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Mall Goes Green For A Day

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By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT

IN THE LOOP

Published: March 4, 2009

While going green might be the trend, the Tampa Bay Builders Association doesn't believe many people understand what this really means. To remedy that, the group will play host to the first Green Building Expo March 14 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

Guest speakers, vendors and builders will be on hand to educate the public about green living. Sergio Terzado, co-chairman of the expo, said the event will help to clear up questions about what it really means to be green.

"There is a lot of confusion on what green really means," Terzado said. "We are going to have these educational 15-minute sessions where the public will learn about what they can do to their homes. We will also have green certified builders and various vendors selling green products."

Even though many certified green products are now used during new construction, there are remodeling projects homeowners can do as well, said Drew Smith, president of Two Trails Inc., a national green building certification company. He said one of the biggest benefits to remodeling an existing home for green certification is the increase in resale value.

"There are remodels and retrofits a homeowner can do to get a green certification," Smith said. "It is easier if things are done during construction, but it doesn't have to be that way. Many of the options are not that costly either, it just depends on what the homeowner wants."

The certification program he works through in Florida is called the Florida Green Building Coalition. This agency requires homeowners have 100 points in multiple disciplines in order to be certified as owning a green house.

"One of the biggest mistakes people make is they think going green just means to fix the energy efficiency in their homes, but that is only one part," Smith said. "There are actually multiple disciplines including water conservation, indoor air quality, landscaping, disaster mitigation and the type of building materials used."

The expo will take place in the mall's courtyard where various businesses and vendors will set up. HomeTeam Pest Defense, for which Terzado is a builder sales representative, will be on hand. Terzado said his product gives three points towards a green certification.

"Our product is put in during construction," Terzado said. "We put a series of tubes in the wall which are connected to an exterior port box. This helps maintain normal indoor air quality because the pesticides are pumped directly through the walls."

Terzado said he knows a lot about green construction since he used to be the chair of the Pasco Builders Green Council. The coalition has since been incorporated into the Tampa Bay Builders Association. He said he had to use that knowledge while searching for vendors for the event, because he had to keep a close eye out for greenwashing.

"Greenwashing is when someone calls something green and it is not," Terzado said. "There are a lot of pending litigations out there. When we were putting this together, we had to make sure each builder had a certified green house."

The event should have about 40 to 60 vendors and builders. The association is still accepting new vendors until March 6. For more information, visit tbba.net.

Tips For Going Green At Home

Drew Smith from Two Trails Inc. recommends the following inexpensive tips to help make an existing home greener:

• Change light bulbs to LED or compact fluorescent

• Replace older appliances with Energy Star ones

• Replace water faucets with Water Sense faucets

• Replace toilets with dual flush or low flow toilets

• Change landscaping to be Florida friendly

• Change to a green certified carpet

• Replace windows with more energy efficient windows

• Add insulation

Reporter Suzanne M. Schmidt can be reached at (813) 948-4288 or sschmidt@mediageneral.com.

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