green building: Saving Water in Southern Homes - Recycling Gray Water
- 01/30/13 01:57 AM
Saving Water in Southern Homes – Recycling Gray Water Saving water is an important part of the Green movement, so I decided to explore how to save water in homes – particularly in southern homes. Let’s look at recycling gray (or grey) water to reduce demand. Gray water is the water used in baths, showers, washing machines and hand sinks, and it accounts for about 40% of indoor water use. It gets its name from its cloudy appearance – it’s not drinkable (“white water”), but it doesn’t carry human waste (“black water” or sewage). Normally gray water is combined with sewage … (0 comments)
green building: Saving Water In Southern Homes - Tank or Tankless Hot Water Heater
- 01/27/13 09:54 PM
Saving Water in Southern Homes – Tank or Tankless? I’ve been exploring ways to save water in homes. The type of water heater you choose is more about saving energy instead of water, but it’s a related topic. When I design a southern home, what type of Water Heater to use - Tank or Tankless is always a consideration. Traditional water heaters heat water – either with a controlled gas fire or electric coil – and store it for use in a tank. As the water sits in the tank it cools, requiring more heat to keep it at the … (2 comments)
For those who missed the rest of this series, this is a look at Local Materials that can be used when building a new Southern Home. These are materials that are manufactured, harvested, extracted or recovered within 100 miles of Birmingham. This time we'll look at cabinets and interior finishes. •· There are at least 3 lines of modular cabinets that are manufactured in Alabama. Diamond Cabinets has a manufacturing facility in Auburn, Legacy Cabinets has a plant in Eastaboga, and Wellborn is located in Alexander City. •· In addition to the modular … (0 comments)
green building: Local Materials for the New Southern Homes - Part 2
- 03/17/11 08:04 AM
Local Materials for the New Southern Home - Part 2 For those who missed Part 1 of this Local Materials series, this is a follow-up to a February post "Can Southern Homes be Green?"which discusses the availability of construction materials that are manufactured, harvested, extracted or recovered within 100 miles of Birmingham. Let's look at steel, wood and roofing. •· I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that steel is produced in Alabama, especially in and near Birmingham. In fact, almost anything you want made from steel can be produced by the 239 fabricators in Birmingham. Among the local … (1 comments)
green building: Local Materials for the New Southern Home - Part 1
- 03/15/11 08:28 AM
Local Materials for the New Southern Home - Part 1 In February I posted "Can Southern Homes be Green?", and it got me thinking about the availability of local materials today. So I did a little research... To recap my earlier post, LEED gives points in Materials and Resources if 20% of the materials used are manufactured - and if 50% are - within 500 miles. I stated that very little of the old Southern Home came from over 50 miles away! I decided to open my circle a bit from 50 miles, but stay well below LEED's 500 mile allowance. … (0 comments)
green building: Southern Home Design - Can Southern Homes be 'Green'? Part 2
- 02/06/11 09:03 AM
Southern Home Design - Can Southern Homes be ‘Green'? Part 2 When I design Southern Home Plans for my clients, the use of energy and stewardship of natural resourses is always a big consideration. In my last post, I was exploring how the old Southern Home would rate using the 9 LEED certification categories. Let's continue: The Southern Home would probably get a zero in Energy & Atmosphere. That was before we knew about insulation, and the old wood burning stoves were not very efficient at heating water. [They did double as space heaters - even in the summer!] The windows were … (0 comments)
green building: Southern Home Design - Can Southern Homes be 'Green'? Part 1
- 02/05/11 07:04 AM
Southern Home Design - Can Southern Homes be ‘Green'? Part 1 Recently, I was talking with an Architect friend who asked if a Southern Home could be ‘Green'. My reply was immediate - "Of Course it can!" In fact, I believe the old Southern Homes were the epitome of Green. To illustrate my point, I'll use the LEED certification categories and tell you how well Southern Homes performed. What is LEED anyway? "LEED", which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a buzz word you hear a lot lately. The U.S. Green Building Council, which is a non-profit organization … (2 comments)
Saving Water in Southern Homes – Recycling Gray Water
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