Green Remodeling
Need a new addition to accommodate your family’s new addition? Or maybe you’re just looking to update the look of your kitchen or bathroom. Thinking green while remodeling or adding on to your home can improve the air quality, energy efficiency, and comfort of your home while saving you a fortune on future energy, water, sewer, and maintenance bills. Here’s how to build it green:
- Start with a green design: Ask your designer or architect to incorporate green building into the design of the project to make the best use of energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and use of recycled materials.
- Minimize disruption: Heavy equipment and other vehicles compact the soil and destroy vegetation, so look for ways to minimize the disruption they cause.
Limit machinery to areas that are or will be paved or built over.
- Use what you have: Look for ways to salvage the materials that you already have.
Old floor tiles could be used as the backsplash behind your range or as part of a decorative counter top. Salvaging material saves you money on materials and keeps these resources out of the landfill. - Banish toxins: Conventional building materials emit toxins that are dangerously toxic to the environment and your family. Keep these toxins out of the air by avoiding formaldehyde-based adhesives, as well as toxin-emitting paints, carpeting, and finishes. Breathe easier by replacing these with solvent-free adhesives, water-based wood finishes, and low-VOC paints and carpets.
- Reuse and Recycle: After your green remodel is finished, keep extra materials out of the landfill by making sure they are reused or recycled. In many cases, your contractor will be happy to take the materials off your hands for use on a future project. If not, post an ad on Freecycle or contact your local recycling facility or builder’s exchange to ensure that extra materials are put to good use.
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We are in the starting (thinking) process of redoing our bathroom. How do you find a contractor that understands all the green building materials? We are having a hard time with that.
http://www.greencontractors.us/
Give this a try
Jess
In response to the above post about finding a good contractor, that is always a struggle. The most important thing is do your research, know what you want and be persistant with the contractor. We wanted to install a tankless hot water heater a little over a year ago and it took some searching before we found the right contractor. You wouldn’t believe some of the conversations we had with contractors. It was just a matter of their lack of understanding and experience with tankless systems. Eventually we got a recommendation from someone and that let us to the right contractor for our job. Angie’s List, if available in your area, is also a really good resource. Good luck!
As two aspiring Architects, we have been remodeling our home with the idea that anyone, no matter what price point, can remodel in a “Green” or Sustainable manner. So many of the Green homes we see in the media are far out of reach for the average family. Please check out our website as we have documented everything we have done to our home in detail including pictures, cost and anticipated payback of some of our improvements. We will continue to update our progress. It is a slow one as we are tackling most of the work ourselves with two young children in tow. http://www.symhome.net Also, I am and will be blogging about the ways in which we are “Greening” our home at http://www.symhomemom.blogspot.com
Beth,
You are correct. A couple of years ago I attended a training for contractors on green building. David Johnston, author of “Green Remodeling, Changing the World One Room at a Time” was the speaker. He told us that 60% of the homeowners who had a green romdeling job done were not happy with the results.
My company, Why Build Green, can help you navigate the minefields, of design, hiring a
contractor, managing the work, and ensuring a quality built and green project to fit your budget.
Contact us at greenbuilding.jm44@gmail.com
John Mayeux
The tips about building green are a great starting point when considering embarking on such a project. Thanks!
More green products are available as each week goes by. And people are starting to think green. As well as buying green I like the idea of reclaiming what you already have which you pointed out in point #5.
When refurbishing bathrooms, cabinetry can often be reclaimed with some elbow grease and a new finish. Keeping an existing bathtub, if in good shape, and adding a new surround is another idea that will give the tub a fresh look without removing it. This saves time, money, and the environment.
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