“;
echo ““;
?>
Green Home Topics: What Makes A Home Green
There are many things one can do to make a home green. Remodeling is one of the best times to incorporate these actions. The objective is to make the home healthy, comfortable, energy efficient and sustainable (lasting a long time and requiring little maintenance). While not all these actions need to be done at once, they should be considered together so that the proper subset can be chosen to be implemented in the right order.
The house is one system whose overall performance depends on how the piece parts work together in concert with each other. It is very important to make sure that the choices fit the climate zone where the home is built. Broadly speaking, these are the important areas to consider when embarking on a green remodel.
- Seal all joints, cavities, and ducts
- Install sufficient insulation in ceiling, attic, walls, and foundation
- Consider adding external eaves, overhangs, shades and trees
- Install low-flow water fixtures and toilets
- Properly design and install high efficiency windows and doors
- Properly size heating and cooling system, duct and ventilation systems
- Properly design lighting system, and choose high efficiency fixtures and lamps
- Properly design efficient hot water heating and pipe system
- Properly design low-usage plumbing system including consideration of greywater and rainwater systems
- Properly design electric circuits to be ready for the future such as electric vehicles
- Use materials coming from sustainable sources such as FSC wood or recycled materials
- Use materials made with little to no VOCs
- Reuse materials already in place to the extent possible
- Properly dispose of or recycle removed materials
- Choose drought tolerant plants for landscaping, install drip irrigration system
- Consider adding renewable energy sources such as solar PV and solar thermal systems
- Take advantage of all federal and state financial incentives and assistance programs