“BUILT GREEN” IS NOT JUST A FAD FOR MOUNTAIN LOG HOMES OF COLORADO, INC.

Since 2005 Mountain Log Homes of Colorado, Inc. has been a Member of BUILT GREEN COLORADO and keeps it’s certification current with continuing education for both our owners and staff. Mountain Log Homes was awarded the “Energy Excellence Award” by BUILT GREEN COLORADO in 2007 during the Summit County Parade of Homes, competing with 26 homes. This home achieved a ‘5 Stars Plus Rating’ and HERS Index of 59. Brian completed the “Green Building for Building Professionals” offered by NAHB (www.BuildResponsible.com). Members of our staff have also complete the BUILT GREEN UNIVERSITY offered by CAHB.

There are lots of reasons to build a BUILT GREEN home, the environment is only one of them. You and your family will find a home that follows Green Building practices will be more environmentally friendly, require less maintenance, provides cleaner indoor air, is built with higher quality materials and will actually save you money.

Logs walls have great R-Value

Dead standing logs from forest fire

Pine beetle forest devastation

Colorado Flagstone

1. LOG HOMES ARE ENERGY-EFFICIENT – According to the Log Homes Council , a typical log home is up to 15% more energy efficient that an identical stick frame structure. Thermal mass of log structures (the ability to absorb, store and slowly release heat over time when temperatures drop) is very high due to the cellular structure, bulk and thickness of the log walls, thus reducing heating and cooling loads. Different species of wood have different R-values. Lodge Pole Pine combined with Thermal Mass factor is 3 per inch giving a 12” diameter log is an R-36 value. Douglas Fir’s combined R-value is a 2, or R-24 for a 12” diameter log. The higher the R-value, the more the wall resists heat loss. Most Stick built framed homes will have average an R-12 value.

2. USE OF DEAD STANDING LOGS – Logs are a renewable resource. Your homes logs are the product natural disasters like forest fire and beetle infestation . Harvesting this dead timbers encourages healthy forests and re-growth.

3. We use Locally Harvested “Beatle Kill” Pine for rails and our signature board on board siding.

4. Natural Moss Rock and Native Colorado Flagstones used on most of our homes harvested in Colorado for lower transportation costs.

Native Colorado Moss Rock

Mountain Log Homes of Colorado, Inc. is proud of our affiliation with Rocky Mountain Log Homes.

“No company works Rocky Mountain Log Homes has always been a vigilant steward of the environment. No company works harder to have less impact on the environment while contributing to ecological sustainability. Here, being green isn't a tag line or a sales gimmick. It's a way of life and a way of business that's reflected in everything we do harder to have less impact on the environment while contributing to ecological sustainability. Here, being green isn't a tag line or a sales gimmick. It's a way of life and a way of business that's reflected in everything we do.” RMLH

• Rocky is the only log home industry member that has a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester on staff to guide all forestry operations and work closely with state, provincial and national officials during every step of our harvesting process.
• Our harvesting process includes sustaining fish and wildlife, perpetuating recreational opportunities, and supporting forest regeneration.
• We harvest only naturally seasoned, dry-standing trees. This eliminates the need for energy-consumptive kiln dryers and reduces the risks of future forest fires.
• Our harvesting techniques include using helicopters to help reduce the need for log skids, and logging during the winter when the ground is frozen and protected by snow and ice.
• Because the dry-standing trees we harvest are not left to rot and burn, and the natural curing process eliminates the need for kilns, our harvesting process actually results in a negative carbon footprint.
• Only 10 percent of our harvested logs are good enough to be part of our homes. The rest go to other builders. But, because we've done the harvesting, we make sure there's minimal environmental impact.
• Recycling is our standard operating procedure. We ship all excess wood to paper mills and cardboard manufacturers. To date, we've recycled more than 2,000 tons of wood and saved thousands of acres of live trees.
• Our "sensitive logging" procedures mean we return every harvested site to a living, natural state. Every harvest site is reseeded and manually replanted

How does a home become GREEN?

Mountain Log Homes of Colorado strives to incorporate the following features into EVERY home we build.

1. Low-E windows to increase your comfort, save energy and protect from UV damage.
2. Engineered-wood framing that is stronger and more consistent than dimensional lumber.
3. Energy Star qualified appliances and lightings throughout the home to save on your monthly energy bills.
4. Exterior house wrap and drainage plane on all framed walls to keep your home dry, durable and mold free for generations.
5. Low-toxic adhesives, paints and sealants to protect indoor air quality.
6. Expertly air-sealed building “envelope” saves money and keeps pollutants out.
7. Durable 50 year shingles that protect your home and save on replacement costs.
8. Incorporate passive solar design features like large south facing windows to keep the home warm in winter and improve natural light reducing the need for lighting.
9. High R-Values to reduce heat loss.
10. High efficiency Low-Flow toilets, advanced shower and sink faucets that provide same flow regardless of pressure to reduce water use.
11. Efficient correctly sized heating units.
12. Covered entries at all exterior doors to prevent water intrusion.
13. Use of native plants and Xeriscaping
14. Integrating Active Solar or GeoThermal systems into your home. Not only do you do your part to help the environment, but you also get fantastic tax credits and benefit with lower energy bills forever!

Benefits of Owning a Built Green Home

The range of options listed here are among the items that Built Green builders choose in order to provide home buyer benefits. They may not all be included/available in all Built Green homes. Be sure to check with your builder.

A Built Green home saves money and conserves resources in the following ways:

• Properly-sized and highly-efficient furnaces, air-conditioners, and water heaters reduce your monthly utility bills.
• Energy Star® appliances use less electricity and water than average units and make a smaller dent in your family’s utility budget.
• Efficient lighting systems including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and fixtures, offer excellent light quality and save money. Not only do CFLs last years longer than standard bulbs but they also require only a fraction of the electricity.
• Properly insulated walls and roofs protect the indoor environment against outdoor temperatures while making sure heated or cooled air is not lost.
• Low-emissivity (Low-e) windows resist the transfer of cold and heat through the glass, saving you money and improving the comfort of your home.
• Low-flow faucets, shower heads perform as well as conventional fixtures but conserve water and save you money.
• High efficiency toilets – those that have passed rigorous performance and water conserving standards - perform better than conventional toilets and save you money.
• Advanced irrigation systems take the guess-work out of watering the lawn, optimize water use and save you time and money.
• Recessed “can” lights constitute one of the primary air infiltration points in the home and can result in ‘round the clock air leaks. Air-tight can lights solve the problem of air leakage, and save you money.
• Xeriscaped (water wise) landscaping combine water conservation and drought-resistant plants with natural beauty.
  

A Built Green home is durable and requires less maintenance in the following ways:

• A properly drained and insulated foundation avoids moisture intrusion, maintaining a dry and comfortable basement.
• Outdoor decking and landscaping products made from recycled products look great, last longer and require much less maintenance than traditional decking material.
• Engineered lumber is made from fast-growing, rapidly renewable trees and provides straighter, stronger, more consistent structural elements.
• Tough, long-lasting exterior finishes such as brick, stucco, and fiber cement ensure that a home endures for generations and requires less upkeep over the years.
• Long-lasting and durable roof shingles or materials like slate, cement, or metal reduce waste.
• Simple items such as downspout extensions on gutters keep water away from foundations and basement walls.
• A Built Green home provides healthy and comfortable indoor environments in the following ways:
  
  Sealed-combustion furnaces and power-vented water heaters protect families from combustion gasses that might be introduced into living space.
• Many building materials, such as carpet, cabinets, shelving, paints and finishes, are available with low- or no VOC content (volatile organic compounds). Careful material selection helps make your home as free from indoor air pollution as possible.
• Special sealing practices to isolate the garage from the house ensure that vehicle exhaust won’t enter the house.
• Central vacuum systems are convenient and quickly move floor pollutants to a location safely outside the house.
• Mechanically controlled fresh air ventilation systems introduce a regular supply of fresh air to the home. Quiet, efficient bath and kitchen fans remove moisture and pollutants.

Click here for current Federal ENERGY STAR tax rebates and credits

A quarter of Colorado new homes qualify as ‘efficient’
Summit Daily News, Friday, October 2, 2009

The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) announced Monday that ENERGY STAR new homes account ed for more than 26 percent of the new homes built in the first half of 2009 in Colorado. Should 2009’s strong start for ENERGY STAR new homes hold up for the rest of the year, Colorado would see its fifth consecutive year of percentage increases in homes that qualify as ENERGY STAR. Since 2004, the mar ket penetration of ENERGY STAR New Homes has increased from 4.2 percent to 19.4 percent in 2008.

Since July of 2008, at least 11 Sum mit County homes have been built to ENERGY STAR standards, accord ing to High County Conservation Center director Carly Wier. An ENERGY STAR home is typically 20-30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to code and are cer tified throughout the construction process. Better insulation, advanced air sealing strategies, and efficient heating systems and appliances are typically used to achieve better com fort and energy efficiency and the ENERGY STAR certification. ENER GY STAR homes also reduce green­house gas emissions through direct reductions in energy use.

“Summit County builders have been supporting Colorado’s new energy economy by choosing ENERGY STAR certification for their homes,” Wier said. Accord ing to the Energy Star website, there are currently six Summit County builders registered with the ENER GY STAR program, including: Mountain Log Homes of Colorado, Apex Mountain Homes, Greg Hess Construction, Hedges Mountain Homes, J & E Development, and Kodiak Enterprises. J & E Develop ment won the ENERGY STAR Award at the 2009 Parade of Homes.