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Green Building Featured in Grand Rapids Parade of Homes

Demonstration homes incorporating green building techniques and products are popping up with increasing frequency in Parades of Homes that are held by home builders association around the country.

Five green-built homes were included in the Parade of Homes held earlier this month by the Home and Building Association of Greater Grand Rapids, MI, including the highest rated green built home in western Michigan. The home was a project of Green Built, Inc., a non-profit corporation created by the association to promote sustainable building practices in the Grand Rapids area.

Among the items distinguishing the home were:

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• An insulated precast foundation, including below-grade frost walls
• Wall framing, floor framing and window and door headers made of small wood pieces and adhesives
• Wood fiber and plastic composite decking
• Manufactured composites for exterior trims and architectural products
• Recycled content carpet, cork flooring and linoleum
• Aluminum clad wood windows with Low-E insulated glass
• Water-conserving plumbing fixtures, including a tankless hot water heater
• High-efficiency furnace and AC, an energy recovery ventilator (fresh air) and a high-efficiency air filter
• Landscaping with native plants and a “rain garden”

Arn McIntyre, of McIntyre Builders, Inc.; and Mike Holcomb, of The Home Inspector General, Inc.; worked with the home’s builder — Lee Kitson, of Lee Kitson Home — to select materials and equipment for the prototype house.
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