Hiring a Green Home Contractor

Rising energy costs and a slow residential resale market throughout most of the United States make green remodeling a better option for most people than buying a new home. But simply hiring a remodeling contractor to install green building materials and energy-saving appliances does not guarantee that your new kitchen or master suite will be energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

Are your expectations realistic?

Homeowners often face sticker shock at the cost of remodeling. For example, in Hawaii, where the cost of materials is higher because of shipping and taxes, a simple kitchen remodel that includes replacing cabinets and counter tops, and installing high-end appliances can easily cost more than $40,000 just for materials.

Sustainable materials can also cost more than their standard counterparts. For example, things like concrete countertops, LED lighting, reclaimed wood flooring, heat-reflective exterior coatings and closed-cell spray foam insulation (SPF) have higher upfront costs associated with them, but represent good value when long-term savings and life-cycle analysis is taken into consideration.

Are green building options affordable?

Take a practical approach. First ask what makes sense for your particular family and the way you live. For example, lower cost options to decrease air conditioning expense could include installing energy-efficient windows, maximizing cross ventilation or replacing a dark-colored roof that absorbs heat with a cooler white roof that reflects heat.

Green Home Remodeling is More Than You Think

Green home remodeling doesn't just apply to the finished product or the materials used. If you are hiring a remodeling contractor, you should consider how to make the renovation process itself "green." Here are some steps a green home remodel must include:

Control Potentially Harmful Dust

Dust is an inevitable side effect of remodeling, but it can contain asbestos, lead paint, or other particles you don't want to inhale. During a remodeling project, remodeling companies must use barriers, such as plastic covering doorways, to contain dust to the renovation area. In addition, they should cover work areas with plastic tarps and wet down surfaces before sanding or scraping. If your house was built before 1978, assume that it contains lead paint and ensure you work with a properly trained contractor.


Provide Proper Ventilation

A green home remodel shouldn't expel pollutants into your home. Responsible remodelers use exhaust ventilation, such as a fan, that pulls air out of the work area and vents it to the outside. This helps expel dust and other pollutants, and it creates a pressure barrier that prevents pollutants from spreading to other parts of the house. Activities such as installing flooring and carpeting or painting can emit pollutants. Remodelers should provide ventilation during these activities and for at least 72 hours afterward.

The Design-Build Steps to Success

Marrokal Design and Remodeling uses a six-step design-build process to carefully assess the client’s needs and ensure that the project is run smoothly so that the end result exceeds their expectations. It’s this unique strategy that puts Marrokal Design and Remodeling ahead of the competition.

Here are the steps: 1. Project Programming/Budget Development, 2. Field Measure/Inspection of Existing Conditions, 3. Preliminary Design Meetings, 4. Construction Agreement/Building Specifications, 5. Product Selection/Design of Finish Materials, 6. Building Permit Phase. For a detailed look at these six steps click here.

An excellent indicator that the design-build process is working comes from clients who’ve experienced it. “This is our second major remodel in 20 years with many smaller remodeling jobs in between. We have followed the history of the other major contractors in San Diego and interviewed many over the past years and no one even comes close to what Marrokal can design and deliver... no one!,” write La Mesa clients, Mike and Mary Marmolejo, in a letter expressing their thanks to the company.

Notes like that one are not the exception but rather the rule. It seems this nationally recognized and award-winning company is constantly receiving praise for its work.

“Our sincere gratitude to Senior Design Consultant, Jim Dyjak, and his design team, Project Designer, Scott Hall, and Interior Designer, April Worrell, who came up with ideas we never thought of. Jim even managed to get us back some of our lost view by moving our kitchen, rearranging windows, enlarging sliding doors, and repairing the adjoining sun deck. The new kitchen is our absolute favorite with its nine-foot island (aka: the sushi bar). We look forward to many get-togethers with family and friends—they'll see firsthand what high-quality work Marrokal Design and Remodeling does,” writes homeowner, Marilou Seki from Point Loma.

Marrokal Wins Remodeler of the Year!

Marrokal Wins Remodeler of the Year!  Here is a short excerpt from our success story:

No one has been immune to the challenges of the remodeling market the last several years, but Marrokal Design & Remodeling has weathered the storm better than most other firms.  With a strong focus on marketing and sales combined with smart management, San Diego-based Marrokal has maintained profitability even as revenues dipped in 2009 before rebounding this year. Because of that success and the way the management team has positioned the company for the next generation of leadership, Marrokal is our  Remodeler of the Year

To see the entire story go here: http://www.housingzone.com/pr/article/2010-remodeler-year-marrokal-design-remodeling









 

Green Building Also Saves You Money!

Of course, simple things like changing your light bulbs to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can help you cut costs; lighting can contribute anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of your electrical usage. LEDs will cost a little more upfront but they last more than 11 years and they don’t contain the toxic element, mercury, as the less expensive Compact Fluorescent Lights do.

Centrullo says during the design phase of the remodel, environmental factors such as the sun, wind, and shade, are given special consideration because they will later affect the need for heating and air conditioning of the home. “We’re taking advantage of Mother Nature,” says Centrullo. This creates an economic benefit later for the homeowner.

You can also invest in better insulation for your remodel. “Marrokal Design & Remodeling uses an upgraded insulation which makes a difference. The less heat exchange from inside to outside the home, the more money you will save,” he says.

Centrullo says that another big cost-saving benefit for Green Building is to use re-circulating pumps to help you save water. “Most of the time when the water is turned on, it’s not hot right away, so people just let it run until the water heats up,” says Centrullo. The average American family can waste 10,000 gallons of water each year just waiting for it to get hot, according to Home Builders Association of Metro Denver.

Re-circulating pumps are devices that push the water through the pipes and re-circulate it back to the water heater instead of pushing it down the drain. That process can amount to a couple hundred dollars of savings in your water and utility bills. “These are simple devices that we can install. They can be left on all the time or set to come on at certain times throughout the day,” says Centrullo.

Imagine never having to pay another utility bill? That is becoming a reality rather than just a thought for many homeowners. In fact, news reports reveal that some families, thanks to solar thermal (for heating water) and solar photovoltaic (PV) (for producing electricity) are generating even more power than they use. These days, homeowners are considering solar panels to supply electricity to warm their pools, generate home electrical needs, and even supply power for a plug-in electric vehicle.

Preserve the Environment With Green Remodeling with Marrokal!

Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is becoming a greater concern to Americans. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are used to produce energy but green remodeling can reduce energy use by 50 percent in a home without costing a fortune.

According to reports, half of the known oil reserves on our planet have already been used. The rest is more difficult to reach—further out to sea, deeper underground, or more chemically complex—causing it to be even more expensive.

In remodeling, Centrullo says that preserving the environment starts by making sure that the materials that are collected during the demolition phase of the remodel are properly recycled. Marrokal Design & Remodeling makes sure that these materials are saved for recycling centers. “Rather than filling up landfills, our waste haulers deliver the materials from the demolition phase to recycle centers. They sort the materials into glass, paper, wood, steel, and other materials that then get recycled or reused.”

Centrullo says the demolition materials often can have a second life, “If we save reusable items such as doors, windows, or even appliances, we can then take them to organizations that can reuse the materials which are still in pretty good shape.”

During clean up, Marrokal Design & Remodeling uses best management practices to make sure that run-off from products don’t flow into storm drains.

Marrokal Green Building is for a Healthy Lifestyle

Many homeowners aren’t aware of the dangers that are linked to numerous building products that are commonly used in American homes. “A lot of these products continue to give off harmful gas vapors,” says Certified Green Building Professional, Mike Centrullo, who is a Design Consultant at Marrokal Design & Remodeling. The non-green products can cause health problems such as headaches, eye irritation, asthma, nervous system disorders, and even cancer.

Green remodeling uses healthy building materials and therefore helps to eliminate potential health risks. One of the biggest areas of concern in green remodeling is ensuring proper indoor air quality.

That process begins in the design phase. Centrullo says making sure that a home is well ventilated creates a healthier living environment. For example, he says, “If there is a breeze corridor that runs parallel with the side of the home that we’re working on, we might consider installing a casement style window that opens out and allows the air to funnel into the home, which creates better ventilation.”

“Using low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) finishes, cleaners and adhesives can also make a huge difference in indoor air quality,” says Centrullo. And when it comes to flooring, using the proper types of materials such as carpet that has low VOCs or even using pre-finished wood floors instead of finishing them on site will reduce the amount of harmful exposure to product fumes.

Green Remodeling: Healthy, Saves Money and Resources

If you’re considering a remodel for your home, you’ve likely heard that going “green” can make a difference in your pocketbook, the world, and your lifestyle. But you may not completely understand how or why green remodeling is becoming the leading choice for savvy and eco-friendly homeowners.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green building (also known as sustainable or high performance building) “is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, and deconstruction.”

Marrokal Design & Remodeling has an award-winning Green Certified Design Team that focuses on understanding homeowners’ lives and then building the most energy-efficient green-type homes to match their clients’ needs. The result is a whole-systems approach to remodeling projects that ultimately saves you money, makes the home more comfortable, increases healthy air quality, requires less maintenance and provides higher and sustained durability. The final outcome positively affects your lifestyle, the environment, and your bank account.