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Latest new home building technologies featured in 2014 Spring Parade of Homes

Wonderful story by Mlive’s Jim Harger regarding the new home building technologies. Our healthier-home initiative was a discussion topic in the article here:

Latest new home building technologies featured in 2014 Spring Parade of Homes

Jim Harger – Mlive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Two West Michigan companies are using the 2014 Parade of Homes to show off the latest in new homebuilding technologies.

Pleotint LLC of Jenison is using a lakefront home by Celebrity Builders to demonstrate its “Suntuitive” windows designed to block unwanted solar heat gain.

Sable Homes is showcasing health-conscious technologies at two homes it has on display in Ada Township and Caledonia Township.

The Grand Rapids Spring Parade of Homes is open for touring on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 9 pm through Saturday, June 7. This year’s parade features 78 homes in 19 different West Michigan communities.

Pleotint’s “Suntuitive” windows are designed to “optimize indoor comfort and views, and to block unwanted solar heat gain,” according to Rob Vis, co-owner of Celebrity Builders. The home can be found at 8769 Cedar Lake Dr., near Jenison.

“In addition to being highly energy-efficient, this home was designed for carefree, comfortable living,” Vis said. “The lake is to the west, and the sun’s heat is almost unbearable on summer afternoons.

“In addition to being produced by a local company, the unique, self-tinting glass adapts throughout the day without any controls or having to close the blinds as often,” Vis said.

Celebrity Builders installed low-e insulating windows with Suntuitive glass on the home’s west- and south-facing elevations to reduce cooling, heating, and lighting-related energy costs, while blocking damaging ultraviolet light and glare, the company said.

“The homeowners say the best part is that they can watch their kids play on the beach or the boat, while they have a perfect view from the cool house,” Vis said.

At the Sable Parade homes in Ada and Caledonia, the builders used Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) free paints and toxin free flooring glues on the interior of its homes. These advanced materials have been proven to reduce airborne toxins as the house and its materials age, the company said in a press release.

Sable Homes also used a high-tech VOC absorbing gypsum board drywall to reduce VOC levels in the air. They installed WhisperGreen fans for clean air exchange and ventilation.

The basements of the Sable homes were built with a “Superior Walls Xi Foundation System” insulation to keep basements, dry and warm while increasing the energy rating.

Both of Sable Homes’ entries into the Parade of Homes earned a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) 5+ star rating – the highest achievable rating on the HERS system.

The Sable Homes can be found at 7979 Sable Valley Court, Ada, and at 9445 Scotsmoor Dr., Caledonia.

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