Story by Whitley Mumm
Owner Greg Wolter started Community Builders, Inc. in his bedroom in the early 1980s. By 1990, they had moved into a building, and nearly every year since then, have seen steady growth in sales. Starting with siding, the company has expanded over the years to its now all-inclusive specialty home improvement services including windows, roofing, bathrooms, sunrooms, insulation, gutters and doors.
“My passion for this company is two-fold. First, I want to see the people that work here improve their lives… We constantly talk about how we can become better human beings. And then, we want to make sure we take care of our customers and that they get a good value,” Wolter said.
One way to improve your life is to make your home more energy efficient.
Windows, doors, and insulation are three areas where minor change can make a major impact. In fact, Community Builders, Inc. has helped customers reduce their utility costs by 50 percent, just by upgrading windows and insulation. Their energy efficient products include EnviroView replacement windows, Green Energy Barrier radiant insulation, Cedar Ridge composite siding, and insulated 26 Gauge Steel metal roofing.
1) Windows
Community Builders offers seven styles of windows, and each are installed with a low-e coating and airtight seal, giving them heightened ability to keep hot air out during the summer, and in during the winter.
2) Doors
Their doors are durable, high quality and high performance. Also installed with a custom-fit to make an airtight seal, a door from Community Builders, Inc. will stop drafts and reduce your energy bills.
3) Insulation
They use energy-barrier material in their insulation, which reflects heat energy, instead of merely slowing down its absorption
Wolter said, “Think of insulation like a sponge. Eventually, a sponge gets saturated and can’t soak anything else in. Insulation is the same way, it blocks for a while, then gets full and doesn’t do any good. If you can reflect that energy off of it, the insulation works better for a longer period of time. That’s what the energy-barrier material does.”
Why should you care about your home’s energy efficiency? First, making energy-efficient home improvements could save you thousands of dollars in energy costs. Second, promoting energy efficiency helps reduce the carbon footprint.
What do you think pollutes the most? A plane? A train? A car? Or, a house?
“Most people think it’s a car, but it’s your house,” Wolter said. “Your house pollutes the environment more than anything else. If we can improve the efficiency of a home, then we also reduce the carbon footprint, which of course is good for everybody… Good for the pocketbook, good for the consumer, and good for the value of the home.”
Wolter said his greatest desire is to serve his customers well, and make sure they make a wise decision that’s the best fit for them. He recommends only making the energy-efficient upgrades if it makes financial sense to do so.
“We want to make sure we take care of our customers, and that they get a good value,” Wolter said, “We’re not perfect, but we are pretty darn good.”
