Green Construction & Remodels
About Green Construction
Home construction materials and building techniques have changed in the past several decades to become more energy efficient. Many new innovations are less harmful to our environment as well.
By considering your building choices, you can easily increase the comfort, safety, and efficiency of your home without putting undue stress on our natural resources. By making your home "greener," you:
- Help to minimize pollution
- Protect the natural environment
- Create a healthy, comfortable, non-hazardous home for you and your family
Think green before you begin any construction project. By considering these points, you can choose the most appropriate building materials and construction techniques.
About Green Remodeling
Green Remodeling is Different than Building New, But the Goals Are the Same
Remodeling an existing home is inherently greener than buildling a new one. Americans spend roughly $200 billion a year on remodeling their homes. The scope of these projects varies from repainting to gutting a house down to the studs. What all remodels have in common is that they are upgrading rather than replacing, rebuilding rather than building new. And from an energy resources point of view, remodeling rather than rebuilding a brand new home with all new materials on a previously undeveloped site, is a green thing to do.
What Makes a Remodel Green?
- Energy efficiency
- Resource conservation
- A healthy indoor environment
Getting to Green
- Planning and design
- Begin with a Home Energy Audit to see where the biggest greening opportunities are
- Look back while thinking ahead - take care of the things requiring remediation before updating or adding on
- Use a whole system approach
- Fix what exists
- Consider the people who live there
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