Earth-friendly homes featured in spring tours

Earth-friendly homes are among those featured in both the Topeka and Lawrence Home Builders Association Spring Tours this season. Two homes, and their respective builders, will be previewed on this week’s “Home and Away.”

Repurposed materials are incorporated into the Valencia Road, Topeka home built by Jason Droge of Droge Construction. Droge used reclaimed lumber for the flooring, trim, staircase, cabinets and doors.

“It (repurposed materials) gives the house a unique look. It gives a new house a lot of character, makes it feel like more than just a house, it feels like a home,” says Droge.

Kelly Drake, president of Mallard Homes in Lawrence, is presenting a home that exceeds standards of the new energy building codes. Features include insulated footing and slab, blown-in wall insulation, and an LP TechShield radiant barrier roof.

The Spring Homes Tours in both Topeka and Lawrence are Saturday-Sunday and May 2-3. “Home and Away” at 6:30 p.m. today on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 and replays at 9:30 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday; 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 10:30 a.m. Friday; 10 a.m. Saturday; and 9 p.m. Sunday.