Millard Blakey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, had never thought much about green remodeling until he dropped into a workshop during a 2007 Remodeling Show class taught by NAHB leader Stephen Robinson and left with notes on easy ideas for incorporating green products into remodeling jobs.

The light that lead Blakey down the green remodeling path was learning about a company selling drywall made from fly ash, a byproduct of coal. Living in Kentucky, a leading coal producing state, he loved the idea of using material that would otherwise have been dumped in a landfill. With ideas like these, Blakey said: “Wow—I can be friendly to the environment whether my clients request it or not. For example, drywall made of recycled content that is the same price and just as effective.”

Blakey remodeled his own home using green techniques and products, earning him Honorable Mention for the Green Remodeled Home Award at the NAHB Green Building Conference.

Knowing that “personalities of the project are key for success,” Blakey aggressively interviewed and selected local architect Clive Pohl, who was equally passionate about green and could bring his creative ideas to the table. Typical of the neighborhood, his home was a two-story single-family with an attached garage. Blakey wanted to improve the curb appeal with a more contemporary design, and upgrade the home to address the lifestyle of his family. During the project Blakey went through a process of discovery, learning about green products and processes that altered his perspective on remodeling.

The revised front entrance has a ramp with zero-step entry through an all-glass front door, and the home office entry also has a no-step entry. “We wanted to accommodate people with various disabilities and make it easier as they age,” explained Blakey. They also added a reflective metal roof over the door to shelter the front entrance and make it the focal point of the home when viewing it from the street.

Exterior features contributed to Blakey’s green remodeling enhancements. The concrete parking pad and the siding both are made partly of fly ash, a coal byproduct. They also chose a light color for the shingles to increase reflectiveness, and reduce heat absorption. Blakey reused copper from previous jobs, low-VOC exterior paints, FSC wood for the trim, and composite decking material. Additionally, an underground water harvesting tank collects rainwater to irrigate the lawn and for car and dog washing. The exterior lights were placed on lighting control to highlight the home’s features and for security measures.

Habitat for Humanity helped with the deconstruction of the back deck on the house and they were able to sell the recovered materials within a couple weeks, which included cabinetry, decking lumber, and chain link fencing. The deck is now located overtop the workshop with an integrated trellis that houses the solar tubes and photovoltaic panels. The panels are semitransparent, allowing the sunlight to filter through while screening the direct rays. The solar tubes now provide 75% of their hot water needs. Although they added more windows, the windows that were removed were all relocated in the new design.

The remodeled living room features hardwood flooring made from oak fencing material reclaimed from local thoroughbred horse farms. The kiln used to dry the old fencing material was insulated by batting material extracted from the Blakey home during its deconstruction phase. They also used decorative wood from a 1790’s house to cover the collar-ties in the newly vaulted ceiling. The integrated lighting system allows dimming capabilities of the low-voltage lights and to set scenes for entertaining or daily tasks. Automatic shades and lights can be programmed to operate on timers or from remotes (or via cell phone). Whole house audio and security systems can also be accessed remotely as well. They also used recycled rugs and recyclable carpet. Again, many pieces of furniture was recycled from consignment stores and repurposed or reupholstered to meet the Blakey’s tastes. And all the paints inside are low-VOC.

As part of the plan to personalize the home’s layout to accommodate the Blakey family’s lifestyle, the formal dining and living rooms were redesigned to more casual spaces. The kitchen gained six feet of the unused dining room space and the remainder was dedicated to a much needed laundry room, which was once housed in a kitchen closet. The sink basin and spacious folding countertop are made of recycled paper. The laundry floor is a biodegradable linoleum product that stands up beautifully to the dog traffic and muck of a busy family, all of which can be hidden away behind a frosted glass pocket door.

In the kitchen, no-add formaldehyde and low VOC cabinetry provides added storage and organization to the once cluttered kitchen. The island, buffet, and desk countertops are made of recycled glass while the raised countertops are made from aluminum shavings set in an eco-friendly epoxy. LED can lights minimize heat gain in the kitchen and Energy Star appliances were installed throughout.

The first floor bathroom sports a new pocket door and increased space that was stolen from the old formal living room to provide accessibility for guests in wheelchairs. The dual-flush toilets and low flow faucets help to reduce water usage. Blakey notes that his February water bill showed a 57% decrease from 2007 and 2008.

Blakey’s formal living room was turned into a lively media room with a large projection TV and other entertainments. They used recycled and recyclable carpet, plus tables made of repurposed metal frames and scrap pieces of bullet-proof acrylic sheets salvaged from the manufacturer. Automatic shades on the windows allow blackout capability and since the media room faces the front of the house, decorative film was applied to the windows to mimic wooden blinds.

From advanced construction and sealing techniques to deliberate finish product selection, Blakey creatively and aesthetically transformed this once inefficient typical suburban home to the high-tech, energy efficient, sustainable jewel of a home it is today.

For more information, email Millard Blakey at or visit his website at www.wreckcreations.biz.  [ return to top ]