Going Green

Going Green is a growing trend among homeowners and builders. More than 6% of homes built in 2008 will be "green" homes. In 2006 The Harvard Business Review included an article saying that green building is an established mainstream building practice.

It makes perfect sense. Using natural and recycled materials helps the environment, and you save money in the process. It's a big "win-win" and I suspect the trend will continue to grow.

Let's start by addressing a few lingering misconceptions.

* Building a green home is NOT too expensive. So far, the publicity and media coverage has focused on high-end homes. So I guess people believe you have to be rich to be going green. Alex Wilson, president of Building Green Inc., says "...the simple fact is that there are plenty of strategies for inexpensive green building, from right-sizing the structure, to value engineering, to reducing waste, among many others."

* Green building products DO work as well as conventional products. If anything, they work better. New products generally improve on the old ones they're replacing. Look at the low-flow toilets for example, or the newer sprayed-in insulation that has such a high R factor.

* Green products are NO LONGER hard to find. The number of green products and systems has grown dramatically over recent years, and are available just about anywhere.

Building Green Inc. publishes two directories which are updated annually (Green Spec and Green Building Products. These show performance information and sources, for every green product you can think of.

* Green homes are NOT ugly. You don't have to build a house that has a weird shape, or have a roof covered with solar panels in order to be green. You cannot visually tell the difference between many of today's green homes and traditional homes.

* Building a green home is NOT a complicated process (well, no more than other homes). Most of us have to familiarize ourselves with the products involved in going green because many of them are new.

But the overall concept to a green house is very fundamental. Build a tight envelope, and use energy efficient fixtures and equipment.

These two aspects of the building process are essentially unchanged from previous thinking, and don't inhibit your selections at all. When you get into choosing decorative items (like flooring), going green will narrow your choices.

But, if you decide not to go that route, no big deal - the heavy-duty benefits have been addressed in the envelope, fixtures and equipment. You don't have to be 100% green in order to be considered green.

Location, location, location...

Some builders/developers offer lots on sites that are environmentally sensitive. These include farmland, wetlands, animal habitats, and so on.

It would be more environmentally responsible to identify lots that have been built on former parking lots, rail yards, shopping malls or industrial sites (as long as nothing toxic got into the ground).

Wooded lots are usually very good. Try to save as many trees as you can, especially those with trunks that are greater than 8" in diameter.

There are big environmental benefits to building within walking distance to public transportation, and then using it. Take the train or bus to work, and leave the car at home.

If you're within walking distance to shopping and/or schools, you could be physically and financially healthier. Be serious about going green, and see how many errands you can get done on you daily walk.

Design of the house

There's no need to overbuild. Figure out how large the house should be for you and your family to be comfortable, leaving a little room for expansion (guests, and other surprises). A 2500 square foot house uses much less energy than a 5500 square foot Mc Mansion. Going green means not being wasteful.

The home should be positioned on the site so that it will let in the most natural daylight and take advantage of prevailing breezes. Daylight should reach at least 75% of the interior living spaces, using windows, skylights, and doors.

Obviously, there are times when you don't want the sunlight making the house warmer, so you'll need window treatments that provide shade (blinds, drapes, shades, etc.).

Trees near the house are extremely helpful in this regard. You can see a page about different types of windows by clicking here.

The roof should be a light color to reduce the amount of heat being absorbed, and the attic needs to be properly ventilated.

Any wood materials should come from rapidly renewable materials such as the softer woods (pine, fir, poplar), which take about 10 to 12 years to grow (as opposed to 30 to 60 years for oak and other hardwoods), or bamboo (it's really a grass - not a wood) which goes from seedling to mature plant in about 3 years.

The finished bamboo products are extremely hard and durable (but a bit fibrous). Many interior items are made from recycled materials, and linoleum is a very green product. Spend time shopping around and see what you like.

For more about green building products, click here.

To read about several other ways to go green, click here.

If you need to contact me about going green, click here.

If you Wish to subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, Remodeling News & Views, submit your subscription here.