Some Ideas to Consider …

  • Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #2 – Energy Saving Materials & Systems

    Country Club Homes Custom Home Builder Remodeler Fairfield County New Canaan Connecticut green building-As an award-winning Connecticut custom home building company, Country Club Homes, Inc. is continuing the fifty-seven year old family tradition of building high-quality homes that are carefully designed to meet the needs of homeowners in Fairfield County. With our current economic climate of ever-increasing energy costs, we now face as great a need as ever for homes that utilize green principles.

    In our three part series of posts on the subject of Fairfield County green home building strategies, we cover two other topics on the Blog in posts #1 and #3 of the series:

    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #1 – Passive Solar
    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #3 – Building Envelope & Air Quality

    In today’s post, we will discuss the following two subjects: environmentally-friendly home building materials; and heating and cooling systems that improve energy efficiency, referencing an excellent BHG.com article.

    Environmentally-friendly Home Building Materials — Using environmentally-friendly home building materials is a foundational green building principle. Examples of some of the products include:

    • Recycled products such as rubber and polymer roofing that imitates slate to reduce weight and maintenance; and durable blended recycled glass and concrete countertops, backsplashes, shower surrounds, walls, and floors.
    • Lumber materials including fast-growing bamboo for beautiful, durable flooring; and non-toxic exterior grade lumber.
    • Coatings such as low air-polluting volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
    • Other home products including a wide variety of insulation types, Low-E windows which insulate and maintain interior temperatures while blocking ultraviolet light, and effective exhaust  fans to remove “stale air” will be covered in our next post in the series: Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #3 – Building Envelope & Air Quality.

    Heating and Cooling Systems That Improve Energy-Efficiency – Another major strategic approach to saving resources and protecting the environment is utilizing air and water heating and cooling systems that improve energy efficiency and ultimately lower the cost of running Connecticut homes. Example systems are:

    • Gas furnaces with efficiency ratings in the upper 90% range with variable speed air-handlers
    • Programmable thermostats
    • On-demand tankless water heaters
    • Solar home power systems utilizing photovoltaic panels, and much more!

    Country Club Homes, Inc. is committed to green building – designing environmentally sensitive custom new homes and home remodeling projects that incorporate energy efficient home building materials; and heating and cooling systems.

    If you are planning a custom new home, or home remodeling work, and are seeking Fairfield County architectural design and construction services that incorporate green design, please contact Country Club Homes, Inc. website by telephone at 203-762-0550.

    Image Source: Country Club Homes Portfolio

  • Adding Wood Flooring? Here’s How to Prepare Your Home for Demolition

    Adding new wood flooring to your home’s floors is an excellent way to revive a space, add visual interest or increase your home’s resale value. A simple wood floor installation can change the entire look of a room. Before work begins, there are several things you should do to prepare: Sound sub-floor.  New wood flooring should be laid on a clean, smooth,…

  • Prepare for Your New Countertop Installation with These Tips

    Most kitchen renovations involve replacing countertops throughout the space. Because the countertops are a focal point of the room’s design, the installation must go smoothly. Before the installation begins there are several things that should be done to prepare. Make sure to: Choose a suitable material. There are a wide variety of countertop materials to choose from. Do…

  • Turn Your Master Closet Into a Hidden Retreat

    Its time to elevate the closet! In your home, the master closet should obviously serve as a space to hold your clothes, shoes, and accessories, but it can be so much more. Transforming your master closet into a hidden retreat simply requires a shift in perspective and a few functional upgrades. Consider adding: Natural light. Adding…

  • Building Up: Add an Additional Story to Your Home or Guest House

    When investigating home remodeling ideas, you may have realized that adding an additional story is a great way to increase square footage. There are important structural and design considerations to make when adding a second story to your home. Before work begins, talk to your contractor about: Design cohesion. A second story addition should look like it…