Category: Green Building

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Green Building Home Design

4 Sustainable Home Building Materials

Thinking about remodeling your home? The best way to remodel your home is by using green building materials. It is a great way to help save the environment and get the most out of your home.  Since it is sometimes difficult to define if a particular material is green there are some general guidelines to consider.

  • Typically, the best material for any job is the one that performs the best with respect to the green criteria of you and your home. Factors might include: the product’s longevity, how well the material or product works with the rest of your home, whether it contributes to reducing energy or water consumption, or if it helps to improve air quality.
  • If two materials perform the same and have roughly equal expected lifetimes, natural materials are normally preferable to man-made ones.
  • Local materials are generally preferred to ones that must be shipped long distances, but you should weigh each material case by case.

Here is some information about the types of green materials you can choose for your home!

  • Framing — Wood. Two types of wood are gaining traction among green builders — engineered lumber and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Engineered wood is very common on both green and conventional home because it uses wood scraps and smaller trees to produce framing that’s stronger than traditional logs. Engineered wood also allows the builder to use less wood and use wood scraps that would otherwise go to waste.
  • Insulation — Fiberglass. Builders generally don’t consider fiberglass insulation a green material because it typically contains a toxic binding agent and is very energy-intensive to make. However, “superinsulating” a structure beyond building-code requirements is a fundamental principle of green building. Many green builders take advantage of the low cost and ease of installation to “superinsulate” and save money that they can use for other green features.
  • Roofing – Steel. Steel roofing (both panels and shingles) is an increasingly popular green choice because of its high recycled content and longevity.
  • Interior Finishing — Natural clay plaster.  Natural clay plasters are a great green alternative to the more common gypsum-based plasters.

Sources: isopropertyresources.com, (http://www.isopropertyresources.com/Feature-Story/Articles/Green-Building-Materials.html), greensource.com, (http://greensource.construction.com/products/2013/1303-product.asp)

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Eco Tips Featured Green Building Home Design

3 Benefits of Using Solar Energy at Home

Solar energy has recently become more popular due to its organic and natural qualities. It is also more economical to use solar energy due to its renewable supply. Ultimately, solar energy is worry-free and the only maintenance and upkeep needed are the application of solar panels and keeping the panels clean and clear of debris. There are many great benefits to use solar paneling for your home as a means of using energy.

  • Decrease in Energy Bills: When using solar energy, you are only taking from an ample supply of energy that regenerates itself naturally.  The use of non-solar energy only increases your electric bill every month, depending on the usage in your home. The application of solar panels will be beneficial because the energy produced will decrease your electricity bill.  Solar energy is free because it is natural and harnessed by solar panels.
  • Decrease Energy Demand: Using solar panel generated energy will decrease the demand for machinated energy. The production of energy costs hundreds of dollars, thus the expense of paying energy bills.  However, solar panels produce more energy than your local energy provider. All the excess energy produced by your home solar panels goes back into the power grid.  Therefore, the electric company writes you a check for the extra energy you produce.  Not only are you benefiting from home generated energy through solar panels, but you’re also being paid for the energy you produced!
  • Environmentally Sound: Solar energy is natural and can never run out. It is renewable and does not require a bill every month for its services for your home. You will experience some relief using your heater, appliances, and air conditioning unit knowing that your source of energy is renewable. Also, to produce energy without solar energy requires the use manufactured electricity, which requires a huge amount of power usage. The use of solar energy decreases the need for electric power.
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Green Building Home Design

6 Surprising Benefits of a Green Roof

A green roof or a living roof is the roof of a building that is covered with vegetation (such as grass and flowers) which is planted over a waterproofing membrane. A green roof has many different and intricate layers that all combine to create a living roof. When a rooftop has a garden with potted plants, it not considered a real green rooftop.

Why are roofs going “green?” Believe it or not green roofs significantly help reduce a buildings heating and cooling costs as well as helps with the urban heat island effect. The urban heat island effect is when a metropolitan area is warmer than its rural counterparts due to human activity.  Also green roofs are taking an otherwise unused space and making them environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. See our list below for some benefits of a living roof and how you can get one for your building!

Some Benefits:

  • With green roofs, water is stored by the membrane and then taken up by the plants from where it is returned to the atmosphere through evaporation.
  • Through the daily dew and evaporation cycle, plants on vertical and horizontal surfaces are able to cool cities during hot summer months and reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
  • The plants on green roofs can capture airborne pollutants.
  • Community gardens (e.g. local food production or co-ops)
  • The greater insulation offered by green roofs can reduce the amount of energy needed to moderate the temperature of a building, as roofs are the sight of the greatest heat loss in the winter and the hottest temperatures in the summer.
  • Noise pollution reduction – studies show noise levels in a building can be reduced by as much as 40 decibels

(Facts and benefits taken from greenroofs.org)

Here are some useful websites that you can find out more information and where you can inquire about getting a green rooftop for your building or home!

http://www.greenroofs.org

http://www.greenroofs.com/depot.htm

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Green Building Home Design

5 Benefits of Remodeling with Bamboo

There certainly is a lot of buzz about bamboo these days. Bamboo flooring is not only beautiful and stylish, but it has been proven to outperform traditional hardwood flooring in many ways.

Renewable resource. Bamboo is actually a fast-growing grass, which makes it a renewable resource. The roots of the plant continue to produce new shoots even after the mature plants have been harvested.

Finish options. You’ll find a variety of bamboo finishes on the market these days. There are floor panels available with grains running either vertically or horizontally, and those that come in either a dark or light finish.

Durability. Bamboo floors are generally more durable than wood. Just be sure to do some initial research on the bamboo materials that will be used by your contractor. Mature bamboo plants are strong, but overall durability depends on several factors. Ask questions about the age of the plants when harvested (young bamboo is softer and more susceptible to damage), ask if there are any materials or adhesives added, and ask about the source of the plant.

Cost. Bamboo floors are cheaper than most other flooring options the plants can grow almost anywhere and grow quickly. Bamboo floors are also easy to install, which helps further minimize the expense.

Easy maintenance. A simple dust mop is the most effective cleaning method for bamboo floors. Dry mop at least twice a week to remove dirt or grime, and then follow with a lightly dampened mop using warm water and a small amount of vinegar.

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Featured Green Building

Why Use a LEED Certified Builder?

Whether you are building a brand new structure or having work done on your existing home, if you’re an eco-conscious homeowner, you should consider pursuing LEED certification. This involves two aspects of your project: hiring a LEED certified builder and having the structure itself certified.

What is LEED certification?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a rating system created by the USGBC (US Green Build Council) to help business and residential builders and building owners create and maintain more sustainable properties. There are two types of LEED certification for structures: standard LEED certification and LEED for Homes certification. The LEED for Homes guidelines lay out how efficient residential structures need to be to be LEED certified, while the general LEED guidelines refer to commercial structures.

The Advantages

LEED certification for your home comes with many advantages. Part of getting the certification involves making a home that is healthier. This is due to the requirements involving air quality, sunlight exposure and more harmonious views.

LEED certification also requires water and energy efficiency. This makes your home more eco-friendly. It also reduces your costs, as reduced water and energy usage translates into lower monthly costs for those utilities.

But this isn’t the only way it can save you money. Indeed, homes that are LEED certified also have higher resale values. This makes your home more valuable should you choose to sell it.

LEED Professional Credentials

But it isn’t just structures that can be LEED certified. Builders can also be certified. That is, their work has been evaluated by experts and rated based on how many of the designated areas they have hit, and how well. Builders with this credential have been acknowledged for their innovation and awareness of green building techniques and processes.

Getting LEED Certified

You can use the LEED for Homes Green Rater to determine how efficient your home already is. To get certified, you’ll need to register your project with USGBC and have your project evaluated by a professional LEED for Homes Green Rater. You’ll also need to have your home rated by a Home Energy Rating System Rater.

You can find a map of LEED for Homes providers on the USGBC website, www.usgbc.org. If there are no providers in your immediate vicinity, don’t worry. You can contact any of the providers listed and seek their aid.

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Furnishings Green Building

How to Decorate in Earth Tones

When thinking about giving an interior facelift to your current home or selecting a color palette for an exciting new space, nature is a great reference point. If you look at a handful of pebbles, a field of grain or a forest of trees, you can detect a wide variety of colors that can help bring an eco-friendly look indoors.

Creamy or pale-earth yellows will help create an illusion of space in a tight area. One important tip is to avoid large expanses of sterile white, which can feel unfriendly and institutional. Since earth colors are generally warming, they work particularly well in large living rooms.

If you’re adding a new coat or two of paint to your walls to bring earth tones indoors, check out Benjamin Moore’s Natura line of zero-VOC paint. It’s a premium-quality paint with a washable finish that has none of the toxic fumes associated with traditional interior paints.

Neutral, natural colors are ideal for walls and floors since brighter tones such as reds or oranges can be added as accent colors through furnishings or smaller surface areas. This is especially important if you like to mix up your furnishings or accents frequently. Using a neutral color as a base will allow you to easily incorporate new colors through throw pillows, photo frames, or vases to keep your décor fresh.