Earth Bound Homes - Improving your home without exploiting the environment

"We do not own the earth. We borrow it from our children."

- Apache Indian saying

Why Go Green

Here are some facts:

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The construction of buildings in the US consumes 25% of all wood harvested and 40% of all stone, gravel and sand produced annually.
The waste generated from construction and demolition of these building produces between 30% and 40% of the waste sent to landfills.
Operation, largely heating, cooling and lighting of these buildings, consumes 40% of the energy produced in the United States every year.
Operation of residential homes use 55% of this energy and 22% of total energy produced in the US.
Only 3% of this energy is produced by a means other than nuclear or combustion (carbon dioxide producing), both of which have significant, long term environmental drawbacks.
The clear cutting of a forest for softwood lumber in the United States or Canada or for hardwoods in the Amazon basin have irreparable long term environmental consequences. These include, but are not limited to, the loss of habitat for native species, loss of plant life essential for carbon fixation (the only natural and effective global counterbalance to increased carbon dioxide production by man) and a decrease in biodiversity.

What makes a home more environmentally responsible:

More Energy Efficient
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- Better insulation - Thicker walls, insulated ceilings and floors, better performing insulation (fiberglass looses its insulation ability in the very cold and if ever exposed to water)
- Modern double paned inert gas filled windows and insulated solid core doors with integral weather stripping
- Increased efficiency heating and cooling systems - Modern systems are 90% efficient, 25 year old systems are between 50 and 60% efficient.
- Tighter construction, better door seals, window trim
Use of Renewable, Recycled or waste product materials
- Materials made from the byproducts of the manufacturing process. OSB panels, a plywood alternative, are made from the byproduct of lumber and paper production and therefore require no virgin material. Engineered lumber, while stronger and lighter than solid lumber sawn from trees, is also made from byproduct wood and wood from trees that are smaller and normally destroyed during the harvesting of old growth lumber. is made from the insulation made using the trimmings from the manufacture of denim jeans,
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  Materials that are sustainably harvested and have a quick growth cycle take less time and fewer resources to produce. Hardwood floors made from bamboo are a perfect example. Bamboo is actually a grass that grows to 100 ft. in 3-5 years, can grow up to 1 ft. per day. The plant is actually strengthened by the cyclical harvesting process, similar to the grass in your yard. Unlike trees, which take 50 to 80 years to reach harvesting size and are killed when harvested, members of the grass family, which includes bamboo, are merely trimmed by the harvesting process. Another example of this group is the premium hardwood Lyptus, a natural hybrid of Eucalyptus grandis and E. urophylla. Lyptus thrives in the warm climate of Brazil, permitting harvest in approximately 15 years as opposed to 50 to 70 years in colder regions.
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  Materials that are made primarily from recycled materials. Decks are some of the most cherished portions of a home. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most material demanding structures associated with residential construction. Because decks are usually exposed to the elements, especially sun, rain and wood boring insects, they must be made of materials that are resistant to decay, historically either redwood, cedar or pressure treated lumber, each of which has its own environmental consequences. Additionally decks require routine and time consuming upkeep to maintain. The advent of composite decking materials has changed dramatically the environmental impact that decks levy on the environment. Made of recycled plastic milk carton containers and wood pulp, again a byproduct of lumber and paper mills, these materials have colors and textures that rival real wood. They do not require stains or UV protection and therefore NO regular maintenance, are impervious to water, are not susceptible to termites or rot and will not give slivers to bare feet. The most commonly known brand name is TREX, but there are now several manufacturers of composite materials that have essentially the same characteristics, but vary in color, texture, weight and installation methods.

Morgan Multimedia, Inc.