More than 20 local building companies and hundreds of volunteers came together last month to build six homes and remodel a seventh for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro client families.
The biannual “Raising Roofs: Builders for Habitat” event Sept. 20-24 was a dawn-until-dusk race representing the continuation of a project started in 2003. Including this year’s building effort in The Village of Northside on Sunrise Valley Drive, 43 homes have been built or renovated in a partnership between Habitat and Greensboro Builders Association members.
This sustainable legacy was also carried out in the construction methods used. The homes were designed to meet Energy Star and National Association of Home Builders green building standards. A big part of those approaches is in the home’s site placement and design, which include energy-efficient measures that promote indoor air quality, conserve water and other resources, and use sustainable or recycled products.
As both programs require third-party verification, city of Greensboro building inspectors were joined for the week by representatives of Environmental Solutions Group of Greensboro and Advanced Energy. They were on hand to ensure the approximately 1,100-square-foot homes met standards. The green building program has four certification levels — Bronze, Silver, Gold and Emerald. According to GBA executive officer Cheryl Collins, the organization was notified last week that the six new homes earned Silver designations.
The GBA members, who participated in homebuilding teams, were Blue Ridge Builders, Brown Investment Properties, Builders MD, DisCo Framing, Disney Construction Co., Gary Jobe Builder, J&B Builders, John Hodgin Construction Co., Keystone Homes, Millican Construction Co., New Age Builders, Scott Home Builders, Silverstein Construction Corp., SwiftCreek Construction, Wade Jur-ney Homes, Windsor Homes, Worth-Reitt Associates, and members of the GBA Remodelers Council led by Acorn Construction, Batts Builders and Brickwood Builders.
Among the products used in the building blitz were sustainable bathroom and kitchen cabinets donated by Columbia Forest Products. The cabinets, made using PureBond hardwood plywood, are formaldehyde-free. The homes also include insulation made from recycled blue jeans provided by Cotton Inc. The insulation reduces environmental impact by using 90 percent recycled materials and contains no chemical irritants, making it safe for families and the environment.
The week ended with a dedication celebration Sept. 24.
