Green Building is simply a way of life for us.

We know that Green Building is a personal process.  At Degnan Design Builders, we hold core values. Then, we work with you and guide you and tailor the Green Building process for your job.  So together, we are able to practice good stewardship of resources in a way that melds your Green values to ours.  By combining our Green Built Values, we deliver better results.

Whether building or remodeling, we start building Green by getting back to the basics.  As professional Remodelors™, we are very aware of how other builders perform their jobs.  We sometimes need to fix others’ deficiencies.  Therefore, our Green Building starts by working to achieve full compliance of codes and using best practices.  Things such as:

• cardboard, metal and wood recycling and proper debris disposal,
• jobsite toilet provision if facilities are not available,
• erosion control and tracking prevention from the site,
• building code compliance, and
• inclusion of landscaping in most contracts.

Next, our Green focus is on energy conservation.

• We build Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes and implement Home Performance with ENERGY STAR consultations into remodeling, to deliver safety, comfort, durability and efficiency.  Our ENERGY STAR consultants verify and quantify our performance to deliver Green results for you! 
• We recommend high efficiency furnaces and air conditioners that are over and above codes, using ECM furnace blowers, 14 SEER air conditioners, or even super-efficient heat pumps.
• We recommend solar energy or renewable-ready measures to be included in your project if the budget allows.
• We work with professional resources to capture subsidies and tax credits when available.
• We design homes efficiently—efficient use of space, of energy, and of resources—for a lower total cost of operation.
• We help you to choose locally produced or sustainably harvested building materials that have less impact.

However, to build Green it is important not to sacrifice air quality and comfort in the process of saving energy.

• Our Green practices help to prevent mold growth.  This includes using the Intelligent Wall system, exterior foundation insulation, and under-slab insulation for basement floors.
• Passive Radon Mitigation is standard in new homes and many additions.
• We install proper mechanical ventilation such as fresh air make-up, air-to-air exchangers, whole-house dehumidification, and ultra-quiet bathroom ventilation fans.  We say, “Build airtight, ventilate right.”
• Central vacuum systems are recommended to control dust in your home.
• High-efficiency air filtration is installed on furnaces and air conditioning.
• ECM blower motors on furnaces use less energy.  They can run continuously, slowly and quietly to keep temperatures comfortable, filter air and reduce dust in your home.

In our personal and business lives, we try to live responsibly to be good stewards of the blessings we have been given.  We work with our trade contractors to help uphold our performance standards.  We hold ourselves accountable.

• We have a written Trade Contractor Agreement and Scopes of Work to ensure that quality, recycling, and other performance standards are met.
• We choose geographically local jobs when possible, and local trade contractors when appropriate.
• We drive the smallest vehicles that fit our business and family needs. 

There is more we could say, and yet there is also more we could do.  We know that living Green is an ongoing process of improvement.  Before your next project, please contact us and ask how we can help you live a more Green Built life.