A Green New Beginning for an Old ’80s Home

Is it possible to retrofit an older home with environmentally efficient updates? Proof is in the insulation, rainwater cistern and solar hot water tank of a Durham Hope Valley home built in 1984. The prize-winning home at 3411 Dover Road netted first place in the National Association of Home Builders’ 2009 Green Building Awards, which took place in May. It also scored a “50” on the EPA’s Energy Star’s HERS index, indicating that the house will consume 50 percent less energy than a comparable new home built to today’s standard building code.

Central Vacuum Expert, a division of Chapel Hill’s Vacuum Cleaner Hospital, provided the home’s contractor, Bill Beasley, with a green-standard vacuum system for the home. "Tom Proctor of Central Vacuum Experts provided the latest in Central Vacuum Systems which helped up achieve the highest green standards for indoor air quality" said Beasley who owns Red-B Construction and created this project. View pictures of the home here and browse other green vacuum products at www.centralvacuumexperts.com.

Chapel Hill Businesses Contribute to a Greener Way of Life

New Resident Solutions member Vacuum Cleaner Hospital of Chapel Hill recently hosted one of the homes on the Fourth Annual Green Home Tour April 25 and 26. The home, at 3411 Dover Road in Durham’s Hope Valley neighborhood, is a finalist for the 2009 National Association of Homebuilder’s “Green Building Remodel of the Year” category. Central Vacuum Experts, a division of Vacuum Cleaner Hospital, earned green points by installing an MD Silentmaster in the home. This unit exhausts the interior air either outside or into a utility room after it has traveled through several cleansing filters. More than 100 people toured this unique remodeled home each day of the tour, which continues May 2 and 3.

Just down the road, University Mall’s Scrapel Hill Art Contest has captured the Chapel Hill community. Fifteen local artists have created amazing works of art with recycled and non-recyclable materials that are on display at University Mall now, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

In conjunction with Scrapel Hill Art, the Art Therapy Association of North Carolina is hosting an Art Therapy Quilting Bee in the University Mall Special Events Centre on May 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

We’ll report on more green ambition as our wonderful local businesses continue to explore additional ways they can run a greener operation.

Green Time, Talent and Treasure

By Elizabeth Shugg

Transform Trash Into Treasure

Calling all artists, architects and design professionals 18 years or older: University Mall wants you to start digging through recycle bins for trashy treasures! Why? The mall’s juried, inaugural Scrapel Hill Art Contest takes place April 2-June 28, 2009.

As noted in our previous blog entry, mall management is looking for 20 artists who can transform recycled products into prize-winning works of art. Chosen works will feature 2D and 3D works from clean scrap and non-recyclable materials. Three top place winners will be announced during a gala ceremony April 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Before you start, you’ll need recyclable materials to create your masterpiece. Carolina Closets Plus in Chapel Hill is building a 100-percent green pantry in their Raleigh showroom, and owner Mike Hoffer is looking for an artist to take the leftovers off his hands to bring the green process full circle. Here are a few other local businesses and organizations that may have recycled products you can use:

Bikas Builders of North Carolina, LLC

Anchorage Solar Green Building Team

Search the N.C. Green Building Database to find additional local green builders here.

UNC-CH

Local grocery stores, such as Weaver Street Market, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

Specialty stores like A Southern Season.

Don’t miss this chance to transform trash into treasure. The contest’s installation schedule will be by appointment March 29-31. Contact University Mall at info@universitymallnc.com for more details.

Artist Steve Gerberich’s work exemplifies “Scrapel Hill” art. His Santa and His Flying Reindeer exhibit is now appearing in a University Mall windowscape and will be featured in the 2ndfriday ArtWalk on Dec. 12 along with the annual Wild Horses windowscape at Turning Point Gallery and the Festival of Trees, an annual University Mall charity event that supports The Arc of Orange County.

Also, be sure to check out more of Gerberich’s recycled holiday art at the Museum of Life and Science through Jan. 5. “Gerberich's Gadgetry: Art That Moves and Holiday Springs and Sprockets” returns with all new holiday-themed mechanical sculptures made from old-fashioned kitchen appliances, machine parts and pop culture collectibles cleverly transformed into motorized reindeer, candy cane making machines, mobile holiday cookie bakers, egg nog makers, Santa, his reindeers and more.

All in Green Time

Turning Point Gallery recently followed University Mall's lead by welcoming work from another green artist, Michael Mertes. Mertes crafted his “In Stone Time” clocks out of salvaged and recycled materials, such as a Chinese Slate and Quaking Aspen struck by lightning, or an Indian Slate and White Pine salvaged during an 1893 church remodel. These clocks make eclectically beautiful gifts for the discriminating family members or friends on your holiday list. Click here for images and ordering information.

Clean and Green

Vacuum Cleaner Hospital in Chapel Hill now offers a GREENGUARD-certified product called the Bona Hardwood Floor Refresher. This specially formulated waterborne urethane maintenance coating spruces up unwaxed, polyurethane finished wood floors that are dull, scratched, or show signs of wear. Because GREENGUARD-tested products from the Bona Environmental Choice System™(ECS) are certified for indoor air quality, they contain dust effectively and produce no harmful fumes.

“I’ve used the product myself and it makes the floors look like new AND it’s very easy to apply and get great results,” says Vacuum Cleaner Hospital Owner Tom Proctor.
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute establishes standards and testing for indoor products with a goal to improve public health by helping manufacturers build safer products. Learn more here.

Pete Bikas, owner of Durham-based Bikas Building of North Carolina, LLC (http://www.bikasbuilding.com), is doing his part to improve public health as well by using low VOC (Volitable Organic Compounds) products when building medical clinics, labs and wellness facilities. VOCs help keep the air clean and fresh.

Check back next month for another round up of green solutions. As a new resident of Chapel Hill, our mission is to connect you with our region’s bountiful supply of green ambition.

By Elizabeth Shugg

From Garbage to Gorgeous: Think Trashy Thoughts

University Mall is looking for 20 artists who can use trash creatively for its juried, inaugural Scrapel Hill Art Contest and Exhibition, scheduled for April 2-June 28, 2009.

Chosen works will feature 2D and 3D works from clean scrap and non-recyclable materials. Three top place winners to be announced during a gala ceremony April 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. will receive a $2,500, $1,500 or $1,000 award, respectively. Additional sponsorships accrued in the coming months may increase the reward money.

University Mall extends the invitation to artists, architects and design professionals 18 years and older who live in Orange, Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties. Each creation must be made of scrap and non-recyclable materials, and should stand no taller than 8 feet and no wider than 3 feet. The art must be free standing, wall-mountable or ceiling-mountable, and cannot weigh more than 100 lbs. All parts of the work must be securely attached (glue, tape, string, wire and thread are permitted).

Members of the public will judge the artwork, with special consideration for the amount of non-recyclable materials used. Each piece can be sold, but all work will remain on display until completion of the exhibit June 28. The contest’s installation schedule will be by appointment March 29-31. Contact University Mall at info@universitymallnc.com for more details.

Beam Good Health Into Your Life

Carolina Closets Plus in Chapel Hill recently unveiled its newest product line: America In Home, featuring Beam’s HEPA air filtration system.

“I’m really excited about the fact we can really make a difference in people’s lives by improving their health,” says owner Mike Hoffer. “Beam has been an industry leader in central vacuum for over 50 years and recently introduced a Beam HEPA air filtration system that, when combined with Beam central vacuum, will filter out almost 100 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is the biggest green product breakthrough in a long time.”

The Beam HEPA air filtration system takes a portion of the air from the furnace’s cold air return, cleans it by filtering out pollens, vehicle emissions, bacteria, viruses, mold spores and VOCs; and then circulates it throughout the home. The system can be installed independent of the home’s furnace, or in an attic, closet or storage room. Beam is also the only company that has proven (through an independent study from The University of California at Davis) that it can reduce allergy symptoms by up to 61 percent.

“Some of our customers have actually noticed a decrease in their allergy medication after installing one of our units,” Hoffer says. “Customers can notice up to 44-percent improvement in sleep-related symptoms, 47-percent improvement in nasal symptoms, 48-percent improvement in non-nasal symptoms and 61-percent improvement in both emotional and eye
symptoms when participants used a central vacuum.”

More than one company in the area shares a commitment to good health. Bikas Building of North Carolina, LLC, constructs beautiful, high-tech medical, dental and wellness clinics. The company just finished a Jenny Craig Center at the Renaissance Center near the Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham. The facility opened Oct. 13 and is helping men and women throughout the region lose weight to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

In tandem with improving your health, the Massage Envy at Beaver Creek Crossing in Apex will open just before Christmas. Bikas Building of North Carolina, LLC, began construction on the facility Oct. 9, and owners Keith and Sandy Rogers can’t wait to open for business. For now, call (919) 467-5400 or click here for information about the Cary Massage Envy’s holiday specials.

Check back for more ambitiously green community initiatives in the coming months, and count on New Resident Solutions of Chapel Hill to keep you informed of new ways to take greener steps toward a better environment.

Clean and Green

From pesticide products to airtight filtration systems, environmentally friendly green products are making life a little healthier and cheaper for businesses and their consumers.

New Resident Solutions members, like builder Pete Bikas of Bikas Building of North Carolina LLC, embrace the benefits of going green and continue taking greener steps to a better environment. Bikas will soon join forces with Melissa Andron, owner of Realm Design Studio, to open an office in downtown Durham that will focus on green and sustainable designs. He’s just finishing up two building projects in Raleigh—Penn Station East Coast Subs and Security Force Inc.—and will soon begin work on two Massage Envy clinics.

Carolina Cleaners’ Willow Creek Shopping Center laundromat offers front load washers: two 5-load, 50-pounders; the rest are 40-, 30- and 20-pounders. These washers are known for their extremely efficient consumption of water and have a super high extract, which means the clothes require less time in the dryer.

The Bona Hardwood Floor Mop, available at Vacuum Cleaner Hospital in Chapel Hill, is GREENGUARD-certified and combines a no-residue cleaner with microfiber technology to safely and effectively clean hardwood floors. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) oversees the GREENGUARD certification program. This industry-independent, non-profit organization establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings.

Also worth noting is the Bona Hardwood Floor Mop dispels the myth that water mixed with vinegar is the best floor-cleaning solution. Since vinegar is an acid, it can dull and damage hardwood floors over time. A 2006 independent consumer study showed that half of the participants who had wood floors cared for them with wet mopping, and 75 percent of those consumers were actually damaging their floors by cleaning them with the wrong products. Click here to learn more about the Bona Hardwood Floor Mop and other cleaning products available at Vacuum Cleaner Hospital.

Green Does a Body Good

Yes, it’s possible to have a greener body by consuming natural, non-traditional medicines and vitamins, since they typically contain herbs and nettles proven to fight infection and illness. Great Earth Vitamins recommends Silver Biotics for naturally treating low-grade infections. This liquid product is backed by evidence-based studies and kills harmful bacteria. Unlike medically prescribed antibiotics, it doesn’t destroy the healthy bacterial gut flora needed for food digestion. It’s also less expensive than most prescriptions and has no known side effects.

For upper respiratory infections, Great Earth Vitamins in Meadowmont Village offers two non-traditional formulas to fight allergies and sinus infections: NSP Select Pollen Season Formula, which contains Aller-7, and NSP Select Upper Respiratory Protector Formula. Quite a few Great Earth Vitamin customers swear by homeopathic remedies. Owner Gene Wolf says he used to think they were “hooey,” but he now has developed a more open-minded view of non-traditional medicine.

Stay tuned for more green ambition, fresh from the New Resident Solutions’ member businesses. Click here to check out the latest entry of New Resident Solutions’ Community Connections Blog.

By Elizabeth Shugg

Various forms of green ambition have penetrated nearly every possible industry—from home building to house cleaning to dining. According to an MSN health and fitness report, the green products market topped $500 billion in 2007. Not surprising, considering more and more consumers are driving hybrid cars, purchasing organic foods, using pollutant-free cleaning products and buying phthalate-free plastic toys, which have been alleged to cause health problems in children. New Resident Solutions members are tuned in to these trends and continue to take greener steps toward a better environment.

Sucking Up to Green Builders

Central Vacuum Experts, a division of New Resident Solutions member Vacuum Cleaner Hospital, really cleaned up at the 3rd Annual Triangle Green Home Tour. The company’s central vacuum systems were featured in eight of the tour’s homes. This May 3-4 event, sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties and the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County, featured guided tours of 40 green homes throughout the region.

Green builders like Central Vacuum Expert’s systems because they are quieter, more versatile and harvest healthier air than other central vacuum systems. They also produce three times more suction than other systems, increase a home’s value by about $2,000, and extend the life of a home’s floor coverings. Learn more here.

Greening Up Health Care Facilities

Bikas Building of North Carolina LLC takes an environmentally friendly approach to retrofitting outdated facilities into state-of-the-art outpatient clinics, offices, X-ray rooms, health care facilities and medical laboratories for physicians, dentists, veterinarians and other health care professionals across the Triangle. Owner Pete Bikas and his team use sustainable building materials whenever possible, and will soon join forces with Melissa Andron, owner of Realm Design Studio, to open an office at Golden Belt in Durham that will focus on green and sustainable designs. You can access a thorough selection of Healthcare Design magazine articles on health construction trends here.

Saving Gas—and Money

Gas has soared well above $3 per gallon, and according to CNNMoney.com, only a few states have it priced under $3. North Carolina is not one of them, by the way.

It’s no wonder consumers are coming up with unique ways to save gas, from riding bikes or buses, to consolidating errands and staying home more often. One way Chapel Hill residents can conserve gas is through Carolina Cleaners’ pick-up and delivery service. Why use your own gas to transport your dry cleaning when you can use theirs?

Sturdivant’s Auto & Tire also helps customers save gas money through NAPA Autocare services, which include a doubled Nationwide Warranty (24 months or 24,000 miles) that can also be used at specific gas stations to purchase gas. Sturdivant’s Auto & Tire shuttle service saves customers’ gas money by taking them where they need to go during vehicle service appointments.

Find out which gas stations offer the lowest prices near you by visiting this link and typing in your zip code. It’s updated daily!

Green products are out there, and you can find many of them at New Resident Solutions’ member businesses. Stay tuned to the Green Ambition Blog for updates on how our members are fueling new initiatives throughout the Triangle.

New Resident Solutions Members Take Green Steps Toward a Better Environment

By Elizabeth Shugg

In just one year, a single office worker uses approximately 10,000 pieces of copier paper, computers burn $1 billion worth of electricity and commuters emit 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to a June 7, 2007 Time Magazine report. These actions deal a heavy blow to the environment—and our wallets. The case for “going green” has been made, and businesses large and small are taking action.

Companies representing every industry have found creative ways to recycle, reduce and reuse resources. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is one way the building industry can go green. LEED certification provides independent, third party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work.

Consumers are watching. They know green products help the environment and their wallets. In 2005, GE’s “Ecomagination” product line generated $10 billion in revenues and could produce around $20 billion by 2010, according to a 2006 CNN report.

So in Chapel Hill, businesses of all types and sizes are going green whenever and however they can. LEED-certified Carolina Closets Plus uses a 100-percent recycled particleboard from Roseburg Skyblend to build closets. Sturdivant’s Auto and Tire is one of only a handful of companies in the nation filling tires with 100-percent nitrogen for all vehicles serviced—an inexpensive way to improve vehicle performance, increase safety and save money in gas and maintenance.

Goldworks Fine Jewelry offers accessories inspired by nature such as the Fallen Leaf and Oak Dish pieces show in the accompanying images, and Great Earth Vitamins encourages consumption of green foods containing barley, wheat, chlorella, spirulina and alfalfa. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, fiber, nucleic acids and chlorophyll. Great Earth Vitamins also offers green food powders and tablets that serve as an excellent source of supplementation for diets lacking leafy green vegetables.

As new residents of Chapel Hill, you’ll find it’s “easy being green” when it comes to choosing products and appliances for your home, filling your tires, decorating your home and planning healthy meals. Check back often for new ways Chapel Hill’s green ambition can serve you—and the environment.