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A closer look The greening of home construction John Hofferber, who spends about $79 a month for gas and electric at his 5,543-square -foot Neenah home, says that green building has passed its interest peak. The owner of Berhoff Homes, he is one of the most advanced green builders in Northeast Wisconsin. He starts with the construction itself, using advanced framing techniques which use less lumber. "You walk into my houses when they are in the rough state and you think there is no material." On a house project three years ago, he recorded each time the framers cut a 2x4 or 2x6 piece of lumber and looked for ways to eliminate that waste. "In a traditional home project, you probably have 15 percent waste. I am well under 10 percent. By cutting down on the waste that goes into the Dumpster, I can put that money into the house instead. I have taken so much cost out of the home in the way I am constructing it that clients have money they can put where they want it. I plastic soffits. "In our hectic world, no one paints a house," Brown says. New homes provide great value to buyers because they come with am absolutely swamped right now and a lot of it goes back to my green practice." His sweet spot is $300,000 to $350,000 – once you get over $400,000 the pool of potential clients shrinks – he says, although he is just starting work on a home with a budget of $820,000. "I just love big houses. They are more complicated and more challenging," Hofferber says. Cindi MacSwain, of Vanney-MacSwain Home Planning in Appleton, says advanced framing techniques avoid the use of heavy headers where they aren't needed. "That's more expensive and doesn't make sense," says MacSwain, a certified Green Building Professional. Green builders put studs 24 inches apart and design corners to accommodate insulation. "Advanced framing techniques have been around for more than 20 years," she added. "They increase the amount of space for insulation, reduce the use of materials and reduce energy costs." Good builders also use foam sheathing and extensive sealing on the exterior to keep air from moving in and out of the house. Hofferber figures he puts 15 to 18 more feet of insulation into a home than the average building because his framing gives him the space. To get energy costs below $100 a month on a large house requires some extensive photovoltaic panels on the roof, LED lighting, and highly efficient appliances, says Hofferber, who has installed all sorts of energy saving devices on his home to see which ones are worth the investment. He recently added more cellulose insulation in his attic, taking it from R60 to R100 to see if that would pay for itself. Windows are a great place to save energy, and slated to get much better in the next five years, but the very best aren't cost effective, he added. "Will it change my $79 utility bill by 50 cents or a dollar? It gets to a point where it doesn't pay to chase energy efficiency anymore." For example, he has a heat exchanger which captures the 105-degree water from his shower and uses it to warm the cold water for his water heater. "It has a 1,100-year payback," he admitted. — Tom Groenfeldt everything new, so buyers don't have to wonder how long it will be before they have to replace the roof, furnace and water heater. "I price my homes very competitively," added Brown. "If you can afford the extra dollars, why not buy new?" Also, the changes in materials since the 1970s and '80s are dramatic. "Homes built in the '70s [continued] » fox valley technical college Public Safety Training Center Appleton, WI At Miron ConstruCtion, our commitment reaches beyond construction; our passion brings dreAMs to life. sometimes it's the dream of a new building, but often it's so much more. We are proud to serve as program manager for the Fox Valley technical College referendum projects, helping the college fulfill the career dreams of countless students! Join the conversation at miron-construction.com/blog An equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m miron-construction.com M a y 2 013 • Insight | 33