Area Builder Joins Trend to Go Green

Going green as a building trend has reached an interesting point. I find myself writing about it more and more often, but it's still unique enough to demand attention. That's why Jan Cox, a Realtor with Allen Tate Realty, recently got in touch with me about one of her clients, Robert Millican of Millican Construction.

Millican is currently building a spec house in his Griffin Mill development on Trosper Road that is green from top to bottom. Some of its green features include: Energy Star certification; low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint; E-Barrier, a reflective coating from Sherwin-Williams that reduces heat transfer in the attic; a tankless water heater and an insulated garage door.

Millican readily admits that as a builder he's always looking at ways to differentiate himself from the competition, of which there's plenty in the Triad market. If you recognize his name, it may be because you've read about the high-tech lighting controls he has built into many of his houses, including a few specs.

The urge to go green, however, also comes from a deeper motivation.

“We need to take better care of the Earth, or it won't be here for our children,” Millican says. “Whether or not you believe we're going to be under water in five years, no one can disagree that we need to take better care of the environment.”

Millican Construction has used several of the elements he's including in the house at 6114 Bedstone Drive in previous projects. In this house, however, he's doing the research and is attempting to go with earth-friendly elements wherever possible.

The carpets are by Shaw, a company that has not only developed a process for “cycling” carpets but is also shifting its entire organization into a more energy-efficient, eco-friendly operation. The company produces recyclable carpets using old carpets removed from homes and businesses. The company also uses some of its processing by-product to create energy for its plants.

The hardwoods in the house are bamboo, an attractive and durable hardwood produced using a highly renewable resource. (Have you ever tried to get rid of bamboo in your own backyard?)

The walls are produced by National Gypsum, a North Carolina company, using waste materials recaptured from power-generation plant smoke stacks. The insulation is Johns Manville's Spider insulation, touted to reduce waste and provide a tighter insulation fit.

To reduce fuel consumption and exhaust, Millican is using granite mined in nearby Concord. And for the kitchen backsplash, he's considering Earth Stone, a new locally produced granite product made from materials that used to be carted to a landfill.

Millican knows not every buyer is willing or even able to invest the extra $10,000 he estimates going green will add to the cost of this house, expecting to be listed for $365, 000. But using green technologies as they come available is key to raising consumer awareness.

“I hope buyers will respond by wanting to use more of these practices in their homes so they'll become more commonplace.” Millican says. “ Some things do add more cost, and some don't. The important thing is to bring them into the mainstream. Market forces solve everything. Once a new idea becomes standard, the price will come in line with other materials.”

Jakubsen, Diane. (2007). Area builder joins trend to go green.
News & Record, June 9, 2007, D7.