Chapel Hill Green Builder Showcases the 2014 National Green Certified Project of the Year Remodel on the Triangle Green Home Tour

Posted on April 26, 2014 7:51 pm

Preserving the Environmental Heritage of Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill

Cary, NC (April 15, 2014) – Green building has come a long way. While a decade ago many may have perceived green building to be a fad, today it’s about more than just reducing a carbon footprint.  Financially, it makes good sense with eco-friendly designs that deliver appealing functionality and healthy indoor air quality.  For the second year in a row, Jeff Wiblitzhouser with Paradise Found Construction has received the National Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB) Green Certified Remodel of the Year Award, this time for a home in Orange County. 

Located in southern Chapel Hill, the 40+ year old, two-story Gambrel Roof home remodel demonstrates how easy it is to preserve the charm and security of an older neighborhood and the many benefits it offers, making the home healthier for its occupants while reducing its ongoing cost of ownership.  During the upcoming 9thAnnual Green Home Tour, Wiblitzhouser will present the Heritage Hills home and demonstrate how he preserves the heritage and charm in older neighborhoods with modest investments that create a healthier living environment and yearly savings that compound over time. 

“While any home can be built or remodeled with green features, a home that meets the National Green Building Standard’s certification criteria offers financial gains when the cost of ownership is reduced and a home’s value is increased,” says Jeff Wiblitzhouser President of Paradise Found Construction.  “Plus, growing market evidence shows new and remodeled homes that are green certified are increasing in value and holding it better than those traditionally built or remodeled.”

The public is invited totour the 2014 NAHB award-winning home located at 415 Brandywine Road in Chapel Hill.  It will be open on Saturday, May 3rd – Sunday, May 4th from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information about the tour, please go to:www.TriangleGreenHomeTour.com.

The Heritage Hills home was structurally sound but needed improvements in energy usage, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.  By replacing the original single-pane windows with more energy efficient double-pane ones, right-sizing the HVAC system, adding a dual zone controller, replacing and sealing all duct-work and a variety of other energy-efficient upgrades, the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating was reduced from 98 to 59.  In total, energy was reduced by 40% and projected savings are projected to be $900 yearly.

Water efficiency was also addressed by incorporating EPA Water Sense-rated toilets and plumbing fixtures as well as upgrading appliances like the washing machine, which reduced the overall water usage by over 40%.   Furthermore, natural hardwoods with no volatile organic compound (VOC) finishes, formaldehyde-free materials and no-VOC paints were used to improve the indoor air quality.  The original wood burning fireplace was replaced with a direct-vent natural gas one and exhaust fans were installed in bathrooms to help create a healthier indoor environment.

In addition, Wiblizthouser helped the owners incorporate the latest design trends that would harmonize with the rest of the home.  He increased the usefulness and aesthetics of their screened porch by creating an appealing room that could be enjoyed year round.  He also brightened living areas with lighter colors to increase sunlight reflectivity.

The homes in Heritage Hills represent the explosive growth of home ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WWII, and they were designed to foster a sense of community, where families could come together.  They were also built with denser wood that offers superior structural support compared to the same homes built using lumber from today’s faster-growing trees.  Rather than demolish structurally sound homes to make way for larger ones with larger carbon footprints, a green certified remodel is increasingly attractive. 

“We can preserve older neighborhoods with established traffic patterns and charm by changing the inefficiencies,” said Wiblitzhouser.  “With a relatively modest investment, a green certified remodeling provides a short investment payback and continued yearly savings over time as energy and water costs outstrip the cost of inflation.  Plus, when it comes to resale value, green certified homes sell at the upper end of the range and more quickly.”

Just last year, Wiblitzhouser completed a green certified remodel that enabled a Raleigh home owner to sell the home within three days of completion.  Compared to equivalent traditional construction, green certifications offer a significant value and advantage in the marketplace. Paradise Found Construction also won the National Home Builders Association (NAHB) 2013 Project of the Year for Green Certified Remodeling.   

About Paradise Found Construction:

Paradise Found Construction is a Cary, North Carolina-based-construction company, serving Western Wake County and the Triangle.  It’s also a conventional and green certified remodeler and builder of high-performance Energy Star Qualified and Green Certified homes.  The company specializes in integrating cost-effective energy efficient, healthy, environmentally and socially responsible building materials and products, and the latest in building science techniques in residential and commercial construction. 

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