Mid America Events & Expos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

More Minnesota homeowners are choosing to go green with their remodeling project
You too can explore this trendy earth-friendly approach to construction and design at this yearâ€™s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo

If there’s a home improvement project in your future, consider the benefits of going green. Green home remodeling is an environmentally-friendly, energy efficient approach to home construction philosophy that is sweeping the nation.

Due to a growing demand, a coalition of Minnesota contractors, suppliers, industry associations, and leading environmental organizations are developing Green building standards and a certification program, made possible by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, that will help make green remodeling even more mainstream. Seminars about green remodeling will be held at the upcoming Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo (www.101expos.com), to be held November 10-11 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Builders Association of the Twin Cities Remodelers (BATC Remodelers) is partnering in this event, which features only exhibitors representing the home remodeling and interior design industries.

Green remodeling focuses on healthy, sustainable building practices. “Homeowners and contractors are learning the difference between ‘energy efficient’ and ‘green remodeling’,” explains BATC Remodeler member Michael Anschel, owner of Otogawa-Anschel Design Build, who is spearheading Minnesota’s green remodeling program. “Energy efficient typically refers to the amount of energy a product consumes after it has been installed. For example: insulation, light bulbs and furnaces. Green is a much larger view of the home and construction process. It looks at five areas: energy efficiency, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, water consumption and general site/land use around the home.”

Adds BATC Remodeler member Shawn Nelson, President of New Spaces and another Minnesota green remodeling program participant, “Many green remodeling ideas are also remarkably easy. Put fluorescent bulbs in your new light fixtures. Installing dimmers can also save quite a bit of energy.” Other tips for green remodeling include:

Roofing: “There are a number of affordable and more durable alternatives to asphalt that have moved into the general marketplace including steel and cedar,” says Anschel. “Asphalt is a petroleum product. You wouldn’t want to drink the oily water that comes off a shingle. Plus used asphalt all ends up in a landfill. Water runoff from steel, slate or cedar roofs can be used to water your vegetable garden. And if the roof gets damaged, it gets recycled.”
Carpeting. “A lot of manufacturers offer recycled content in new carpeting,” says Nelson. “And be sure to recycle your old carpet when its replaced.”
Counters. “Granite is gorgeous,” comments Nelson. “But instead of using a new slab, lots of places have remnants to choose from.”
Tankless water heaters. “These are a staple of most other countries,” says Anschel. “They are affordable, incredibly efficient and cost less to operate.”
Dual flush toilets. “These have two different water flows depending on the amount of waste to be moved, and the style selection is growing,” says Nelson. And the annual water savings for a typical family of four is about 6,000 gallons.
Local resources (within 500 miles). “This is maybe the most important. Products locally grown and manufactured are the greenest of green because of the low transportation costs,” says Anschel. “Here in Minnesota, we have good access to many resources for floors, trim, doors and windows, including access to oak, maple and birch: all standards for Minnesota homes.

Homeowners will be able to find green remodeling contractors at the Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo. When interviewing these contractors, Anschel and Nelson suggest asking:

What is the contractor’s familiarity with green remodeling? Is he/she staying current with new products and building methods? Is he/she willing to learn, explore and have an open mind about green remodeling?
What kind of cost will this add? Some green decisions may initially add cost, some may reduce it. For example, an environmentally-friendly way to do an addition may simply be to reconfigure the space as opposed to adding on.
Where does the contractor work? Someone who regularly crisscrosses the state uses a lot of energy transporting personnel.
Is the contractor willing to have third party verification during the project to ensure it is performing as intended?
Is the contractor interested in certifying the project?

The Minnesota Green Remodeling Program includes such verification, as well as green certification for the completed project. A project that is registered with the program and is shown to meet its requirements through verification during design and construction will be certified as a Minnesota Green Homes Remodel.

In addition to exhibiting, BATC Remodeler members will conduct several informational seminars to help homeowners understand various remodeling issues and processes. Homeowners will also find reputable experts such as lighting and flooring suppliers, and design professionals, who can help through every step of their projects.

For additional information about this expo, visit www.101expos.com or call 612-798-7256. To find a remodeling professional, visit www.batconline.org or call 651-697-1954.

This year’s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo is sponsored by Finished Basement Company, and Channels 5 and 45.

Media Note: For additional information, or to schedule an interview, contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220.

Topics of Discussion

What is green remodeling and how popular is it becoming?
What types of contractors and suppliers exhibiting at the Mid-America Remodeling & Interior Design Expo might typically be involved in green remodeling?
Why is green remodeling important?
What are the benefits of green remodeling certification?
When homeowners come to the expo, what should they ask contractors about green remodeling?

About The Builders Association of the Twin Cities Remodelers

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities Remodelers is a council and remodeling arm of The Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) and sponsors the annual Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase as well as three more new-home Parade of Homes tours in the metro region, hosts the weekly Parade of Homes Radio Hour on WCCO AM Radio with information about remodeling and building, and publishes the Parade of Homes Remodelers Guide, a free publication and guide to the professional members of the BATC Remodelers.

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities, presenters of the Parade of Homes EasyStreet, Spring Preview, Fall Showcase, Remodelers Showcase and the Parade of Homes Radio Hour, represents almost 1,900 member firms involved in all phases of the home building and remodeling industries, and is dedicated to providing a diverse selection of quality and affordable housing to the Twin Cities area. Parade of Homes EasyStreet, Fall Showcase, Spring Preview, Remodelers Showcase and Parade of Homes Radio Hour are service marks of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities.

Biography – Shawn Nelson

Shawn Nelson is President of New Spaces, the BATC 2006 Remodeler of the Year. He also is the BATC Remodelers Representative on the Green Remodeling Group working to develop guidelines for green residential remodeling in Minnesota. Nelson also serves on the board of the National Association of Home Builders, and is the immediate Past Chair of the Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase Committee.

In addition to being a guest expert on WCCO830 Parade of Homes Radio Hour, Nelson has been featured in several national trade magazines, spoken at national and local industry trade shows, and provided content for business courses developed by the NAHB University of Housing and the Home Builders Institute.

Biography- Michael Anschel

Michael Anschel is the Owner and Principal of Otogawa-Anschel Design Build, L.L.C., a nationally-recognized, award-wining design and build firm that specializes in the remodel of older urban homes. The firm has been a committed Green Building Leader in Minnesota for more than a decade. Otogawa-Anschel was the recipient of the first Sustainable Remodeling COTY award in MN, and the first winner of the National Chrysalis Green Remodeling award. Otogawa-Anschel is a Big50 Remodeler

Anschel is spearheading the effort to develop Green Remodeling standards and Certification for Minnesota. He is a past NARI board member, and current member of BATC’s committee to develop Green New Construction guidelines.

Anschel is a national speaker and consultant for his peers in the industry through Verified Green, Inc., a company dedicated to making Green building easy and accessible to everyone. He also has been featured in and contributes to numerous local and national publications and broadcasts.