Home built with Earth-friendly materials

Most of us face a choice every day that impacts the environment. Paper or plastic? Drive alone or carpool? Organic produce or conventional?

Now two guys have built an entire house in Meyers based on their best answers to these questions.

The new 2,600-square-foot home on Hekpa Drive looks like your typical million-dollar Tahoe charmer from the outside, but inside it's arguably one of the healthiest and environmentally conscious homes on the market.

"Cory and I realized that the environmental impact of building is huge," said Danny Webb of Webb Builders, a member of the Sierra Green Building Association.

Building is a necessary thing, but there's a better and a worse way to do it, he said.

Webb and his partner Cory Hannaford spent an extra 10 percent to 20 percent to build the Hekpa house greener, knowing the wood didn't come from a clear-cut forest, that the efficiency of the home would pay off in heating bills, and that those who will live in it would be in a potentially healthier indoor environment than a typical home.

Under thick winter coats, both of them wore organic cotton company T-shirts as they gave a tour through the bright, sky-light lit house Tuesday.

From start to finish, they sought out non-toxic paint and staining products, all natural wool carpets, certified sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood, and the most efficient heating and insulating products on the market.

All these products are as durable as their less environmentally conscious counterparts, or more so, they said.

And it doesn't stop there: The mill that sold them the wood uses only solar power, and the company that delivered it uses only biodiesel-powered trucks.

Most carpets, paints and wood stains emit nasty gases called volatile organic compounds, which are known carcinogens, making a house a "bubble of toxins," Webb said.

The state of California imposes strict limits on VOCs in products, but many Tahoe contractors buy materials from Nevada, which has looser regulations, according to Hannaford.

"Seeing the waste and the toxicity we were exposed to, this isn't just about the homeowners, it's about the workers," Hannaford said.

"You can take this concept from simply being sure to limit waste that's going to the landfill, or you can go as big as you want to go."

Other steps might have included solar power, a system to recycle gray water from the shower to the toilet, or having an architect design plans to maximize the sun's heating ability, called passive solar.

"This house is an example of how a typical Tahoe house could go green without being extreme," Hannaford said. "People could be doing a lot with green construction that wouldn't cost a thing more."

More and more commercial building projects are going green, which is helping to fuel the industry, said Webb.

"It's supply and demand that will change the industry," Webb said.

Materials used at 1619 Hekpa Drive

-- Floors, siding: certified sustainably harvested wood from Humboldt County and Brazil.

-- Ceiling beams: reclaimed from an Oakland Naval base.

-- Indoor railings: Hand hewn from small trees gathered through U.S. Forest Service thinning projects in the Tahoe Basin.

-- Outdoor railing: all redwood recycled from Tahoe decks.

-- Mill: Hayward Lumber uses all solar power.

-- Delivery service: Blue Sky Delivery Co. uses all biodiesel powered vehicles.

-- Insulation: blown cellulose made from recycled newspaper, phone books, etc. Efficient insulation because it fills tiny gaps.

-- Paint: All water-based, non-toxic, no fumes.

-- Wood stain: Low-fume products.

-- Carpet: Wool, non-toxic, no fumes, no glues, all natural.

-- Water heater: tank-less gas heater never runs out of hot water, more efficient than heating 50 gallons at a time, especially for a vacation home.

-- Heat: radiant floor heat, more efficient than forced air.

-- Employees: $5 extra each day they bike to work.