Hetpingbuilders make the green decision

By Larry Percivalle EarthSource Forest Products

I\TEXT to energy efficiency, greenI \ friendly materials are a major component to residential green building. Whether it's low-VOC paints, fiber cement siding, or FSC-certified wood, many builders are differentiating themselves by jumping on board the green ship. But, it isn't always smooth sailing.

Choosing a material that's untested, never been used, and without a track record is risky business in the building industry. "You want to be sure that the materials are proven," said Jeff Jacobs. Centex Homes. "We're building something that's supposed to last a long time. We don't want to include a product in our home that we're not personally 1007o confident in."

Joyce Mason, Pardee Homes, agreed. "When you're putting your reputation on the line and asking someone to put out money for the most important investment in their life, you're really have to know if a product is going to work," she said.

That said, many builders are getting help in choosing materials and educating customers through strategic partnerships with local green building groups. One organization, Bay Area Build It Green (BABIG) in the San Francisco Bay Area, encourages the use of green products and techniques while offering builders guidelines, and a powerful weapon-a Web-based green building materials database.

One of the first questions asked by a builder new to green building is usually, "Where do I get my materials from?" In green's early years. it was a challenge connecting builders to green materials. Wendy Sommer, the senior program manager at Green Building in Alameda County, a public program that works with BABIG in promoting green products, recalled, "Early on we made the mistake of encouraging the use of green materials, some of which weren't always readily locally available. It was frustrating to us and the builder. Now, we really make an effort to ensure that the products are at builder's fingertips."