lighting and high-performance windows. You’ll see how beauty need never be sacrificed to achieve high performance Green.
Tour sites represent the work of Belcher Homes, Blue Brick Renovation & Construction, Fischer & Frichtel, Pagano Development, ReThink Renovation, Southwood Property, Suelmann Group, Trumpet Builders, and Wellspring Development.
Each home has achieved or is registered to earn certification from nationally-recognized green building standard programs, including LEED-Homes, ENERGY STAR Homes, the National Association of Home Builders Model Green Building Guidelines/ANSI Standard, plus the St. Louis HBA’s Green Building Initiative. Extra planning and documentation and independent third-party verification are required to earn these certifications. Products and systems installed in the home must meet rigorous standards designed to protect human and environmental health. By investing in the certification process, the builders, developers and owners participating in this house tour demonstrate leadership using the value-added potentials of Green within our local homebuilding industry.
To help you improve your existing home, Mosby Building Arts and Home Green Home will give demonstrations of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR energy audit processes at the EarthWays Center, 3617 Grandel Square, one block north of the Fox Theater in mid-town St. Louis. See how a blower door, thermal imaging camera and other professional testing equipment are used to conduct a complete energy audit. Energy audits provide homeowners with whole building science data and planning help to cost-effectively improve any home. This comprehensive audit qualifies for a Missouri state tax deduction and will help you get the most from your investments in HVAC, insulation, windows and other measures that qualify for varied federal, state and local energy efficiency incentives.
EarthWays Center will be open for free guided tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This sustainably renovated Victorian-era home is filled with information on solar electricity, geothermal heating and cooling, native plant landscaping, super insulation, non-toxic and sustainable home maintenance products and much more.
s Home Builders Association, Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center, and U.S. Green Building Council-St. Louis Regional Chapter.
For self-guiding tour maps, visit www.greenhomesstl.org or www.stlgreenbuilding.com, or call (314) 577-0246.