Wow…..I can’t believe I haven’t been able to keep up with the blog these last few weeks. Sorry about that. It all started with a well deserved one week vacation to Arizona and then two weekends in a row working the St. Paul and Minneapolis Home and Garden Shows.

The days are getting warmer and snow is melting. SPRING IS DEFINATELY IN THE AIR. The best evidence of this is our telephone is starting to ring with people who are starting to think about building and remodeling. The Home and Garden Show in Minneapolis was well attended and it appeared that many people are considering making improvements to their homes.

What was discouraging is that so few people are unaware of “green” building and remodeling techniques and are fairly indifferent to the idea. It is hard to understand why people would not be concerned about mold, premature rotting and water intrusion; or why people would not want to increase energy and water efficiency which saves on utility bills for as long as they stay in the home; or why people would not be concerned about the durability of the home, or why people would not be concerned about the how safe the home is; or how comfortable the home is. Booths selling the “eye candy” products were filled with people. It seems clear people prefer vanity over sanity and the facade is more important than what is behind it. We are a Disney World generation for sure. Yes, people want granite counter-tops, gourmet kitchens, hi-tech a/v systems, fancy bathroom tiles and the like.

There are also many companies claiming they are “green” builders or product suppliers but when you ask them a pertinent question, they can’t even answer the question. People are deceived, which only makes being a “green” builder all the more difficult.

I am not discouraged though; there is small but growing group of people who “get it”. They are educated and know what is possible. Are you one of them?

Let’s summarize the last several postings before we begin walking through the building process.

Green building focuses on the entire building process including:

• Innovation & Design
• Sustainable Sites
• Location & Linkages
• Water Efficiency
• Energy & Atmosphere
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Materials & Resources
• Awareness & Education

Green buildings are built in conformance with a national or state green certification program and are certified by an independent third party rater.

Green buildings far exceed state building codes and are a higher level of quality which translates into:
• Healthier indoor environment for your family
• More comfortable and enjoyable living environment
• Reduced energy and water consumption—lowering energy and water bills forever
• Greater durability leading to lower maintenance costs
• Safer home for the protection of your family
• Less waste produced during construction—dollars spent elsewhere
• Increased market value
• Reduced impact on our environment.

Amaris builds a healthier, more comfortable, safer, more durable, energy-efficient home that makes the best use of our planet’s natural resources: all for about the same price you would pay our competitors.