Steve Bertasso

Steve Bertasso, Senior Associate of TrueNorth Development (www.truen.com), helps builders across the country implement green building solutions while reducing overall cost of construction. You can learn more about LeanGreen solutions through his weekly blog at HousingZone.com. Questions and feedback are welcome at sbertasso@truen.com.

Lean and Green Builder: Stick vs. panels - a greener way to frame

Posted: Tue, 2012-03-06 10:32

By: Steve Bertasso

Looking at this topic, I am reminded of my days as a security system salesperson. The sales pitch for a door-to-door salesperson is safety and security. If you had our system installed, you were assured that if someone tried to break...

Lean and Green Blog: Finding waste in a barrel

Posted: Wed, 2012-02-29 11:35

By: Steve Bertasso

Each week as I think about this weekly blog, I try to find a topic that is not only green, but a universal opportunity. What I mean is no...

The Lean and Green Blog: Avenues to green

Posted: Tue, 2012-02-21 13:02

By: Steve Bertasso

Since the beginning of the Builders' Show in Orlando this month, I have learned more in two weeks than most will learn in a year. From the people I met, to new and evolving construction techniques and technologies that promise to have an...

Lean and Green Blog: Sustainable products highlights from IBS 2012

Posted: Fri, 2012-02-17 13:05

By: Steve Bertasso

As the building world concludes another International Builders’ Show, the sentiment shared by many of the attendees was one of hope for a better year. Many builders showed the promise of a better year as January orders seemed to be up among many...

The Lean and Green Blog: Wisdom from an unlikely source

Posted: Thu, 2012-02-02 13:49

By: Steve Bertasso

The fall of 2010, I found myself working with some of the best and brightest minds I have ever met in the construction industry. I was working with a client in Alabama on a LeanBlitz with TrueNorth. At dinner, the second night of our...

The Lean and Green Builder: Lesson 10 – Knowledgeable sources

Posted: Tue, 2012-01-24 14:42

By: Steve Bertasso

In my travels, I have seen a lot of different places, both in the USA and outside. When I travel, one of my favorite activities is finding great little spots to see and taste the local culture. When traveling in New Orleans, I asked...

The Lean and Green Builder: Lesson 9 - WaterSense makes cents

Posted: Tue, 2012-01-17 15:39

By: Steve Bertasso

Walking in my home last evening, I was greeted with the usual excitement of children running around, the dog barking and my wife sharing the latest item in the home that needs my attention. The kitchen faucet decided it was time to throw an...

The Lean and Green Builder: Lesson 8 – fresh air?

Posted: Tue, 2012-01-10 16:03

By: Steve Bertasso

For years the building industry has been focused on sealing the holes in our homes to prevent air infiltration. Initially our concerns focused on improving energy efficiency by containing all our conditioned air within the building envelope....

The Lean and Green Blog: Lesson 7 - better energy management

Posted: Tue, 2012-01-03 16:32

By: Steve Bertasso

With so many definitions of energy efficiency, it is often difficult to pin down what that means. For the most part, a consumer defines energy efficiency in dollars and cents, based on their particular lifestyle. For a builder, we...

The Lean and Green Blog: Lesson 6 - A sustainable products process

Posted: Wed, 2011-12-21 12:37

By: Steve Bertasso

This December marks my glorious return to selecting products for new home construction. For three years, I have worked with TrueNorth Development bringing Trade Partners and Builders together to better understand the pain caused by their...