Consumer Demand: Climbing the Stairs to Quality, Longevity & Healthy Living Spaces in Asheville

Here is the fourth post in a series that looks at sustainability and the undeniable trend toward consumer demand for attractive, green-built homes.

This series was inspired by the questions of a number of developers who have contacted me just this past couple of  months. I heard from them via Active Rain. Active Rain, thanks for the introduction!. 

So this series is all about climbing the stairs to Quality, Longevity & Healthy Living Spaces (see photo to right taken in a green built home with details to follow, the green shoes are mine)

It seems that this exercise of "climbing to new heights" is getting more common due to the insistent prodding of consumer demand. Or it could be just because smart developers/ contractors are thinking about the value of healthy-built homes in an eco-community. They are giving serious consideration  to what this means in terms of quality longevity and  healthy living spaces. 

Of Quality, Longevity & Healthy Living Spaces 

Take a look at this photo. It shows the quality of construction even in the execution of the staircase in this  WNC HealthyBuilt ® Home right here in Asheville. If you are lucky and/or determined, you could enjoy such excellence right in your home town.

While all this could be, of course, the choice is yours.

Sustainability. One of the first things you need to know about ia green-built home is that it is constructed to last for more than a hundred years. How's that for longevity? 

This home's low impact design and construction includes a welcoming and generous front porch (see photo to your left) where huge locust posts, taken off of a future building site, and locally harvested and milled decking  could make it someone's dream home,

and one that your great-grandkids could appreciate..

A sturdy stone patio in the backyard will be here 150 years from now ...(if the good-seasons allow)...   Again, longevity.

But what about "healthy living spaces"? 

During a recent site evaluation for NLJ, I was drawn to the decking. I asked the builder about it.  "By decking our front porch with locust instead of traditional PT lumber, we feel good about our children walking barefoot without any chemicals leaching into their skin."

  This "green builder" (there he is on the front porch!)   is into insuring high indoor air as part of the plan for healthy living spaces throughout the home.   



To achieve his objective  this eco-friendly builder  

1. 1.  used only non-toxic paints on the interior of the house,
   2.  used only rainforest sealer for all interior wood trim, and windows,
   3.  used Bona-Traffic water-based low- VOC finish for all hardwood floors.  

The interior floors were finished using a new dustless sanding system that filters the dust through HEPA filters leaving the air and the interior virtually dust-free.   If you have allergies or if you value the quality of air that you /your clients/your family breathes, this is amazing. And get this!!!  All registers for the HVAC system were covered during construction to keep dust out of the ductwork.   

 I'm impressed. How about you?  

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