BUILDING RESPONSIBLY
Not all business decisions are economic. We’ve been committed to minimizing the environmental impact of building since day one. It’s an integral part of who we are as individuals and collectively as a company. Sustainable building means your home will not only be healthier, but also more desirable in today’s real estate market and a model for homes in your neighborhood.
Remodeling and construction fundamentally uses a huge amount of natural resources and creates a lot of waste. It affects every aspect of our environment: forests for lumber, quarries for stone and foundries for metals. It adds millions of tons of landfill waste per year. The outcome: homes that overconsume energy and account for a large portion of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Embedded in our industry is the opportunity to use and waste less on behalf of our clients—we are always up to the challenge. With eco-friendly building practices and green product expertise, we can bring your Seattle green home to life.
We are an active member of the Master Builders Association and have certified over 20 remodels and new construction projects through Built Green®. Additionally, in 2012 we completed a LEED for Homes project achieving Platinum certification with the second highest points scored in the US at the time. We are also active participants within the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, helping plan and promote their yearly conference and NW Green Home Tour. Staying involved in the community and current in our practices will always be a priority.
Interested in sustainable options for your home? Please let our team know from the start. We’d be happy to introduce you to eco-friendly products, salvaged materials, and energy-efficient systems. With enough planning, the options are limitless.
STANDARD ON EVERY MRM PROJECT
RECYCLING
We work with CleanScapes and other recycling centers to recycle hundreds of tons of C&D materials each year. Almost every MRM project has an 85% minimum recycling rate. We send as little as possible to the landfill.
NO- OR LOW-VOC PRODUCTS
We use as many eco-friendly paints, caulks, and adhesives as possible. We choose products that release no or low-level emissions into the air. We do this as a safety measure for our crew and for your family.
LED LIGHTING
We use LED lightbulbs and fixtures whenever possible. LEDs consume less electricity, have a cooler temperature than incandescent lights, and are more resistant to breakage.
HOW CAN WE MAKE YOUR HOME EVEN HEALTHIER?
Better products aren’t necessarily more expensive. We want to expel that myth, and help you choose options for your home that are less wasteful. We can recommend a number of local shops for finding cool, vintage items ready for you to salvage. We can also recommend stores that specially sell sustainable materials such as recycled glass countertops and cork flooring.
Home insulation, air sealing, duct sealing and careful construction: these are just a few of many things that can make your home more energy efficient. There’s also the more glamorous stuff such as: solar panels, EnergyStar appliances that use less electricity, low-flow water fixtures, Nest thermostats, and Tesla Powerwalls. Seattle is home to many net-zero and LEED certified homes. How much energy you want to use is based on the choices you make during design and construction—we can help you choose the right energy plan for your home.
Proper insulation is vital to your home’s health. It keeps warm and cool air from escaping your home, thereby regulating temperature so your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard. We’re well-versed in the best insulation techniques and technology, and can recommend options that will improve the efficiency of your home in the long-run.
Some products last longer than others. It’s important to consider the durability of materials, appliances and fixtures before you put them in your home. Our collective experience can help you choose things that are made to last and won’t need replacing or refinishing often. For example, granite is the hardest and densest natural stone, so it can maintain its luster and resist staining longer than comparable materials.
The products you put into your home can have an effect on your air quality. The EPA estimates that indoor air is two to ten times more polluted than outdoor air. Everything from paint to carpet can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are vapor and gases that pollute the air and may be known carcinogens. We happily use no and low-VOC products. We strictly do not use MDF or OSB because they contain semi-toxic adhesives that are bad for our carpenters to inhale and less sustainable than wood and plywood.
We don’t dump liquids of any kind into the soil. It is our job to not only keep your home safe and clean during construction, but also protect the groundwater around it. We’re cognizant of our impact on your surrounding yard, and can help you manage your yard in a more sustainable way: from rainwater management to choosing drought-tolerant plants.
Passive solar buildings will be warm in the cold winters and cool in the summer if planned and built correctly. These designs takes advantage of a building’s climate and direction to increase energy efficiency. Windows are placed on south-facing walls to prevent overheating and increased cooling loads. It also takes into consideration the available shade of the natural environment, from trees and other structures.
Almost every MRM project has an 85% minimum recycling rate. We send as little as possible to the landfill, and know that this extra step really isn’t an extra step at all. The proper care now will save landfill space, decrease the amount of materials that need to be harvested, and ultimately reduce greenhouse gases. During deconstruction, we also make it a habit to call up our favorite reuse stores. Many times, they’ll take old fixtures, bathtubs, cabinetry and more. Landfill diversion is a priority for our company.
