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John Marshall Custom Homes, Inc is currently building a home at 233 Catawba Avenue in downtown Davidson, NC. This charming home fits in nicely with the character of the surrounding neighborhood. The building site is part of an existing neighborhood, and is located within a easy walk to a number of community resources such as restaurants, churches, banks, and transit locations. Thus the location is environmentally friendly.
This project is being built "green" under the guidelines
of the LEED for Homes certification program.
HEALTHY
As houses are built with tighter and tighter building envelopes, indoor air quality has become an increasing concern. In the old days, builders used paints and adhesives and other products that contained noxious chemicals, but these pollutants were able to exit the house through the many leaks in the building envelope. Today’s tight houses make that air exchange difficult.
John Marshall Custom Homes, Inc provides healthy indoor air quality both by reducing the amount of chemicals used in the building process, and by designing ventilation systems that provide a proper exchange of air between the inside and outside of the house. We also utilize sealed and conditioned crawl spaces to help minimize the occurrence of mold in the crawl space, and to provide clean and conditioned air underneath the house.
 ENERGY STAR
John Marshall Custom Homes, Inc has been building houses to strict ENERGY STAR standards for several years. We use high efficiency Andersen windows, ENERGY STAR certified appliances, and an efficient HVAC system. In addition, we seal the building envelope to minimize air leakage, and seal ductwork in order to maximize the performance of the HVAC system. At the end of the building process, a third party energy rater verifies the performance of the house. ENERGY STAR results in a lower cost of operation for the homeowner, both through lowered consumption of energy and through reductions in rates from some utility providers.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Water is increasingly becoming a critical resource. John Marshall Custom Homes, Inc employs several resources to help conserve the use of water. Tankless water heaters provide on-demand hot water. Not only are these heaters more energy efficient, less water is wasted waiting for the hot water to get to the plumbing fixture. We use low flow faucets and shower heads, and toilets that use only 1.3 gallons per flush. The design of our plumbing fixtures ensures optimal performance with reduced water usage.
LANDSCAPING AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
Our landscaping features native and drought-tolerant plants, and minimal use of conventional turf, thus minimizing the demand for water and chemicals. Any irrigation systems that are installed are highly efficient, and we utilize drip irrigation instead of spray irrigation wherever possible. Irrigation systems are on controllers so that they are used only when needed.
As Mecklenburg County is increasingly developed, storm water management is increasingly important. Rain runoff that used to soak into undeveloped fields now runs across streets and parking lots into the stormwater system, collecting chemicals and silt that are later deposited into lakes and streams. Our LEED-built house features stormwater management strategies such as rain gardens that keep stormwater on site and out of streams.
OTHER ITEMS
Other advanced techniques that are being used on this LEED-certified home include the use of materials that utilize recycle content and/or are locally sourced and manufactured. Examples include fiber cement composite siding, drywall, and brick.
John Marshall Custom Homes, Inc seeks to minimize the amount of construction waste that goes to a landfill, both by minimizing the generation of waste in the first place, and by employing strategies that allow for more of our materials to be recycled and reused. Instead of having one large construction dumpster that serves as a catchall for construction waste, we utilize a number of smaller cans that are labeled for each type of waste. Materials that can be recycled are then taken to facilities where they are converted for future use.
If you would like more information on green building, or would like to visit our
LEED certified home, please contact us at Rodney.graham@johnmarshallcustomhomes.com, or at 704-239-1124.
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