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12 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Green Building Product

A green building product better begin as a good product. Here’s what to look for before diving deeper into a product’s green claims.

By: Rick Schwolsky

green-homesWhile the industry has made real progress in providing us with green products and backing up their performance claims, product selection will continue to be one of the most critical challenges you will face in meeting your green missions—and that puts your business and reputation at risk.

As a former high-performance home builder, I know what this feels like. You’re stuck in a gray area between innovation and risk, caught between a commitment to build high-performance homes and your responsibilities to ensure those homes still perform their most basic functions without creating problems—or liabilities.

“Nobody,” builders often say, “wants to be the first to try out a new product,” and yet we’re driven to embrace change and improve the way we build. This dilemma puts pressure on every decision you make, whether it’s detailing a wall section, specifying ventilation equipment, or selecting finishes.

You have to find a reliable level of confidence in your decisions and balance the trade-offs associated with them. But how can you gain the confidence you need?

Here are the first 12 questions you should ask about any green building product you’re evaluating—before you make your selection:

How will it perform its basic function as a building material or product?

How does it compare with products I use now?

Is it code approved?

Is it third-party certified?

Will it contribute toward project certification?

Is it available?

How will it affect my pricing?

Will it increase my level of risk or liability?

How will it improve the level of performance of my homes?

How will it contribute toward sustainability?

Will it require new sequencing or installation skills/trades?

Is it worth the investment for the benefits?

After answering these 12 questions, apply your own experience and expertise to filter out products that would put you outside your comfort zone in terms of unknowns and risks.

Only after evaluating potential selections for their application as viable building products can you focus on their green attributes and performance benefits and how they’ll integrate with the other elements of your green projects. At that point you can ask: “What makes these products green?” “How can I avoid greenwashing?” and “How can I verify the manufacturers’ performance claims?”

This last question leads to third-party certifications, which we regularly cover in EcoHome.

Rick Schwolsky is Editor in Chief of EcoHome.

Filed Under: Green Homes, Green Homes Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

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Last updated Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:16
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How Consumers and Builders Feel About Green Homes

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Benefit of Green HomesHere is the reality about green homes: they reduce carbon footprints, save consumers money on utility bills, and improve the health of children living in the home as a result of better air quality and other related factors. In a society with a growing focus on environmental sustainability, green homes are not just a potential future; they’re forming a part of our present.

But the reality about green homes and what the public actually thinks about them are not always one and the same. In fact, they can be disparate enough that it would warrant continued action by organizations supporting green homes to increase awareness about the benefits of these homes and to dispel any myths.

Whirlpool Corporation is interested in seeing that green building takes hold in our society. Whirlpool has been a partner of Habitat for Humanity for years, donating ranges and ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerators to new Habitat homes built in the United States and Canada as well as supporting Habitat’s work around the world, and engaging employees to volunteer with their local Habitat organizations. To gauge public perception on the topic of green homes, Whirlpool and Habitat teamed up with NAHB Research Center – an independent subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) – to survey consumers and builders on what they think is the state of affordable and green housing in the United States. Whirlpool is releasing the results from this survey in a series, with the first set of results on the affordability of green homes released in November 2010 and the second, identifying barriers to green homes released in January 2011.

The survey found that builders and consumers generally perceive green homes as affordable to live in but more expensive to purchase. In fact, among consumers, 67 percent of high-income respondents said they believe a completely green home would be affordable to live in or maintain. The same answer was given by 65 percent of upper middle income, 59 percent of middle income and 48 percent of low income consumer respondents.

But, when asked if a green home would be affordable to purchase, only high income respondents answered mostly in the affirmative, with a total of 71 percent, compared to 47 percent of low-income respondents who said that they believe a completely green home would not be affordable for them to purchase.

The builder portion of the survey found that 87 percent believe green homes are affordable for middle-income families to live in, but 30 percent felt green homes were not affordable for the segment to purchase or build. The disparity is even more evident when asked about low-income families. A total of 70 percent of home builders said they believe green homes are affordable to live in for this segment, but almost 60 percent thought green homes were not affordable for low-income families to purchase or build.

However, the survey also demonstrated that the public is generally in favor of a continued effort for creating more green homes. It showed that 64 percent of respondents indicated that savings from green home features were sometimes worth the added costs and efforts. And, 77 percent of consumers feel that green homes are at least somewhat, if not very, important to them. And they note that green homes are important because of the positive impact on the environment, the long-term financial savings, and the health benefits for the family. It seems clear that the public believes in the importance of green homes, so what do consumers and builders believe will help them become more affordable? According to the survey, the answer lies in reduced prices on materials for construction. A total of 59 percent of consumers indicated that lower cost of products and materials is needed for green homes to become more affordable and 75 percent of builders agreed with this.

Another change consumers mentioned that can make green homes affordable is an increase in incentives for sustainable building and remodeling. Of all respondents, 53 percent felt that increasing incentives for homeowners would help with green home affordability, and 36 percent suggested increasing incentives for builders. In addition, 69 percent of consumers indicated they believe state and federal governments should provide incentives for purchasing green building products. Among builder respondents, 40 percent believed that incentives for both homeowners and builders would help promote green building.

This survey underscores a case for the viability of green building to protect the environment and save money. More findings from the study will be released throughout the year. While these will undoubtedly offer additional insight into how we can all help promote green building, the findings we have thus far clearly show us that this is something the public is looking for. It’s up to the companies and organizations involved in green building to help educate the public further on why this is such an important endeavor and why it can be affordable to all.

Editor’s note: In a earlier post in this series, Shon Anderson, VP of Energy Solutions at Schneider Electric points out that 70-75% of the total life-cycle cost of a building is in operation and maintenance and only 20-25% is tied up in the purchase price. Why then do we allow the high initial cost to be such a barrier? These costs should be amortized of the home’s life cycle. This would be a great opportunity, not only for government subsidies, but for the financial industry to step forward and provide mechanisms to make this happen.

by Tom Halford ~ Tom Halford is general manager, contract sales and marketing at Whirlpool Corporation

Filed Under: Green Homes, Green Homes Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Disadvantages of Building Green

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Unfortunately, it seems that everything that is beneficial to people tends to carry a higher price tag with it. For example, the checkout receipt from a simple trip to the grocery store seems to double if the items that were purchased include fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and fish; instead of chips, cookies and canned foods. Just when a lot of people are seriously thinking about trying to help preserve the environment by building an eco friendly home, a few disadvantages to this type of construction are slowly beginning to rise to the surface. Of course, the primary concern is the tremendous initial cost that is usually associated with the whole “building green” process. Therefore, it is a wise thing to spend a little time and effort thoroughly sorting out and searching through all of the variables that may be connected to this fairly new style of constructing a home.

The most important stumbling block in this endeavor might just be the availability, or rather the lack of, adequate funding. This is something that will have to be quickly dealt with. Obviously, since this construction method is a fairly new concept to many people, the conditions and restrictions of such building loans might make it very difficult for the average homeowner to even be able to obtain a mortgage. Secondly, any potential green house builder also has to remember that since “building green” is a relatively newly introduced technique, the demand for these types of building materials has been very low up to this point in time.

Consequently, the possibility always exists that it may be more than a little difficult to obtain them from any of the material supply sources that are located in their particular area. As most people can attest to, the lack of competition automatically increases the prices of most items. Add to this fact, if a person has to order these things from a distant supplier, shipping and handling charges will also have to be included in the final price. Therefore, at the end of the day, the bottom line figure that will have to be mortgaged may be a whole lot more than some of the lending institutions will be ready to agree to. Locating qualified building contractors can become another exhausting undertaking.

Therefore, as you can see, there are a number of variables that just might have an adverse effect on the entire building process. Delving into any brand new idea or concept requires a whole bunch of planning, consideration and preparation. Try to envision how much more of all of these things will be absolutely necessary when dealing with a project of this magnitude.

Filed Under: General, Green Homes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Damp Basement Solutions

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Damp Basement

Diagnosis:

The source of your problem could be a water leak or high humidity. Both can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth. Depending on the severity, conditions can lead to rot, structural damage, premature paint failure, and a variety of health problems. Water can seep into your house from the outside through a leak in the foundation, or small gaps around windows or doors. Water can also come from inside your house from a leaking water pipe, toilet, shower or bathtub. High indoor humidity caused by normal activities of everyday living, such as showering, cooking, and drying clothes, can also be a source of your problem. A damp basement is commonly caused by moisture migrating through a concrete foundation. There may not be a sign of any leak or standing water, but the moisture evaporates, increasing indoor humidity. Another common cause is condensation on the cold concrete walls and floors during humid months.

Prescription Checklist:

* Where does the problem occur? Below a bathroom? Ceiling? Corners? Where the problem occurs can lead to what is causing the problem. If the problem is localized (a spot on the ceiling, wall or corner it is possibly caused by a water leak. If the problem is in a large area, like a whole wall or room, then it might be caused by humidity.
* If you suspect a mold problem consult EPA’s Brief Guide to Mold in your home for more information.
* If you plan to remodel your basement, it is important to control moisture problems at the before doing anything else. Corrective actions can be relatively easily but sometimes, depending on the severity of the problem, they can be difficult and expensive.

Stop water leaks

* If a leak is the source of your problem, have it fixed first.
* If you have standing water on the floor of your basement after a heavy rain then it is likely from a leak in the foundation.
o Clean rain gutter and redirect downspout runoff away from the foundation.
o Make sure the ground around the house slopes down away from the foundation. If necessary, re-grade so the ground does slopes away.
o If you have a sump pump, make sure it is working properly.
* If you have water stains on the ceiling or wall under or near a bathroom it could be a leak from a water pipe, toilet, bathtub or shower. Hire a plumber to repair the leak.
* If the leak has caused substantial water damage or mold you will want to hire a contractor who specializes in mold remediation and water damage repairs.

Reducing indoor humidity

* If your basement has a dirt floor, cover the floor completely with plastic to slow down water vapor coming through the soil.
* Use ventilation fans in kitchens and baths to control moisture. Check to make sure ventilation fans venting directly outside. In some cases the vent fan may have been installed to vent into the attic or become disconnected or blocked.
* Your clothes dryer should be vented directly to the outside. Inspect the vent duct. Make sure it is attached securely to the dryer. Check that it is clear of obstructions (e.g. lint). Check for holes that leak air. If vent duct is damaged replace it with a metal duct. The vent duct should be cleaned at least once a year. The Consumer Products Safety Commission additional safety tips for dryer vents Exit ENERGY STAR.
* Ask a heating and cooling contractor to check your heating and cooling system to make sure it is sized and operating properly to remove humidity. If you system is too big or the airflow incorrect your air conditioner will not remove humidity like it should. Also, ask the contractor to check your duct system for air leaks, and proper size and air flow to each room. To help you find a contractor, please refer to our recommendations.
* Sealing air leaks (Home Sealing) and sealing duct air leaks can help to prevent high humidity levels in your home.
* During hot humid months, using a dehumidifier in the basement can reduce condensation on the walls. This may work better after you’ve sealed air and duct leaks to reduce the amount of humid outdoor air you are bringing into the basement.

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