Family builds 'green' home in Davidson - Contractor-owned house is LEED-certified

Charlotte Observer (NC) (Published as Charlotte Observer, The (NC)) - December 25, 2013

Author/Byline: Kim Smith, Correspondent

Edition: 1st LakeNorman
Section: Community
Page: 1P
Correction: PLEASE NOTE: A story in the Dec. 25 Lake Norman News incorrectly reported the environmental status of a home under
construction in Davidson. Greg Morton is working to make his home LEED-certified and hopes to receive certification later this year.
Readability: 10-12 grade level (Lexile: 1190)
Greg Moton, 53, a licensed general contractor from Huntersville, picked up a small cardboard box lying on the floor of what will soon be
the great room of the 3,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home he's building for his family in the high-end Anniston neighborhood in
Davidson.
Since building began last January, Moton said he has produced just 200 pounds of construction debris, all of which, he said, can fit into
the box that he had picked up. No trash bins filled with empty appliance boxes, plywood, insulation, roof or carpet scraps mar the front or
backyards of property. That box and the absence of a trash bin spoke volumes about Moton's environmentally-conscious approach to
home construction: waste nothing.
Saving trees
Moton pointed to the ceiling in the great room. Twelve- to 18-inch rectangular pieces of wood - left over after larger pieces were cut to
frame the ceiling - were nailed vertically to the larger beams to provide additional ceiling support.
"We're trying to use all the scrap wood we could," said Moton.
After running out of the suitable rectangular pieces, Moton collected the smaller wood scraps and dumped them in the backyard,
separating them into two piles.
Since the scraps in the first pile were large enough to make wood-crafts, Moton will donate the wood in that pile to the school where his
son, Ryan, 12, and fellow students can practice their wood-crafting skills in their shop class. The remaining scraps in the other pile will be
ground into mulch.
This year, United States Green Building Council certified Moton's house as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
home. It's one of 1,448 LEED-certified homes in North Carolina among 46,546 nationwide, said USGBC spokesman Jacob Kriss.
Builders, environmentalists, corporations and volunteers founded USGBC in 1993 to promote environmentally-friendly approaches toward
the construction of homes and other buildings. LEED-certified homes have been deemed "more comfortable and durable as well as more
energy and water efficient" than traditional homes.
LEED-certified homeowners will experience a 20 percent to 30 percent - and in some cases a 60 percent - drop in energy costs, said
Kriss. And that translates into tremendous savings over time, Moton said.
To save on energy costs, Moton plans to install a geothermal system that will extract heat and cool air from the ground, providing warmth
for the winter and cool air during summer.
Another energy-saving addition will be solar panels. Moton's wife, Holly, 53, praised the Anniston homeowners association, which she
said amended the rules to allow them to place solar panels on the sunlight-exposed front roof of the house instead of in the back.
"They have been really progressive about this," she said.
The Motons' home is located in the 28036 ZIP code. The Charlotte Regional Realtor Association listed the average home price in the ZIP
code at $337, 360 in November, with the priciest house at $1,250,000. Housing prices have jumped 7.4 percent since this time last year.
While the average cost per square foot for a house in this ZIP code is $123, Greg Moton said the house he's building costs between $118
and $125 per square foot. Kriss noted that the cost of a LEED-certified home is about the same as a conventional home and can be sold
for more money and in less time.
Moton expects to recoup the higher-than normal costs associated with installing solar panels, the geothermal system and a number of
other energy-saving devices through lower water and electric bills. He can also take advantage of federal and state tax incentives. "It's a
more expensive technology. But with the tax credits, it turns out to be cheaper," he said.
LEED-certified homeowners can expect to start to receive a return on their investment within three years, said Kriss.

Moton's idea of a "green" home is catching on, said Buddy Frey of the Buddy Frey Realty Group in Charlotte.
"As time marches on, we are seeing more and more consumers becoming 'green.' We have sold several green homes. There is more of a
demand."
A family affair
Moton is no stranger to home-building. He started at age of 10 while helping his father and mother build their dream home in Chesteron,
Ind. In 2008, he received certificates in Green Building and Renewable Energy Technologies from N.C. State University.
The family tradition of everyone pitching in to help build the house continues. Daughter Madeline, 10, and son Ryan have sealed spots
around windows with insulation that was donated from another construction site. "It's the most boring job ever," said Ryan. Madeline
nodded in agreement. Recently, Ryan spent five hours under the house laying TV cable and speaker wiring, under his father's supervision.
Are LEED-certified homes the wave of the future? "Yes, I think so," Greg Moton said. He hopes to complete the construction of his home
by February, in time for a Super Bowl party.
Kim Smith is a freelance writer for Lake Norman News. Have a story idea for Kim? Email him at drksmith1960@yahoo.com.
Caption: KIM SMITH Greg and Holly Moton are building a 3,800 square-foot, green house in the Anniston neighborhood in Davidson
COURTESY OF HOLLY MOTON Madeline Moton, 10, works on a support beam under her father's supervision. KIM SMITH Rectangular
pieces of wood, cut from the sides of larger beams and normally thrown away, are nailed to the ceiling beams to provide added ceiling
frame support in the great room.
Record: CLT0067115996
Copyright: Copyright (c) 2013 The Charlotte Observer