Archive for the ‘Green Building’ Category

The Judge’s choice awards for the 2010 Olympia Master Builder’s tour of homes was announced and we are proud to announce that we won two of the awards. Our Hobbit House won for best curb appeal and the Cooper House won Best of Show – Custom Home. We are very excited about the awards and humbled that the judges thought so much of our homes. The people’s choice awards will be announced later this month.

The show continues this weekend. All homes are open both Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 5. If you need a guide for all of the homes on the tour, we will have them at each of our houses. The addresses are 123 West Bay Dr. (near downtown Olympia) or 10621 Katieann Lane, (near Offet Lake off of 103rd Street and Steadman Road.

Laupen homes LLC. is proud to showcase two homes in the OMB tour of Homes. First we will feature the Cooper home. This is the same home we had in last spring’s Green Tour. If you didn’t get a chance to see it the first time, come out this weekend and be amazed. This home was a challenge to say the least, but we persisted and the outcome is incredible. You can view photos of it on our project page and read the owners comments on our referral page.

The second home we are featuring is the Bouvier/Rogers house, also known as the hobbit house. Now we could really call it a hobbit house without a round door, so a round door it has. Handcrafted out of mahogany wood, the door has a tree carved into it. Master carpenter Mike Anderson was the inspiration behind the door. It is a must see. This home also features a “Floating Loft” over the main entrance and living room. With lots of curves and whimsical features this home is a must see.

Still being painted

But don’t let the playfulness of the home fool you. It has state of the art energy efficient systems including radiant heat and a Heat Recovery Ventilator. Six operable ski lights make for wonderful natural lighting and at the same time allow the summer heat to escape keeping the interior of the home cool without the need for air conditioning. The outstanding blower door score of 1.23, (most new homes receive a 5 or higher) made it easier to received a Built Green level 5, and Energy star certifications.

Cory in front of Mike's beautiful door

Come out this weekend and see these wonderful homes. I look forward to meeting you
Cory Eckert

How you maintain your garden is also as important as planning when it comes to conserving water. If you’re looking at limiting the amount of water you put into your garden, you will also need to limit the amount of water that flows out of your garden. You can do this is many ways:
• Pick plants, shrubs and grass that are known to develop good root systems and employ gardening techniques that improve roots. One way to do this is to mow the lawn tall, but do it frequently. The other way to do it is to pick plants that go well with your climate and soil and water them well for the first few weeks before you reduce the frequency. Keep looking out for leaves that go yellow and new shoots that look weak and pale.
• Mulching is an excellent way to ensure that your soil remain well hydrated and does not loose moisture, especially if you live in dry weather. Mulch can be conveniently prepared in your backyard using organic waste from your kitchen. A healthy dose of nitrogen fertiliser is also recommended, provided you know what you’re doing.
• Irrigation techniques are the most crucial aspect of conserving water in the backyard. In regions frequent watering is required most homeowners opt for irrigation to keep it convenient. Drip irrigation saves much more water than sprinklers which water a lot of things other than the grass. Gray water systems are another great option. Gray water is ‘wash water’ i.e. water used in the bathrooms, kitchen sinks and laundry, which is treated and then used in gardens. Gray water does not include water from toilets (which is called black water) and is perfectly safe, with few chemicals and pathogens once it’s treated and is used by a large number of families for irrigation. A gray water system is simple enough to be installed in your backyard. However, make sure you are familiar with your locality’s policies on gray water systems.

A pretty home in a quiet suburb, kids playing on the porch, toys littering the driveway and a large backyard with a pretty garden. This is usually the picture most homeowners want when they are remodeling their homes. In particular, the large backyard with a pretty garden is very common, especially for those with kids. While it may seem to be the perfect addition to a green home, a garden that is not well-planned can actually do more harm than good to the environment, by causing you to waste water.
Going water-wise is not just limited to toilets and faucets. If you have a garden, a large amount of water goes down there too, sometimes much more than is necessary to keep your garden green. Thus, we often suggest water-efficient landscaping and gardening when we remodel homes. This does not mean tearing up your garden from hearth. Although it is always easier to do over the entire garden, water efficient practices can also be integrated with the way your current garden is. And this can be done quite simply:
• The first way to limit the amount of water you put into your garden is to choose the plants you water carefully. Some plants tend to survive longer with little water and ideally these should be your first choice. This does not mean you turn your garden into a cacti exhibit. Most of the plants that grow naturally in your surroundings are your best option. Trying to grow and maintain an exotic garden can prove to take up a lot of water and money and effort.
• Soil preparation is an important part of creating a water-efficient garden. After the climate, your soil is what will determine what kind of plants will grow best, with less water. Planting ones that suit your soil or treating the soil accordingly before you plant will ensure that your garden works well with the natural weather and minimal water supply.

Installing water efficient fixtures can definitely bring in savings over the long term, for your pocket as well as the planet. Water efficient toilets save close to 4000 gallons of water per year and water efficient faucets and showerheads too, save large amounts of water as compared to conventional fixtures. However, that is not all. Most water boards and utility providers also offer you rebates on water efficient products.
The amount of rebate depends on the type of product you buy, your water board or utility provider and where you live. For instance products and accessories marked with the EPA’s Watersense label are eligible for rebate in almost all states. A list of utility specific rebates available can be found on the EPA’s Watersense website, here.
What if you’re not buying a WaterSense labelled product? There are quite a few other reputed manufacturer that offer great products and services at the residential, commercial and community level to help reduce water consumption and energy savings. For instance American Standard has been manufacturing products and services to help tackle water scarcity since the past 100 years. Their rebates page offers an exhaustive list of states where you can make savings + get your money back.
Depending on your geographic location, your county, district or state will have their local authorities and programs that work at water conservation. These partner with local water suppliers, manufacturers and state authorities to offer attractive discounts on water efficient products, systems as well as rebates. Check the websites of your local utility provider to know more about how you can save water, save energy as well as money.