County construction firm turns to recyclable material for project

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“It looks kind of like a sponge,” Hansen said, “but it’s rigid and crisp and it’s got these little foam beads in it.”

Eterna is used to create insulated, concrete form blocks that Hansen says look like oversized Legos. More important than their look, however, is their superior insulating capacity compared with materials such as fiberglass.

“It doesn’t look like your traditional house with a slope roof,” Hansen says of the project. “It’s something pretty unique around here, not something you’d find on the average street in Whatcom County. It’s square and stucco with stainless steel hardware on the outside of the building.”

“The mass of the building retains the heat and withstands the storms,” Hansen says.

As sustainability and energy efficiency climb steadily to the front of people’s minds, home builders such as Hansen are seeing a growing demand for green.

“It gets more and more common every year. The material gets less expensive, so it’s easier to incorporate them,” he says. “Everybody is interested in energy-efficient and sustainable products. The kicker really comes down to cost. Some people are willing to invest and some people just can’t afford it.”

Making an energy efficient home out of sustainable materials can add anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 to the cost of building a home. While the Point Roberts homeowner is taking some of the larger steps — he’s also looking to add solar panels in the future — even builders and current homeowners on a budget can make a more sustainable home.

“You add up 5 cents here and 10 cents there and pretty soon your electrical bill would be less,” he says. “If everybody did it, we wouldn’t need as much electricity.”

GOING GREEN ON A BUDGET

You don’t have to go big to go green.“You add up all these things and they don’t cost as much,” says Bernie Hansen, owner of HBHansen Construction. “It makes a pretty big difference. These are all things the average guy can do that can be pretty efficient.”

Upgrade your insulation package. The higher the R-value for your insulation, the better the insulating power in walls, windows and doors. “A little more insulation just saves you that much more on heating costs,” Hansen says.

Switch to compact fluorescent lighting. Hansen estimates it uses about one third the energy of an incandescent bulb.

Try sustainable materials. For floors, bamboo is supposed to be an ecologically sustainable material. For countertops, a material made of recycled glass or concrete is available, and it’s not any more expensive than granite.

Carpets made out of recycled plastics and recycled materials are also available and not much more expensive than traditional carpet.

Drywall made from recycled materials is another option that’s not that much more expensive than the original. Hansen said he has heard it might be a little more brittle than the usual stuff, but you can work around it.

Upgrade heating systems and hot water to a higher 92-percent efficient system.

Get better U-value on your glass windows so they’re more efficient. U-value measures how much heat is transferred, so you want it to be low.

For outdoor lighting, try solar-powered LED lights.

Put more green into the holidays with LED Christmas lights. “Those are way more efficient and they last twice as long,” Hansen says.

Try rain-water harvesting. Collect rainwater off your roof and save it in an underground cistern for watering your lawn. “Instead of paying for it to come from Lake Whatcom, you’re getting it from off your roof in the middle of winter,” Hansen says.