Milhaus

Have any of you guys attended Greenbuild or similar trade shows/educational seminars in past years on green building? I am considering going this year in Chicago, but more importantly I'm curious if any of you invest a specific amount of time to learning about environmentally safe/energy reducing products each year/month?

I haven't set aside a specific amount of time, but I cram the books wherever I can.

Mark

Boogga

We have them every now and then but I seem to miss on it because it's not in my area. I'm in Australia and Green building so to speak is growing in the building industry by the day. It is now becoming general knowledge in the industry and general public about building to suit environment etc etc.

Like yourself, I try to absorb as much as I can about Green Building principles and we are slowly incorporating them in our designs when building. I read articles especially on the net about these things. Here in Australia we have GreenSmart princiles etc. Our company are GreenSmart Proffessionals. We had to do a course afew years back (our choice) and this has given us a competitive advantage, I believe. Do you in the States have something similar over there?

How do you find the public in your area WANTING you as a builder to incorporate new Green building principles in their home? Is it STILL expensive?

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"It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"

paulbunyan

It might not be worth the expense yet, but it will be soon, especially if you do a lot of work for bigger companies and municipalties. I've had to include a lot more info on websites to please customers curious about green building practices.

Milhaus

Boogga - I have talked with the local lumber yards about supplying more materials that support the cause. And I talk with nearly every customer in some aspect or another about the direction that I am headed with energy conservation built into my projects. I plan on pushing a marketing plan in a community north of us whose utility company offers some great options for the community. They have a windmill that powers around 800 homes in the community. I think it's a good place for me to head. It is still slow and expensive to incorporate, but I'm a firm believer that if the option isn't out there, no one will jump in.

I'm really surprised at a couple of the contacts I have made, just out shear placement of my business cards. I have one at the 'organic and locally grown' grocery store, and I got a call today actually from a lady that saw it there. I still don't think I'm doing enough marketing to really push it yet, but that's why I want to head to some conferences to learn. I need to be an expert if I really want to push it. For now, my enthusiasm with the potential of green everything is the driving force. I've got enough background to understand it all, but not enough to be THE company that people call when they want something done green.

dougchips

I went to an open house a month or so ago for a Green building supply store a little south of Boston. They offer "Green" paints, caulks, flooring, windows, cabinets, countertops, lights.............

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Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

How were the products/pricing?

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Norman Sharp
http://www.sharpimprovements.com

dougchips

I have no idea, here is the long winded story:

I received an invite due to my membership at a Green building group. The invite was nice, sort of a wedding invite. We showed up at the start time for the event so there is zero chance that we missed a run down of the evenings lack of events. When we entered there was a bar serving fancy drinks and several waiters walking around with platters of other fancy drinks (we only drank coke). They had a small warehouse set up as a showroom for their different products. None of the products had prices nor a description of the benefits.

After a while we found a room where they build kitchen cabinets, our focus was diverted to the tables full of large shrimp. We then had a couple of plates of shrimp (we set the table for four places so it did not look like the two of us were hogs). Since nothing ever happened as far as an introduction we ate more of the shrimp and the little funny looking food. After we were full we were determined to find what this whole event was about. We talked to the cabinet builder who would answer questions about the cabinets and counter tops but he kept referring us to this invisible guy who would answer our other questions.

In our search for the invisible man we found their "paint room". The room was set up like a bar with a bar top and the product line behind the bar. I decided to venture behind the bar and look at the sins that they were hiding behind the bar. There were several tools and supplies which lead us to believe that they just built this room. Get ready for this:

alex plus caulking (they were trying to sell Green caulking)

Mix wax poly ( they were trying to sell Green Poly)

I forget all of the other product that were hidden under the bar but the point is they were only selling green stuff and they used regular stuff on their own project. With tears in our eyes we walked around for another 1/2 hour and left.

To answer your question, pricing=I have no idea, products=they didn't use them why should I?

__________________
To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

Milhaus

So, I'm going to Greenbuild in Nov. Anyone else going?

I'll let you know how it goes...

Chris Johnson

Green building is the next generation of our business, the price is coming down to be in line with 'standard' products. I had a display booth with another group last year at the first West Coast Green show in San Francisco, attendance over 3 days was 17k (I believe) and they were only expecting 10k.

All in All I promote and sell green building, ICF's are very green, I also use FSC lumber when required or the consumer is willing to pay the up charge.

Green building is not difficult, you continue to build the same way only using different materials, but at some point you are going to notice that certain green building products are of poor quality compared to what you are used to using, but over time that is changing.

Welcome to the world of the modern day treehuggers

__________________
Chris

orson

I'm planning on going to the one in Boston, registration opens in spring of 2008

www.rubycon.us
Ruby Construction LLC
Lancaster Kitchen Remodeling
Lancaster Bathroom Remodeling

orson

Sometimes it is just a different material, however, sometimes the methodology changes. For instance using larger framing members set on wider centers so that there are less air gaps per LF of wall etc. Plumbing non potable water systems into houses so that drinking water isn't wasted on closthes washing, lawn watering, etc. Grass roofs. Solar hot water heating systems. Solar hot air systems. Power management systems to integrate solar power into home's electrical grid. Straw bale construction. To name a few

www.rubycon.us
Ruby Construction LLC
Lancaster Kitchen Remodeling
Lancaster Bathroom Remodeling