Earth Friendly Homes
At First Richmond Associates, we look to the future of our children and our children's children. We are committed to providing our home buyers with the most up-to-date, simple, and affordable materials to embrace a “greener” lifestyle, that is why we’re pleased to offer National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Green Certification as an option for your home. From products that affect the air quality in your home to energy efficiency, we examine every aspect of how our homes are built, including long term cost saving measures for the homeowner. Utilizing sustainable and earth friendly products and practices make certain that our homes are durable, comfortable and smart! And, if the time comes to resell your home, the increased energy efficiency and green features add value to your home in the eyes of the buyers.
Download this pdf to see the average annual energy costs and learn more about what a green home really is.

Air Quality
There are many things that can affect the air quality in your new home. The flooring selection, the cabinetry and the walls all have a huge impact on the air quality. We want your home to be a healthy place to live, so we are very careful about the products we use. A low VOC content in the products we use helps to ensure this. We insist upon properly ventilated air systems that are also filtered. Your range hood should vent to the outside, and a gas burning firebox insert should be ventilated.

Energy Efficiency
When it comes to the energy used to run your home, the HVAC system accounts for over half. It stands to reason that high energy efficient heating is one of the best investments you can make. Along with an energy efficient system, a programmable thermostat adds to the most efficient use of your heating and cooling dollars. The windows and doors that we use in our homes work hard to be energy efficient, too. We use products that offer great insulation properties, such as double paned windows with low-e glass that meet energy-star standards. We encourage you to use CFL (compact florescent lamp) bulbs where ever possible in your home. They use less energy than normal incandescent bulbs do.

Water Efficiency
Believe it or not, over 75% of water usage in a home happens in the bathroom! That’s why we have selected water efficient fixtures for our homes. They feature low flow aeration for the maximum comfort and minimum water usage. An energy-star rated dishwasher also saves water and energy to heat the water. Another big consideration in water conservation is the landscaping around your home. By selecting plants that are native to the area, and more drought tolerant plants you will use less water to maintain the plants.

Energy Efficient Appliances
Your refrigerator uses more electricity than any other appliance in your home. It makes sense – it runs 24 hours a day. So we offer energy efficient models that use less electricity to do the job. Models that offer the convenience of thru the door access for ice and water cost more money to operate. When it comes to cooking, both gas and electric are good choices, but if you go with electric, select a solid surface model. They are much more energy efficient than the coil tops.

Building Materials
Insulating your home, whether it be with the windows, doors or wall and ceiling insulation, offers the greatest opportunity for energy efficiency. We use spray insulation in all our homes, which offers the most consistent coverage of all the nooks. We wrap all our homes to help maintain a barrier, and utilize radiant barriers as roof sheathing. We have thought of many ways to create a comfortable, earth friendly home, which saves you money year after year.
We hope you will join us in our commitment to the environment and make your home and your life more earth friendly by investing in durable, practical, eco-friendly products and practices.