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Hernando Today

Living in luxury and efficiency

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By TONY HOLT | Hernando Today

Published: February 12, 2010

RIDGE MANOR - Below the floors, above the ceilings and in the walls there are blocks of foam insulation.
Water pours out of every spigot with the normal pressure one would expect from a new house, but only 40 gallons are used per day.

The average home uses roughly 113 gallons, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Mike Lyles' and Judy Yates' home cost roughly $400,000 to build and the living space alone is nearly 2,500 square feet. Factor in the garage and porch space, and it's more than 5,700 square feet.
Their power bill is $125 per month. Their water bill is $7.

They've lived at 3431 Riderwood Drive for a little more than a year and they already have saved close to $1,000 in electricity and utilities.
"The theory here is that anyone can build this house," said Lyles.

He told a crowd of visitors Friday morning that he and Yates are "average, everyday people" who didn't want anything that changed the way they lived. They wanted to mix luxury with efficiency and responsibility.
They think they've done it with their new home.

Lyles talked about the unique insulation, which cost 50 percent more than if he and his wife had opted for something more standard.
He said the foam inside the walls have concrete inside them. They are set up like blocks of LEGOs.
"It's like we're living in a beer cooler," he said. "We're shrouded with Styrofoam."

Brian Blankenship, the builder from Diamond Construction Services, was asked why more houses don't adopt some of the same steps and styles.
"General resistance to change I guess," he said. "The housing market crash also has hurt green building."

His house was a first for Hernando County. It was the first to achieve certification by the water district's Florida Water Star Gold program.
"It looks like an old house, only it's a new house," said Lyles.

Among those visiting Friday morning was Susan Douglas, the Florida Water Star Gold coordinator for the district.
She strolled into the master bathroom and pointed to the bathroom sink, which included a bronze-like faucet.
"They've got some style to them, too," Douglas said.

She said the couple installed the plumbing with the hope one day of installing a reuse system — recycled water from the sink and shower to be used in the toilet.
The house itself was built along the Withlacoochee River. All the trees that were cut down were mulched and spread along the driveway, giving the yard a natural look.

Lyles works for an environmental firm. Yates used to be the former director of the Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service.

"There was a purpose in building it the way we did," Lyles said. ""We designed it ahead of time to be green."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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