BUILT GREEN® Certification
What does it mean, what are the benefits and how do you get it? We talk about healthier, sustainably built homes all the time–but what does owning a green home mean for you?! There's many benefits, however it ultimately means healthier indoor living environments and both short & long term money savings for our homeowners!
BUILT GREEN® is a 3rd party certification program that grades how ‘green’ your home is based on 7 topics! A BUILT GREEN® certification is reputable and nationally recognized, authenticating the quality and energy performance of your home. A certified home is beneficial for resale & property value too! The label offers credibility, and you (as the homeowner) have bragging rights! Ultimately providing buyers with piece of mind & eliminating greenwashing in the housing world. The following 7 topics go above & beyond the standard Alberta Building Code to achieve a healthier, greener home.
Here’s what it’s all about...
Energy & Envelope
When we talk about airtight building envelopes, this is why! An airtight home is very energy efficient. Additional to a precision built, airtight home structure this topic also accounts for insulation, ENERGY STAR labeled glass doors & windows! Every Landmark home meets these BUILT GREEN® requirements!
Materials & Methods
This includes all the building materials in your home, from siding to interior paint & everything in-between. A green home is built with products and materials that don’t off-gas chemicals into the air. This is more commonly referred to as low VOCs. For example, all Landmark Homes are built with engineered lumber that is bonded together with formaldehyde-free adhesive. This topic also focuses on low maintenance materials and considers the durability & lifespan of the products selected. For example, if a flooring selection is poor quality–it’s an unsustainable product because it will have to be trashed and replaced sooner than a flooring of good quality that can last generations!
Indoor Air Quality
All products and materials affect indoor air quality! Stains, finishes, fresh paint & your air systems, of course! With all the VOC emissions, in conjunction with outdoor allergens, like pollen, dirt, bacteria & viruses constantly trailing in and out of your home–you need an efficient ventilation system to ensure you and your family are getting premium indoor air quality!
Ventilation
Ventilation is all about your mechanical systems, such as the HRV, furnace & humidifier with a focus on filtration! This topic directly ties into the Indoor Air Quality topic–ensuring a BUILT GREEN® certified home is efficiently providing fresh, clean indoor air for the homeowners. Every Landmark Home overachieves in this category!
Waste Management
A topic based on waste & recycling alone! Have you ever driven past a new home job site and seen full trash bins of excess building material? All of this excess waste is a result of inaccurate measurements, unused lumber, and other raw building materials. We build differently, to prevent wasted materials through precision, accuracy and efficiency at ACQbuilt. Through automated precision measurements and ultimately reduces over 50% wasted material per home in comparison to traditional stick building methods!
Water Conservation
This topic zeros in on the amount of water used in the home after completion! Less water usage the better! This includes features like low flow plumbing fixtures & smart home features that offer more control over daily water usage.
Business Practices
We love this topic! Better business practices focus on local owned and operated manufacturing and products. We strongly believe in supporting local businesses & growing our local economy. Landmark Homes proudly works alongside Edmonton & Alberta based partners, vendors & suppliers on a daily basis. Investing in local businesses encourages increased local employment, empowers business owners to buy local & give back to the community & altogether helps lower our environmental impact.