Washington, D.C. -- A recently completed remodeling project in Munster, Ind., is the first home remodel to earn certification under the National Green Building Standard, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced.

The 1,100-square-foot ranch home built in 1974 was renovated by Lyng Builders, a Franklin, Ill., custom home building and remodeling company, after floodwaters filled the basement as well as two feet of the first floor.

Working within a tight budget to repair substantial structural damage, Lyng Builders also persuaded the home owner to make improvements that can help save on utility bills by decreasing energy and water consumption and to obtain national green certification through the NAHB Research Center, which trains and accredits third-party inspectors.

For projects to be certified, remodelers must address a range of factors, including energy, resource and water efficiency and indoor environmental quality in the newly renovated home.

"With 111 million existing homes, remodeling these energy and water guzzlers must be a top priority to achieve a more efficient housing stock," said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a builder and developer in Tulsa, Okla. "NAHB leads the housing industry by helping professionals take advantage of the first and only national standard to certify green remodeled homes."

Lyng Builders upgraded the heating and cooling system, installed a high-efficiency water heater, selected Energy Star-rated appliances, added wall and pipe insulation and thoroughly sealed the home against air and energy leaks to produce an estimated 49 percent decrease in energy consumption from the pre-remodeled home.

To reduce water waste, the company replaced the faucets and toilets with low-flow fixtures that should help the homeowners use about 20 percent less water.

The home was also equipped with a programmable thermostat, a power-vented attic fan, and a programmed exhaust mechanism for efficient conditioning and ventilation.

Already, more than 1,500 new homes, renovation projects and subdivisions are in the scoring process for the standard at www.nahbgreen.org, the online home of the NAHB National Green Building Program. Approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in January, the ICC-700-2008 National Green Building Standard sets benchmarks and a verification protocol for single-family homes, apartments and condominiums, remodeling, lot and site development and all kinds of residential construction.

Homeowner Steve Holcomb praised Lyng Builders for its work. "Lyng went out of his way to make sure everything was just right. My house is working more efficiently," he said. Holcomb can also take advantage of additional savings with the federal energy-efficiency tax credit for products used in the renovation.

"The certification of this remodeled home in Indiana demonstrates NAHB's leadership on green remodeling and the benefits home owners can enjoy with a more efficient home," said Robson. "I congratulate Mr. Lyng, the SouthWest Suburban Home Builders Association in Illinois, the verifying firm of Energy Diagnostics and the homeowners for leading the way," he said.

Learn more about green remodeling from NAHB Remodelers at www.nahb.org/remodel.


ABOUT NAHB REMODELERS: NAHB Remodelers is America's home for professional remodelers, representing more than 20,000 remodeling industry members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Founded in 1982, the organization provides information, education and designation programs to improve the business and construction expertise of its members and to enhance the professional image of the industry. Its membership incorporates 145 local councils in 43 states. Learn more about remodeling at www.nahb.org/remodel.

ABOUT THE NAHB RESEARCH CENTER: Located in Upper Marlboro, Md., the NAHB Research Center promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally-recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance. Since February 2008, the NAHB Research Center has been administering National Green Building Certification using the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines; in January 2009 the option to have a project scored to the National Green Building Standard became available when the Standard was approved by ANSI.

ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing more than 200,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. Known as "the voice of the housing industry," NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB's builder members will construct about 80 percent of the new housing units for 2009.