There's a new building product at the lake called BluWood, but it's as much green as it is blue.

Lake-area builders and homeowners more and more are asking for "green" or environmentally friendly products, according to Bruce Shelton, manager of Capps Home Building Center in Moneta.

"The buyer today is a lot more savvy than 25 years ago," Shelton said. "More people are moving into the area, and they want green products. The environmental movement is hitting close to home."

And it's hitting homes.

BluWood, a framing lumber with a treatment process that prohibits mold and mildew in new home construction, and keeps termites at bay, is one of Capps' answers to those who ask for green.

"We brought it in about two weeks ago, and we haven't had this kind of response to a new product in years," Shelton said.

Because the trend in home construction is building with energy efficiency in mind, today homes are "tighter" or have less air flow than in years past, Shelton explained.

"There's not that many places for air to flow and in and out of a house now, so if moisture gets trapped in one of those small spaces, it's a breeding ground for mold and mildew," he added.

A homeowner can suspect mildew or mold if health problems, including wheezing and coughing, are prevalent. You can see mold, especially around windows, Shelton said. If there's blackness or splotchiness on the drywall, you might have mold growth from within the wall cavity.

"It thrives in a damp, wet environment," he said.

The folks at BluWood, which has been featured on the television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," offer a lifetime warranty of up to $6 million per house against the growth of mold or mildew, Shelton said. Builders can pass the warranty on to homeowners at closing, he added.

Capps buys its lumbers from a variety of sources, including several located overseas. The building supply company ships the lumber that will be turned into BluWood to Greensboro, N.C., where it's treated.

Shelton said it has been a hit in humid locales such as Myrtle Beach, S.C.

But as with other green products, it will take more green to build with BluWood. The green term is applied to BluWood because the treatment process is environmentally friendly, he said.

Shelton said using it will add about 15 percent to 20 percent to the framing package of a house. On a 3,000-square-foot home, that would be a cost addition of about $2,000 to $2,500.

Capps is always seeking green products to sell to customers, Shelton said, but because there are so many different definitions and guidelines for what is green, it's hard to detect what's really environmentally friendly.

But one they have determined is green is a composite decking material they sell called Trex. It's a plastic resin and wood flour product made by a Winchester, Va., company from recycled plastic grocery bags.

Capps also plans to start carrying a green line of Benjamin Moore paint. It will be available by the end of the year, Shelton said. It releases fewer chemicals into the air than traditional paint, he said.

As for BluWood, Shelton said it's not a substitute for pressure-treated lumber, so you can't use it to build docks or boathouses. It's mostly for home framing, he added.

The blue color of the wood has no significance to the green movement, Shelton said.

"It doesn't mean a thing. It's just there to let people know it's been treated."