As Santa Rosa’s hometown builder, Christopherson Homes takes great pride in being the region’s first production green builder.  Our program is based off the Santa Rosa Build It Green Program whose mission includes improving the quality of housing and community development throughout Santa Rosa.  Our green building program has been developing further with each community and we are about to roll it out into our Sacramento communities.

Our green program is truly holistic in that it does not focus on any one aspect and addresses the following four areas:

• Resource Conservation
• Energy Savings
• Indoor Air Quality/Health
• Water Conservation

We’re fully committed to using ecologically sustainable construction practices and new materials, products and technologies that reduce our impact on the environment. This approach is not only kinder to the earth—it saves homeowners money and provides a more healthful, durable living environment. It’s a true "win-win."

From the start, we address resource conservation on the job site. An environmentally conscious approach to building means conserving the earth’s resources wherever possible. This includes:

• Diverting construction waste from landfills.  Most communities achieve 75-90% waste diversion with recycling of construction site materials -including metal, wood, cardboard, concrete and tile roofing
• Storm water management and protection of sensitive watersheds
• Increased preservation of heritage trees
• Using less solid-sawn lumber and more engineered and recycled wood products. These products not only protect old-growth forests, but also often provide increased strength, durability, and resistance to insects—resulting in cost savings today and for the life of the home.
• The addition of flyash to concrete for reduced concrete consumption—and a stronger foundation!
• Built-in recycling centers in all of our single-family detached homes and many of our townhomes.
• Forest Stewardship Council Certified lumber at all our new communities.

An environmentally conscious approach to building means conserving the earth’s resources wherever possible. Some illustrations of our current efforts:

• Recycling of construction site materials --including metal, wood, cardboard, concrete and tile roofing
• Using less solid-sawn lumber and more engineered and recycled wood products. These products not only protect old-growth forests, but also often provide increased strength, durability, and resistance to insects—resulting in cost savings today and for the life of the home.
• The addition of recycled flyash to concrete for reduced concrete consumption—and a stronger foundation!
• Built-in recycling centers in all of our single-family detached homes and many of our townhomes.

Products and designs throughout each home focus on reduced energy consumption and lower energy bills for our owners. Examples include:

• High efficiency lighting
• Upgraded insulation
• Insulating window glass
• Insulated hot water pipes
• Wrapped and sealed air ducts to reduce heat and cooling loss
• Availability of energy-efficient appliances
• Upgraded efficiency furnaces
• 3rd party duct testing
• 3rd party blower door testing
• Solar energy systems in selected communities
• Pre-plumbing for solar wiring in new communities
• 2x6” framing in selected communities for increased insulation levels

Our green homes’ construction avoids the use of materials that contain high amounts of hazardous compounds or chemicals that "off-gas" and are known to be associated with asthma and other adverse health effects. We use:

• Paints and glues that have no or low amounts of unhealthy volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Formaldehyde-free insulation
• Sealed combustion furnaces to eliminate carbon monoxide emissions from this source
• Venting range hoods to the outside

Additionally, we are exploring the use of carpet, flooring and countertop materials now becoming available that use natural or recycled materials and those with lower levels of VOCs.

Water is a precious and limited natural resource and its conservation is always top of mind during construction. Ways we work toward water conservation and preservation include:

• Dual-flush toilets in our new communities
• Smart irrigation controllers in new communities
• Insulating hot water pipes to reduce waste
• Drought-tolerant landscaping and native California plants in new communities
• Reduced turf levels in new communities
• Low-water consumption fixtures and faucets, for less usage--and lower water bills!
• Special cleaning locations for concrete trucks