PVC Duro Last roofing membrane flat roofs maintains 85% or greater reflectivity

The view from the Tower of the Americas reveals a huge number of flat roofs, mostly on commercial buildings. Since San Antonio does get rain, (except for during the Summer of 2009), flat roofs generally involve a lot of maintenance, a lot of tar and a lot of gravel. Being dark they also don't tend to reflect much of the sun's heat.

A completely white flat roof would be an advantage, and that is what is sold locally by Jaco-Roofing, whose slogan is "White=Green".

The Duro Last Cool Zone prefabricated flat roof white vinyl roof membrane system has a retained reflectivity of 85% or more after three years. The membrane consists of PVC resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, biocides, flame retardants and U.V. absorbents. By prefabricating the membrane under ideal factory conditions they are able to decrease field labor costs and increase quality.

Though the membrane is available in several colors. The white version is being promoted to counteract the urban heat island effect.

LionForce affordable San Antonio home earns LEED Gold / Level 3 Build SA Green certification

LionForce spoke back in September at our monthly meeting and introduced us to their brand of affordable, green building using their version of STEP (Steel Thermal Efficient Panels) which combined polystyrene insulation with metal studs.

Their home was open and efficient making good use of space and material. In July they learned they had received LEED Gold certification which is extraordinary considering that the home is a modest one.

From LionForce's blog:

Last week, the LionForce ecoLiving home located on Trumbo Road in San Antonio, Texas, was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for achievement in green homebuilding and design. LEED for Homes is a green home certification system for assuring homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants. LEED certified homes complete a technically rigorous process that includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections to verify that the home is built to be energy and water efficient, environmentally sound, and a healthier place to live.

Trumbo Road (T-2) is one of 3 local homes that have been certified using LEED, but the first to achieve Gold certification. The home was built by LionForce Building Systems, which is known for their ecoLiving System that empowers people to design and build LEED-rated homes. Green homes have substantially lower utility bills and may qualify for advantageous financing, lower insurance rates and government incentives. Through their commitment to green homebuilding, LionForce is helping to keep homeownership affordable.

“We use LEED parameters to direct all of our design decisions,” said Greg Edwards, LionForce Vice President of Construction. “We built the T-2 home using our integrated approach, and the LEED Gold Certification validates our belief that a customized, green home can be affordable to the average American.”

“As a LEED certified home, The LionForce ecoLiving home on Trumbo Road serves as a model of greener living for the entire community,” said Nate Kredich, Vice President of Residential Market Development for the U.S. Green Building Council. “The home is at the national forefront of quality; and their example can help us all to live better by reducing our environmental footprint, cutting our utility bills, and coming home to a healthier place to live.”

Specific information about the home: The LionForce home located on Trumbo road was constructed with a unique wall panel system made from light-gauge steel and Expanded Polystyrene. The panels are factory-fabricated to precise engineering drawings to minimize site waste and shorten construction time. The LionForce wall system creates an extremely tight building envelope and significantly reduces the amount of energy consumed.

Indoor air quality standards were met by following the 70-item checklist from the Indoor Air Package – provided by Energy Star for Homes, and a rainwater catchment system is used to capture 70% of the roof runoff to be used for irrigation. The home also received an award for “Best Custom Green Home” from the City of San Antonio, and the first and only Level 3 certification from Build San Antonio Green.

San Antonio builder Sierleja constructs solid, well insulated green residences and commercial spaces with BuildBlock insulating concrete forms

Steve Sierleja, builder, distributor and member of San Antonio Sustainable Living has built for thirty years, starting in Pennsylvania with log and post/beam structures and continuing in our area with Faswall, durawall and Quad-Lock.

Now he distributes and builds with BuildBlock, an ICF (insulated concrete form) block manufactured in Bastrop, Texas. (Being locally made in Bastrop earns big LEED credits.)

An insulated concrete form consists of two connected walls of closed cell polystyrene. The blocks are dry stacked and concrete is pumped into the void. Block manufacturers compete based on their innovative variations on the connectors, in the profile of the block and in the size and configuration of the block. ICFs are not a generic product.

After the concrete is poured, standard exterior and interior siding as would be used in stick construction is applied. To run wiring, a hot knife is run in the polystyrene. The wiring is placed in the cut and then spray foam is used to cover it. Plumbing lines can be placed the same way, though they are generally routed through interior walls.

A typical ICF wall has a true R rating of 20 but the effective R rating is 50. There is no infiltration of air. By their nature the buildings hold up well in windstorms. The risk of fire is substantially reduced and property insurance costs are often 30 to 40% lower. Typically they only require one ton of air-conditioning per 1000 to 1200 sq feet.

BuildBlock uses recycled plastic webs to connect the polystyrene which is more durable than metal and which provides easier useful attachment points. They are completely reversable, which makes for more flexible stacking.

BuildBlock corner blocks have one side longer than the other. As any mason knows you want to avoid lining up vertical joints. By stacking a long side on top of short side this is prevented, making for much stronger corners.

Steve has managed to place BuildBlocks in the Lowes at the Rim in San Antonio, in Shertz, Pearland and Pasadena. Just go to the commerical sales desk and they will help you get started.

Steve's contracting company, Custom Homes Ltd, has several projects going including a home near Medina Lake. In December 2008, his commercial operation stacked and poured the new additon to the Wheatsville Co-op in Austin.