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Easy Ways To Green Your Home
Green building, where new homes are built using materials that conserve energy and environmental resources, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the home building industry today. But for the owners of the millions of existing homes in the United States, remodeling is the only way to incorporate green.
NAHB Remodelers offers the following suggestions to home owners who want to increase their home’s efficiency, decrease costs, and take advantage of the other benefits that green offers:
1. Install maximum insulation.
Forty percent of the energy consumed in a typical house goes to heating and cooling. Adding insulation is an easy way to increase efficiency. Insulation is rated by its ability to resist heat flow, known as “R-value.” The higher the R-value, the more effectively the insulation resists heat flow. Adding insulation will help save energy costs, increase comfort by better controlling temperature, and improve indoor air quality by eliminating gaps through which dirt, dust, and other impurities can enter.
2. Install high-efficiency windows.
Dr and Mrs Chu
We needed a top notch team to do this renovation smoothly from long distance and Living Stone delivered in spades. We are thrilled with our results and glad we trusted Living Stone with our home. Many thanks to Sean, Frank and the Living Stone Team. Luis and Nikki Chu
Jim and Susan Jones
We chose Living Stone because of Sean but we love Living Stone because of their team. Molly, Matt, Pam, John, Frank, Laura and our main man Mike! Mike drives our home’s construction, can answer any question at a level you can understand and is a pleasure to work with. Mike Bates who is, as far as Susan and I are concerned, is a national treasure! Mike has been a rockstar throughout the construction of our home with Living Stone. He is that rare individual who combines awesome technical skill (he knows every sub’s job as well as they do) with great communication skills, an immense passion for each of his projects and unflappable calm. If this description sounds over the top I was just thinking it doesn’t come close to praising him enough. Laura, with ID.ology, organizes and improves all of our design decisions, gives us inspiration and keeps everything on track. Sean, it is a credit to you that you have surrounded yourself with so many truly good people. We are having a ball! Jim and Susan Jones
The Bonesteel Family
In the midst of a very painful and stressful loss of our home from a fire, the Living Stone team efficiently and creatively crafted a new home for us that we love. From demolition to design to construction Sean, Jason, Frank, Laura with ID.ology and all the sub contractors went above and beyond to build a home that is both imaginative and practical for our family. We are grateful. The Bonesteels
The Pinkerton Family
It has been a pleasure working with LSC. They have been a wonderful team to work with and our new house is amazing! Mike Bates was an excellent leader on our project. We were pleased with everyone who helped us throughout the process from Laura with IDology to all the subs who did great work. We are happy to be enjoying our new porch for the first time as we write this! Lori Pinkerton
Beware Unscrupulous Contractors
A fly-by-night contractor is one disaster you can prevent if you pay attention to some common warning signs. In fact, it makes sense to look for these signs when you are evaluating any potential contractor, whether it’s for post-disaster repairs or a planned-for...
What Can You Expect From Living Stone?
OUR MISSION
To take our clients’ dreams beyond their expectations.
OUR VALUES
Communication. We will provide you with regular, timely, accurate information, so you can make the critical decisions for an on-time completion and a beyond-expectations result.
Quality. We set out to provide a home that will be a source of pride and comfort for generations. We’re exacting in both craftsmanship and materials—providing the very best of both. And we relentlessly refine our processes as we seek new materials and technology.
About Living Stone Construction
Living Stone Construction is an award winning, nationally recognized, and environmentally friendly custom home -builder. Based in Black Mountain NC, they have been in business since 1995. Living Stone Construction builds peoples’ dream homes. These homes are beautiful, within budget, on time, while never compromising style or substance. Whether you’re looking for renovation or original home design, they have left a trail of impressed clients and custom homes across Western North Carolina. Living Stone Construction makes client concerns a top priority. Between the combination of good old honest communication and newer technologies that allow the client to essentially see their home built virtually–everyone is heard, on the same page, and usually ahead of schedule.
Dr. Thiemkey
“In working with Living Stone we witnessed an excellent and thorough estimate, honesty and reliability, superb workmanship, fantastic communication and an all around great job! We would build with Living Stone again as well as refer them.” Dr. Bill Thiemkey. Dr. Thiemkey’s addition won Best Addition for the NCHBA Stars Awards for the entire state!
Designer Review
Living Stone has become a cutting edge institution in design and construction excellence that inspires many others to likewise emulate your example. But examples of excellence to aspire to may best be absorbed and appreciated in smaller doses. Living Stone has always set the tone of excellence combined with sincere humbleness and humility which is highly regarded in the community and among competitors who continue to applaud Living Stone’s achievements. Sue Lamm, Interior Designer
Preventative Maintenance
2023 National Custom Home Builder of the Year
30+ Years of Design-Build Experience
Green Building Leadership
We prioritize designing and building homes that are as low-maintenance as possible—but no home is maintenance-free. Much like a high-performance vehicle, a high-performance home is designed to perform at a higher level, but it still requires thoughtful, routine care to keep it operating at its best. Living Stone Concierge helps protect that performance—and your investment—by giving you a trusted team to manage the ongoing care your home needs for years to come.
Two Premier Services
One Team, Long After Move-In
Membership
Preventative Maintenance Program
By Project
Custom Care Plan
1
Point of Contact
4
Pillars of care
30+
Years Building Homes
How the program Works
Four Pillars of Concierge Care
Through the Preventative Maintenance Program, your Living Stone Concierge delivers single point of contact service, so you no longer need to worry about finding trusted service contractors or waiting countless hours for them to show up. When there are third party workers in your home you can rest easy that your Living Stone Concierge will be there monitoring and ensuring a quality job is done.
Prevent
Repair
Improve
Your home should evolve with the way you live. Our Custom Care team handles personalized improvements—from hanging artwork and installing shelving to building fences and completing those finishing touches that make your home work better for you.
Trust
We believe your time is better spent enjoying your home than managing it. Our team takes care of the details, giving you one trusted resource and access to our network of proven professionals—so your home is cared for and your time stays yours.
Michael Blackstone
Warranty Specialist
As the overseer of our Preventative Maintenance Plan, he meticulously examines every detail of your home to ensure it is perfectly finished and maintained. With a wealth of experience in home construction and renovation from his years with various trade-related companies, Michael is the ultimate guardian of Living Stone standards. Beyond his professional expertise, Michael is a family man with a son, residing in the charming community of Old Fort. Entrust your project to Michael, where craftsmanship meets care.
Preventative Maintenance
2023 National Custom Home Builder of the Year
30+ Years of Design-Build Experience
Green Building Leadership
We prioritize designing and building homes that are as low-maintenance as possible—but no home is maintenance-free. Much like a high-performance vehicle, a high-performance home is designed to perform at a higher level, but it still requires thoughtful, routine care to keep it operating at its best. Living Stone Concierge helps protect that performance—and your investment—by giving you a trusted team to manage the ongoing care your home needs for years to come.
Two Premier Services
One Team, Long After Move-In
Membership
Preventative Maintenance Program
By Project
Custom Care Plan
1
Point of Contact
4
Pillars of care
30+
Years Building Homes
How the program Works
Four Pillars of Concierge Care
Through the Preventative Maintenance Program, your Living Stone Concierge delivers single point of contact service, so you no longer need to worry about finding trusted service contractors or waiting countless hours for them to show up. When there are third party workers in your home you can rest easy that your Living Stone Concierge will be there monitoring and ensuring a quality job is done.
Prevent
Repair
Improve
Your home should evolve with the way you live. Our Custom Care team handles personalized improvements—from hanging artwork and installing shelving to building fences and completing those finishing touches that make your home work better for you.
Trust
We believe your time is better spent enjoying your home than managing it. Our team takes care of the details, giving you one trusted resource and access to our network of proven professionals—so your home is cared for and your time stays yours.
Michael Blackstone
Warranty Specialist
As the overseer of our Preventative Maintenance Plan, he meticulously examines every detail of your home to ensure it is perfectly finished and maintained. With a wealth of experience in home construction and renovation from his years with various trade-related companies, Michael is the ultimate guardian of Living Stone standards. Beyond his professional expertise, Michael is a family man with a son, residing in the charming community of Old Fort. Entrust your project to Michael, where craftsmanship meets care.