Fans of green built homes say they can help save the earth's resources and save homeowners money. The Green Built Pavilion at this weekend's annual Home Products Show features some of the latest green ideas.
"Selling the Green Built program is pretty easy. It sells itself," builder Brian McKee says.
McKee builds green built homes.
"When the program first started, maybe 5-10 houses that were green built were certified the first year, and I think, last year ... 400-500 in Dane County, so it's growing."
The movement to go green has grown enough to fill what's called the Green Built Pavilion at the annual Home Products Show.
"What you want to do is provide the scratch test so people can see and feel and touch and understand oh, that's what a green building looks like or feels like," John Imes with the Wisconson Environmental Initiative says.
A green building can feel like a floor made of cork or bamboo.
"We've got bamboo, which grows in about five years. It's harder than red oak," Imes says.
"Some of its really beautiful, the tiles ... Floors are beautiful and nice to walk on," show visitor Marsha Edelstein says.
Also on display ... energy saving appliances and efficient bathroom fixtures, or new durable surfaces, like concrete countertops.
"The builder and homeowner really have flexibility to choose from myriad levels of different surfaces, flooring and colors and durability to create the signature you want in your home," Imes says.
That signature also can extend to furnishings. Homeowners can find organic linens and bedding as well as furniture or a play set made from renewable or recycled materials.
"A lot of the stuff with a green built home gives them some energy savings and peace of mind helping out the environment with recycling efforts you do. When part of the program, you recycle not only cardboard that's required by law, you recycle metal products, wood chips that you create when construct the house," McKee says.
McKee says some green features might cost more at construction but ultimately save energy, leaving homeowners with more green in their wallet.
"The houses have to be 15 percent better than energy code, so they get a better energy savings. Heating and cooling costs are less, saves them all around," McKee says.
The Home Products Show continues tomorrow from nine until five o'clock at Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center. You can find more information about green built products and services by logging onto www.greenbuilthome.org.