How to: Get your Home Energy Rated
Easy Ways To Green Your Home
Green building, where new homes are built using materials that conserve energy and environmental resources, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the home building industry today. But for the owners of the millions of existing homes in the United States, remodeling is the only way to incorporate green.
NAHB Remodelers offers the following suggestions to home owners who want to increase their home’s efficiency, decrease costs, and take advantage of the other benefits that green offers:
1. Install maximum insulation.
Forty percent of the energy consumed in a typical house goes to heating and cooling. Adding insulation is an easy way to increase efficiency. Insulation is rated by its ability to resist heat flow, known as “R-value.” The higher the R-value, the more effectively the insulation resists heat flow. Adding insulation will help save energy costs, increase comfort by better controlling temperature, and improve indoor air quality by eliminating gaps through which dirt, dust, and other impurities can enter.
2. Install high-efficiency windows.
Beware Unscrupulous Contractors
What Can You Expect From Living Stone?
OUR MISSION
To take our clients’ dreams beyond their expectations.
OUR VALUES
Communication. We will provide you with regular, timely, accurate information, so you can make the critical decisions for an on-time completion and a beyond-expectations result.
Quality. We set out to provide a home that will be a source of pride and comfort for generations. We’re exacting in both craftsmanship and materials—providing the very best of both. And we relentlessly refine our processes as we seek new materials and technology.
About Living Stone Construction
Living Stone Construction is an award winning, nationally recognized, and environmentally friendly custom home -builder. Based in Black Mountain NC, they have been in business since 1995. Living Stone Construction builds peoples’ dream homes. These homes are beautiful, within budget, on time, while never compromising style or substance. Whether you’re looking for renovation or original home design, they have left a trail of impressed clients and custom homes across Western North Carolina. Living Stone Construction makes client concerns a top priority. Between the combination of good old honest communication and newer technologies that allow the client to essentially see their home built virtually–everyone is heard, on the same page, and usually ahead of schedule.
3rd party Home Warranty AND Home Energy Usage Guarentee
June is Home Ownership Month
All About Aging in Place
Aging in Place, or Universal Design, means living in one’s home independently regardless of age or ability. During the design phase of construction, Living Stone carefully integrates universal design elements to suit the needs of the client.
89% of people 50+ wish to remain in their own homes indefinitely (AARP)
68% of remodelers already perform aging-in-place remodeling (NAHB).
Over half of all 55+ households rate their current home a 9 or 10 out of 10 (American
Housing Survey).
The aging population is the number two issue to affect the remodeling industry over the
next five years, only behind the availability of skilled labor (NAHB).
Remodelers report that the most requested aging-in-place features include: grab bars, higher
toilets, curbless showers, wider doorways, ramps or lower-thresholds, and task lighting.
What should my home contain if I want to age in place?
- A master bedroom and bath on the first floor.
Check credentials when hiring a Professional Remodeler
Save MONEY building GREEN with Living Stone
Top 5 Remodeling Projects
New Timber Frame Porch Currently “under construction”
How to Speak Remodeling
Smart Home Selling Tips
Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency with Technology
Today’s home owners and buyers are looking for ways to incorporate home technologies that increase the long-term value of their house but also provide convenience, safety and comfort. Energy management is a highly-desired feature in both newly-built and existing homes, along with multi-zone heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and lighting controls. Not only are these features easy-to-use, but they also provide energy-efficiency.
By incorporating the following technologies, home owners can save money on their utility bills:
- Automated HVAC systems can maintain a more energy-efficient temperature while the home owners are away at work, but switch to a more comfortable temperature prior to their arrival home. Zones can also be created to heat or cool only the areas most used by the occupants, keeping other areas, such as guest bedrooms, shut down until they are needed. They also can combat the problem of heat rising, keeping upper floors cooler in the summer without freezing the lower floors in a home. According to Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, programmable thermostats can save consumers about $180 per year in energy costs.
The Settings of Black Mountain is BACK!! (FAQ)
The following are a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. What is the process for getting into the Settings at the weekend?
The gates are open from 7am to 7pm Monday through Saturday. This is a private community and prospects must be accompanied by Realtor at all times. Please do not send clients in with MLS sheets to drive around on their own. Sunday the gates are closed but operable by entering the access code available from ShowingTime.
The code changes on the 1st of each month, and Jane Fuqua at IP will update this code monthly as it changes. Should this not be updated, Jane can be reached at 828-650-6867 or JFuqua@ipmhoa.com.
2. Are there any outstanding assessments at the Settings?
There is an assessment of $1,200 that has been approved by the board for the finishing of Phase one roads. Check with your agent for an update. As at January 2013, yearly dues are $1150 whether you own a lot or a home.