Kansas City Green Show Home | Environmentally Friendly Living in Kansas City

Spotlight: Carthage Marble

vkinney — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:48:12 +0000

Throughout the Green Living Show Home, you will no doubt notice the gorgeous surfaces in the kitchen, bar and baths. Carthage Marble supplied the materials for all the countertops: granite and marble in the kitchen; travertine in the master bath; granite on the lower-level bar; granite and marble in the guest baths; and granite on a fireplace surround. These natural stones are considered a sustainable material because they will effectively last forever.

Carthage Marble specializes in all-natural stone and engineered stone applications, including marble, granite, limestone, travertine, quartz, recycled glass and Paperstone. The company has been serving the Kansas City area since 1952 and has expertise on projects including kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, all-tile applications, slab shower walls, tub decks, fireplaces, outdoor patio stone, built-in grill tops and more. They are a custom fabrication shop that will work with customers to make any design idea a reality. Carthage Marble has relationships with many of Kansas City’s finest home builders, architects and designers but also works directly with homeowners.

816.561.7020
www.carthagemarble.com
www.blog.carthagemarble.com

Green Living Show Home featured on Fox 4

vkinney — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:41:36 +0000

Check out the Green Living Show Home’s feature on Fox 4′s morning newscast! Click the image below to view the video.

Spotlight: The Hayes Company

vkinney — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:47:41 +0000

The Hayes Company installed both spray foam insulation and traditional fiberglass insulation in the Green Living Show Home, a balance that serves both energy efficiency and value. Insulation products are all inherently green but vary widely in their performance and by manufacturer.

Spray foam insulation in the ceiling area.

Because the No. 1 energy efficiency problem in existing homes is air leakage and air infiltration, knowing where most air leakage typically occurs is pivotal in selecting the proper product. Spray foam was used in the rim joists in the basement of the Green Living Show Home because it is a high-infiltration area; 3-4 inches or a “skim coat” was sprayed in the attic, another high-leakage area; and also in the beautiful cathedral ceilings, which are often difficult to effectively insulate by other methods.

The living room area after the insulation was put in place.

Spray foam insulation is an extremely beneficial product because it enhances the performance of a home by drastically reducing the amount of air turnover and even allowing homeowners to downsize HVAC equipment, translating to a healthier, more comfortable home with much lower utilities. Spray foam is also considered green because since it expands 100 times from its original sprayed-on volume, one trailer truckload can easily equal 3 to 4 truckloads of traditional insulations. Spray foams recently also have begun incorporating renewable elements like castor oil or soy oil.

More insulation work from The Hayes Company.

Fiberglass batt insulation manufactured locally by Certainteed was used in the walls because of its effectiveness in providing high R-value in a low-leakage area at great value. Blown fiberglass was installed in the attic over the skim coat of spray foam to achieve high R-values cost-effectively. Fiberglass is made from glass, which is made from sand, obviously an unlimited resource, but recently, Certainteed has been using more and more recycled glass content in its products.

The Hayes Company has been expertly installing quality building products in the Kansas City area since 1978. They install in commercial projects, new houses and existing homes. They have installers who each specialize in the company’s divisions, including insulation and home performance; guttering; mirrors, shower doors and glass; shelving and storage; and fireplaces.