GreenStone technology tightens up Pulte Homes

     Special to Real Estate
      Pulte Homes, the third best-selling home builder in Southern Nevada, is delivering a new standard of living by incorporating Engineered For Life building design and technology into five new communities planned for 1999, according to Steve Petruska, president of the Las Vegas division.
      Since June, the builder has used the concept in six of its 15 subdivisions and now becomes the nation's first production builder to engineer Engineered For Life in all of its projects in one market.
      "Engineered For Life differentiates our homes in this market," Petruska said. "GreenStone's program allows us to deliver a more comfortable and energy efficient home than our competitors while adding benefits such as noise reduction, pest control, fresh air ventilation and carbon monoxide detectors."
      The brainchild of GreenStone Industries, a Louisiana-Pacific subsidiary and leading manufacturer of cellulose insulation, Engineered For Life considers all of the components or systems of a house -- the frame, insulation, duct work, windows, and heating and air conditioning -- and bases construction and design decisions on those components.
      "Because we design the systems in the house to work together more efficiently, we are able to guarantee heating and cooling bills for two years," said Joe Lstiburek, principal of Building Science Corp. and founder of the building specifications in the program. "In order to support this promise, we provide an added level of training to builders and contractors and test the home throughout the building process."
      The comfort and energy use, which guarantee heating and cooling bills 30 to 50 percent lower than homes built by conventional standards, is another symbol of the builder's commitment to more cost-efficient homes.
      Lstiburek said the companies installing insulation, ductwork and pressure balances in Southern Nevada have master certificates and are eminently qualified to follow the program.
      Pulte neighborhoods using the standards are:
      --Crown Ridge, a neighborhood in The Willows village of Summerlin, with four single-story floor plans. The homes range from 2,422 to 3,012 square feet and are priced from the low $200,000s.
      --Brentwood in The Willows, a neighborhood of five single-story floor plans, ranging from 1,141 to 1,653 square feet, priced from the low $110,000s.
      --Desert Willow in The Willows, one- and two-story homes ranging from 1,640 to 2,600 square feet, priced from the mid-$150,000s.
      To visit The Willows, take Sahara Avenue to Blue Willow Lane, west of Hualapai Way, and turn left.
      --Eagle Creek at Jones Boulevard and Tropical Parkway, just off the U.S. 95 Expressway at Ann Road, featuring four homes ranging from 1,023 to 1,585 square feet and priced from the low $100,000s.
      --Breamoor Heights in The Arbors village of Summerlin, featuring three floor plans, ranging from 2,413 to 3,131 square feet and priced from the low $250,000s.
      To visit, take Summerlin Parkway to Town Center Drive and turn south, drive to Hualapai Way and turn right, then go south at Laurelglen Drive.
      Engineered for Life is a cooperative effort developed by three leaders in the building science industry: Building Science Corp., an internationally recognized consulting firm; Advanced Energy Corp., a provider of building science education and training; and GreenStone Industries, a cellulose insulation company. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Homes program provides the Energy Star certificate for the homes, which are designed to perform at least 30 percent above the Model Energy Code.