Sustainable Products We Love
Earth Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean we at Modern Shed don’t still care about providing sustainable products.
Our customers have invested in a wide range of “green” products that enhance their Modern Shed experience, from Green Grid roofs to compost Envirolet toilets, but we also are committed to using products from companies that prioritize sustainability in our structures.
Some of the standard Modern Shed “green” features include use of sustainable products such as James Hardie plank siding, glue-lam beams and Oriented Strand Boards (OSB).
Many of our materials are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, to ensure that our wood materials have been produced by high environmentally conscious standards.
Modern Shed also uses durable materials like aluminum, galvanized metal and concrete-based siding and our windows are 100 percent recyclable.
Here’s a rundown of more of our sustainable options:
Green Grid roofs
Customers can choose to add Green Grid roofs to their sheds, which are vegetative green roof systems that provide a thermal barrier to the roof surface, resulting in potential energy savings and a longer-lasting rooftop.
These rooftops reduce heat transfer through the roof by capitalizing on the plants’ ability to cool the surrounding air by shading and the evapotranspiration effect.
These roofs incorporate Best Management Practice and Low Impact Development, allowing the customer to reduce the impact the building will have on the total impervious surface of a site. The system also greatly reduces the total stormwater leaving roof drains.
To learn more about the Green Grid Roof system, check out their website.
James Hardie siding
At Modern Shed, we use the top-quality James Hardie siding brand, a leader in fiber cement siding that has been recognized over and over again by Green Builder as having the most sustainable siding products.
“A primary factor to James Hardie’s sustainability is its durability,” said John Dybsky, senior marketing manager at James Hardie. “Our products handle high heat, UV radiation and moisture exceptionally well, which significantly reduces the need for replacement over time.”
James Hardie siding is composed of natural and sustainable raw materials such as cement, sand, cellulose fiber and water, according to its website.
And while “green” practices can sometimes limit design options, our Modern Shed customers know that James Hardie has a wide range of textures and colors that satisfy any design outlook.
Ply Gem windows and doors
One of the fastest ways to save energy in a home or structure is to make sure your windows and doors are working efficiently.
At Modern Shed, one option we offer is Ply Gem, a company that understands that energy efficiency is directly related to utility bills.
As the country’s leading manufacturer of exterior building products, Ply Gem works to produce beautiful exterior solutions that stand up to the elements which threaten to affect your budget.
Ply Gem’s Blog Pro Talk features sustainable tips and information for going green, including how to conduct your own energy audit and what questions to ask before replacing your windows.
Ply Gem windows also qualify for the Energy Star program, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps consumers save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.
Through the program, window configurations must meet a specific government U-Factor determined by regional climate conditions. Much like the more familiar R-Factor for walls, roofs and insulation, a U-Factor is used to express the insulation value of a window, however, conversely to R-Factors, the lower the U-Factor, the better the insulation value.
Other options: composting toilets and tubular skylights
Envirolet Composting Toilets by Sancor are an advanced environmental and economical sanitation solution for your Modern Shed.
The company offers many options, including a waterless, self-contained unit that can go anymore and requires little to no space below for a composting unit — perfect for small spaces, such as Modern Sheds!
Another company we like is Northwest Natural Lighting, the only solatube dealer for Washington state, where the majority of our Modern Shed clients live.
This energy efficient tube skylight provides bright, clean, pure light to any bathroom, hallway, kitchen or any room in the home.
The company also sells solar-powered attic fans, custom railings and retractable screens.
For more on our sustainable values and options, visit www.modern-shed.com and feel free to speak with your area Modern Shed Design Professional about what sustainable options you could add to your own Modern Shed.
