At the heart of every Stillwater Home are the beliefs that construction of a home should be done in a manner that greatly reduces our impact on the environment both during and after construction, and that results in a home that is healthy for it’s occupants, and costs less to operate and maintain.

Each Stillwater Home is constructed according to the following principals and practices:

Reduced Waste

Modular factories are able to achieve 50% to 75% less waste than a similar site-built home through state-of-the-art materials handling & installation. This is waste you would normally be paying for. Because similar homes are being built steps away, materials can be shared and used on other homes.

Renewable Materials

We use sustainably harvested materials such as bamboo and Marmoleum, which is produced from renewable materials like linseed oil, rosins, wood flour, jute and ecologically responsible pigments. We are also able to construct your home using FSC certified wood.

Recyled Materials

Kitchens and bathroom countertops made from recycled glass, concrete, porcelain, and paper. Trex Decking made from about 50 percent recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50 percent reclaimed wood. Did you know that 7 out of every10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year)? Pretty cool, huh?

Low- VOC paints and materials

We use only the highest grade paints and materials that contain no volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s. Typical paints release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. The source of these toxins is a variey of VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) which, until recently, were essential to the performance of the paint. Because of this, we only use low or no-VOC paints, so you can rest assured the air your family breathes in your new home is healthy.

Neighbor-friendly

Gone are the days of taking over your new neighborhood for almost a year, while your neighbors hear framing guns and saws starting at 7am, subcontractors blocking their driveway, or mud being tracked onto the street. By doing all of the vertical construction in the factory, your soon-to-be neighbors don’t have to listen to it. And doesn’t that make them more likely to bake you those “welcome to the neighborhood” cookies?

Durable & low-maintenance

The less you have to replace or fix, the less impact on the environment (and your wallet). Our Fundamental package uses cement siding materials that carry a 30 year warranty, decks that do not require restaining or sanding, but rather just a periodic cleaning, and only the highest quality windows, doors, and paints.

High-efficiency Lighting

Our homes use CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) lights and dimmable halogen and incandescent bulbs. CFL’s and LED lights use 1/5 to 1/3 as much electricity as standard light bulbs, and last 8 to 15 times longer. 

Passive Cooling

We design all of our homes to maximize what we call ‘free cooling’. Our roofs use a metallic, reflective surface to minimize solar heat gain. Many of our windows are operable, so that you can create a cross-breeze to ventilate and cool your home. We even install an operable skylight(s) to create what’s known as ‘stack-effect’ cooling: allowing hot air to escape out of the highest point, while pulling in cooler air from below. We use larger overhangs on the home to shade windows from the sun.

High-Performance Insulation

We maximize the R-value of insulation to the highest possible in all ceilings, walls, and floors. We even insulate all interior walls for sound dampening.

High-Performance Building Envelope

We believe that a well-executed, cost-effective building enclosure should be one of the most important aspects of any new home: it makes your utility bills lower and you more comfortable. Knowing that, we make sure our buildings are as ‘tight’ as possible. We thoroughly seal all of the walls and floors prior to drywall. We use high-performance insulation, and inspect it thoroughly prior to drywall to make sure there are no ‘thermal breaks’ (i.e thin or missing insulation). All windows contain argon gas and a low-e film to prevent heat loss or gain.

International dark sky standard

We know a lot of our homes get installed in pristine, rural areas. What makes those places so incredible are the stars you can see at night. Knowing that, we install only International Dark Sky Association approved light fixtures on the outside of your home. This means less light pollution for your neighborhood, more stars for you. Check them out at http://www.darksky.org.

Lower water consumption

We use low-flow, dual-flush Toto toilets, which reduces water consumption by 40%-70%, while still performing as well as traditional toilets. All of our showers, tubs, and sinks come with water-saving, low-flow heads and aerators, which can reduce home water consumption as much as 50%, and reduce your energy cost of heating the water also by as much as 50%.

Stormwater management

Our unique butterfly rooflines are perfectly suited for rainwater catchment systems. They channel all rainwater falling on the roof to one central location, where it is very easy to install a rain catchment barrel or similar system.

EnergyStar Appliances

All appliances included in our homes are certified under the EnergyStar program, meaning they incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models.