The Incredibly Green Home Blog

Bethesda Bungalows is proud to announce that we have contracted to build a home in the Hawkseye development in Lewes, Delaware, bordering Cape Henlopen State Park. This will be our first home in this development, and our first project outside of the DC Metro area.

Christian Gladu has completed the design of the home, see the elevation below.

We've hired Kevin Gallagher to be our site supervisor, and he's just back from a week-long scouting trip of the project. He met with Paul Townsend, a renown local Developer and Realtor, and had in-depth discussions about the building methods that are approved for the development, local tradesmen, special challenges given the location, and lots more.

Given the location right off the Delaware coast, we've also been exploring wind power options.

On a related note, the State of Delaware has recently announced that starting in 2025, all new commercial building will need to be "net zero". It seems like a long way off, but it will be 2025 before you know it.

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Merry Christmas Everyone! Hope you had the chance to spend time with family and friends. I am fortunate to have most of my family right here in the DC area, and my older brother brought his two children down from Montreal for the weekend. We spent Christmas day at my folks house in Olney, and had a great time as usual.

My younger brother, Steve, and his wife Karen live in DC in an older building and they are in the midst of a major kitchen renovation. Their son Benjamin is now two, and like so many kids these days, he suffers from asthma. He had an attack on Christmas Eve that nearly sent him to the hospital. That got me thinking about the "healthy home" features of The Incredibly Green Home and how I wish Steve's family lived there. I truly believe that Ben would be a happier, healthier boy if that were the case.

Just to review, here's a list of the major features of the home that make it a "healthy home".

1. Central Vac with main unit in garage and vented to outdoors.
2. The only carpet is in the home theater. Allergens such as dust mites, pollen and other contaminants cannot get trapped on wood and bamboo floors.
3. Entire home has Certainteed ProRoc mold-resistant drywall
4. Super tight envelope ensures that the vast majority of air coming into home is first filtered by MERV 13 filters.
5. All finishes, sealants and adhesives are VOC compliant.
6. All engineered wood products are made with no-urea added formaldahyde.
7. Ductwork was sealed with mastic during construction. This prevents any unwanted construction debris from contaminating the system.
8. Multiple redundant systems designed to ensure that moisture is kept out of home, minimizing the chance of mold and mildew.
9. All bathrooms have humidstats, again to reduce chance of mold and mildew.
10. Programmable thermostat has humidity monitoring and control. Too much humidity leads to mold, too little leads to dry nasal passages, chapped lips, and gaps in your hardwood floor.
11. All cracks and seams caulked and sealed.  Outlet and switch boxes are caulked.
12. Sealed sump crocks with active radon control systems.
13. All combustion appliances externally vented, eliminating carbon monoxide and other toxins.
14. Garage fan connected to motion sensor, so when the vehicle pulls into the garage, exhaust is removed from home.

Finally, the home passed final inspection for the EPA Indoor AirPLUS certification on Wednesday the 23rd. Halleluliah!

So, with the soaring rates of asthma in this country, it would seem that the public would start demanding these features in their new homes. As usual, Bethesda Bungalows is leading the charge, and everyone else is going to have to catch up. Lets hope the future owner of The Incredibly Green Home values all of the extra attention to detail we have given this home. Going into the Spring '10 market, it will probably be the only home in the area with these features, and we hope that helps to sell it.

Here's to the end of the decade that is the Zeroes - bring on the Tens!

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What a day! This past Tuesday marked a major milestone for The Incredibly Green Home, as we had a team of four green building pros from Everyday Green perfom multiple inspections. In one 4-hour period, we went through LEED, NAHB, EnergyStar and Indoor airPLUS inspections. Everday Green founders Asa and Andrea Foss were joined by Jim Conlon and Janice Romanosky as they went over the home with a fine-toothed comb.

We started by going over the LEED Durability Inspection Checklist, moved onto the entire pre-drywall inspection for the NAHB National Green Building Standard, then the EnergyStar, then LEED pre-drywall, and finally thru the Indoor airPLUS. Whew.

Asa commented, "The pre-drywall inspection went quite well. The house is very well insulated and air sealed, from the foundation walls to the duct work. We found a few small issues that were quickly and easily addressed...that's why we inspect the home at this stage when it's still possible to find and fix small insulation oversights. The moisture management system was also in good shape. The Incredibly Green Home is off to a terrific start towards meeting their green building certfication goals: LEED for Homes, Energy Star with the Indoor Air Package, National Green Building Standards, and Builder's Challenge."

Oh and did I mention that the entire thing was captured by Jeff Bankert and his crew from NAHB Productions. The will use the peice as a builder training video on the NAHB website, to be released in the near future.

Overall, the Everyday Green team has been exceptionally helpful. They are also working on another LEED certification for one of our custom clients. Their knowledge and expertise is an invaluable resource to Bethesda Bungalows.

Christian Gladu discusses duct layouts with Asa and Andrea Foss of Everyday Green.

Asa Foss inspects for proper installation of vents.

Just one more shot and its a wrap.

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Bethesda Bungalows has been awarded top prize by the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association (MNCBIA), in the category Custom Homes between 3500 and 5000 square feet. Thirty-three local custom homebuilders, architects and remodelers were awarded honors in the 16th Annual Custom Builder Awards of Excellence on May 28th at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, MD, at a ceremony sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association. The Awards celebrate excellence in construction, architecture and design by custom builders and remodelers in the metropolitan Washington region.

Bethesda Bungalows' owner, Peter Guida, remarked, "The home was designed by Christian Gladu in the Not So Big House concept, championed by Sarah Susanka. When the initial drawings came in from Christian, I was so excited, yet I knew it was a risky build. But this award validates the quality of the design and execution. It was a total team effort, and I especially want to thank Dennis Miles, my lead site supervisor and long-time friend, without whom this project would never have been possible."

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Bethesda Bungalows is proud to introduce our Renovation Division.   Offering the same quality and craftsmanship as a new Bethesda Bungalows home, our Renovation Division can turn your existing home into the home of your dreams.   We offer whole-house remodeling, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, or just about any other project you can conceive. 

We also offer an array of energy-related services.  We start by having a home energy audit completed by a third party inspection firm.  Based on their recommendations, we’ll update your HVAC system, add insulation, tighten your ductwork, chalk and seal your windows and provide other services. 

Our Renovation Division is headed by Len Fitzgerald (Fitz), a trusted renovation expert with 20 years of  experience in the Bethesda area.  For an in-home consultation, contact us at 301-652-7299.

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Last night, Peter and Bethesda Bungalows were featured on PBS Nightly Business Report. Here's a link to the story. (Scroll over till you see Real Estate: Green in Green Homes) The reviews are in and it was a hit.

Needless to say, Peter is a bit full of himself today. To try to deflate him, I told him he looks fat on TV. It didn't work.

Dana Bate also posted a nice blog item about the story. Thanks Dana!

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