Black Mountain Custom Builder likes CFLs

CFLs produce light differently than incandescent bulbs. In an incandescent, electric current runs through a wire filament and heats the filament until it starts to glow. In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent coating (called phosphor) on the inside of the tube, which then emits visible light. CFLs need a little more energy when they are first turned on, but once the electricity starts moving, use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. A CFLs ballast helps "kick start" the CFL and then regulates the current once the electricity starts flowing.

Older CFLs used large and heavy magnetic ballasts that caused a buzzing noise in some bulbs. Most CFLs today and all ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use electronic ballasts, which do not buzz or hum. Advantage Development Co. Is an award winning custom green home builder and Energy Star partner in Asheville NC that understands how important energy conservation is in this day and age of global warming. Let us assist you in properly designing that new dream home to maximize efficiency and reduce total home operating costs. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are the better builder in and around Asheville NC.

Black Mountain Custom Builder uses outdoor living spaces on his custom homes

A long used approach for enlarging the overall feel of a house is to make rooms look larger by visually extending them into the lawn or garden. Using the same wall material inside as for a wall that continues on the terrace and using the same material for the inside ceiling as on the extended terrace eaves, and using glass walls all help to do this. In addition your living room, dining room or even bedrooms can flow right outdoors on to "floating" decks, bricked terraces or lattice-roofed loggias. With the aid of vines, fences, shrubbery, shade trees and flowers you can make a terrace a delightful place for entertaining, sun-bathing and relaxing. Another dimension is added with a barbecue, for with your own fireplace or barbecue any terrace, lawn or garden spot can offer the enchantments of dining under sun and stars.Barbecues that are located at a distance from the house should be designed to include protected compartments for tinder, fuel storage, and possibly even barbecuing utensils.

The more self-sufficient an outdoor area is the more pleasure it can provide. A barbecue that has working space, built-in ovens and a wide grill, makes outdoor dining enjoyable even for the cook. While planning your terrace, you should consider installing electric outlets for lighting, music, an electric barbecue spit, etc. You may want to use vines to create a lattice roof (for example, grape vines leaf out late in the summer when shade is wanted and drop their leaves early as cooler weather sets in). Rapid growing vines like grape, hyacinth or the gourd vine work best. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning black mountain custom green builder in Asheville NC building fine homes for two decades. Call us at 828-215-9064 for a free consultation or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn just why we are the better builder.

Black Mountain Custom Builder likes ICFs

Concrete forms have taken a new shape-and purpose. Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are rigid plastic foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to serve as thermal insulation for concrete walls. The foam sections are lightweight and result in energy-efficient, durable construction. ICFs consist of insulating foam, commonly expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS). The three basic form types are hollow foam blocks, foam planks held together with plastic ties, and 4 x 8 panels with integral foam or plastic ties. ICFs can be used to form various structural configurations, such as a standard wall, post and beam, or grid. They provide backing for interior and exterior finishes.Insulation values of ICF walls vary depending on the material and its thickness.

Typical insulation values range from R-17 to R-26, compared to between R-13 and R-19 for most wood-framed walls. The strength of ICF structures relative to lumber depends on configuration, thickness, and reinforcement. However, ICF walls are designed as reinforced concrete, having high wind and seismic resistance. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom green builder in Asheville NC building fine custom homes for two decades. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about us and why we are better.

Black Mountain Custom Builder likes Energy Star System

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20 to 30% more efficient than standard homes. And with home buyers increasingly interested in green building, energy efficiency is the place to start. That's because the energy used in homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global warming. So, the less energy used, the less air pollution generated. And the easy way to make sure a new home is energy efficient is to look for the blue ENERGY STAR mark, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution: effective insulation, high efficiency windows, tight construction and duct work, efficient heating and cooling equipment, efficient lighting, appliances, water heaters, and getting a third party verification to make sure the whole house operates optimally as an energy saving system. Advantage Development Co. Is an award winning black mountain custom green builder that gets the Energy Star rating on ever home they build in Asheville NC and the surrounding WNC areas. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are the better custom home builder.

Black Mountain Custom Builder shares on Finger Joint Studs

Finger-jointed studs use short pieces of 2x dimensional lumber material glued together to form standard length studs. While they may be manufactured in any species, products are most commonly available in: Douglas Fir, Hem-Fir, Spruce-Pine-Fir, and western woods. The use of finger-jointed studs and lumber is widely practiced and accepted. Finger-jointed studs in short lengths (pre-cut to 12') are stocked at many building supply and lumber retail stores. Long lengths usually have to be ordered. Finger-jointed casing is available at home improvement centers. The cost of finger joint studs is the same as regular dimensional lumber.

Specifying finger-jointed lumber reduces the use of solid sawn lumber. Moreover, solid sawn studs may have weak spots and may twist and warp. The builder usually ends up having to replace a lot of solid lumber studs, thus increasing construction costs. Finger-jointed studs are resource-efficient engineered materials, which are as strong as, but straighter and more stable than solid-sawn studs. This radically reduces the need to cull bad studs, normally required with solid-sawn studs. This saves material, time and money. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning black mountain custom green builder in Asheville NC for over two decades now and knows the benefits of using engineered wood in their fine custom homes. Call us at 828-215-9064 for a free consultation or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about us.

Black Mountain Custom Builder likes Hempcrete and all of the Green Benefits like Carbon Reduction

How to build green is a topic on everyone persons mind these days, and hempcrete fulfills the requirements of being made from natural materials, being non-toxic, and providing energy efficiency. Formed into foot-thick walls on a wooden frame, the material eliminates the need for both insulation and sheet rock. Such walls are breathable and have a pleasant, natural appearance, as well as the ability to alleviate noise pollution from the outer world.

Hempcrete, which can be used in the same way as concrete, is made by mixing hemp, lime, sand, plaster and cement. It is mixed on site and sprayed onto the frame. Aside from doing away with the need for insulation, the material is waterproof, fireproof, and resistant to weather, rodents, and rot. It is said to be seven times stronger than concrete, as well as being more elastic, thus less prone to crack, and half the weight of concrete. Rather then emitting carbon dioxide, the construction of a hempcrete building can remove carbon dioxide from the air and trap it. Advantage Development Co. Is a pioneer in the field of custom green building in Asheville NC. Call us at 828.215.9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn why we are the better builder in Asheville and the surrounding areas. Starting in May 2009, we will host a free monthly green building seminar on the fourth Sunday of every month at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Rd., 2-4PM so call us and RSVP today.

Black Mountain Custom Builder shares on earth day

Earth Day 2009, April 22, will mark the beginning of The Green Generation Campaign which will also be the focus of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2010. With negotiations for a new global climate agreement coming up in December, Earth Day 2009 must be a day of action and civic participation, to defend The Green GenerationTMs core principles: A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal, an individuals commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption, creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions.

Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet. Advantage Development Co. is an award winning custom black mountain green builder in Asheville NC committed to saving this earth, one home at a time. We are hosting free monthly green building seminars from May 2009 through 2010 to support the Green Generation Campaign and show that we are an integral part of the green revolution. Call us at 828-215-9064 or visit us at http://www.advdevco.com/ to learn more about the "green" revolution and why we are the better builder.