Material Decisions

Part of the process of designing and building a Green home is researching locally available materials and selecting those that reduce waste and help you build a better house.

Local is easy. In the case of The Cliffs Cottage, the stone on the exterior was quarried from the nearby mountains. Cabinets came from neighboring Tennessee. They were shipped flat to save on transportation costs and were assembled on-site. By buying local, you can help reduce emissions and support your local economy.

The framing of this house is a combination of products from iLevel by Weyerhaeuser. Unlike conventional lumber, iLevel reduces waste by using more of the tree, keeping the builder from having to discard or pick through bad lumber. When the experts at iLevel estimated our plans, they came up with about 9% in material savings compared to using conventional lumber. The benefit: a better built house and, with an anti-mold and mildew coating on the lumber, a healthier home.

 You Can: Research, research, research. Put as much care into selecting the materials you can’t see, such as lumber and insulation, as you do into those you can see, such as stone and cabinetry.