Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Simple Ways to Save Energy and Money wltx.com | Columbia, SC News, Weather and Sports |

Thanks to Sustainable Midlands for a great event last night. I hope everyone in attendance picked up some good information. If you weren't there, the bottom line of the evening was this: If you want to reduce your energy bill, don't spend big bucks on what you think is the problem in your home, take the time to have a professional energy rater test your home and see EXACTLY what is wrong and what to fix. Visit www.columbiagreenbuilders.com for more information and to find energy raters and professionals that can do the big-ticket items for you.



Read the WLTX News story here: Simple Ways to Save Energy and Money wltx.com | Columbia, SC News, Weather and Sports |

Friday, October 15, 2010

Green Products Verses a Green System

The green movement has inspired many companies to promote environmentally friendly products. Individually, the majority of these products are superior to their more-traditional alternatives. For just a few dollars more, you can get ‘green’ products that have more benefits than items used in the past. For the most part, installing these green products will make your home more energy efficient and help do your part in improving our environment.

A house is a complex system that has an endless array of parts making up the whole. Today’s house is far more complex than early cabins constructed by the frontiersman solely for protection from the elements. Research in building science has shown the many dangers of improper home construction. The complexity of the current building codes arose from the past litigation for these incorrect construction practices.

Before you decide to purchase any of the new green products out there, understand how your current house is set up and how it might be affected by these new products. There are many dangers out there to installing a product that might upset the balance of your current system.

An energy rater should be the first person consulted. They have the ability to inspect and test your current home, letting you know what modifications will provide the most return on your investment. Their recommendations will include modifications that may need to be done to avoid any dangers and work with your current system.

Many of the new green products available today have the ability to increase the efficiency and comfort of your home. Just make sure you do the proper research to insure that these products will work with your current system and not against it.

Article submitted by Stan O'Brien of Paradime Construction, Inc.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Carolina Recycling Association C & D Recycling Conference this December

Waste is a big factor when building a home. All green building certification programs have some sort of guideline about reducing waste, reusing materials when possible or recycling as much waste as possible from the job site. We are happy to spread the word about the upcoming C & D Recycling Conference this December in Charlotte, NC presented by the Carolina Recycling Association.

The Southeast Construction and Demolition Recycling Conference will be held Dec. 7-9, 2010, at the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel in Charlotte. The C&D conference is presented by the Carolina Recycling Association (CRA).

Please visit the C&D conference website for more details and to register for this great event: www.cdrecyclingconference.com. Conference Sponsorships are also available now - click here.

C&D recycling is a growing movement and an essential element in green construction. Join us as we explore the impacts and opportunities with this dynamic topic.

Contractors/Architects/Developers:
Learn what can be recycled, and how to recy­cle at residential and commercial construction sites – from high-rises to single-family homes. Also learn about building products made from recycled content material.

Local Governments:
Learn what other communities are doing, how they’re doing it and what you can do to facilitate more C&D recycling in your community.

Recycling Service Providers:
Promote your services to the building community; learn what others are doing and where the industry is headed.