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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.

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Protect Our Planet, Buy Green

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The message is slowly getting out, buy green. People have begun to realize the importance of green products as the food we eat and houses we live in affect our health as well as that of our families. Others are making the switch as they see our natural resources stripped from the planet to be used for our convenience. Many are starting to realize the importance of stewardship of planet earth.

Green shopping means more that just buying foods that are grown without growth hormones or pesticides. Green shopping involves purchasing supplies that are made through sustainable practices.

You can often find small produce sections located in many supermarkets that are labeled as organic produce. Sometimes finding such produce is difficult in the smaller cities or towns. When they are found, they are often small. One option is to shop at the online green stores. You can find produce that has been canned or preserved using green practices.

Buying green is more that just changing the groceries that you purchase.

Buying green also should affect the items that are purchased for use in homes. One example of bamboo flooring. Bamboo that is harvested can be replanted and another crop ready for gathering in a short time. The flooring produced is as durable as oak which takes many years to grow. By using materials such as bamboo, we lower our carbon footprint and can improve our world.

Even the compounds used for cleaning in our homes can be green. While the store bought cleaners give off chemicals that can be harmful to humans and pets, green cleaners can be made at home from simple ingredients. These ingredients, such as borax, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or baking soda can be bought a the local grocery store or online at one of the many online green stores.

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Buy Green, For Your Health, For Your Family, For Your Planet

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Slowly but surly more people are realizing how important it is to buy green. Some have realized how important green products are for their health and the health of their families. Others have realized that there truly is a limited amount of resources that are available on planet earth and that we need to be wise stewards of what we have.

When green shopping, you need to look for foods that are grown without the use or pesticides or growth hormones. When buying other supplies, look for those that come from sustainable practices.

Although some grocery stores have small produce sections that are now labeled as organic produce, in smaller cities and towns, the selection is often very limited. There are many green stores that can be found online. These stores offer organic products that are produced in such a way as to lower your carbon footprint on the earth.

If you truly buy green, it will affect more than the groceries that you purchase.

Buying green can even affect the products that we use to build our homes. One such product that has gained in popularity is bamboo flooring. Bamboo grows quite rapidly and plants can be re-grown in one growing season. The flooring is high endurance and is much more earth friendly than use of oak that can take generations to grow.

Do not forget that even the cleaning agents that are used in your home should be green. Many traditional cleansers give off fumes that can be dangerous in enclosed areas. Several of the green cleansers can be made at home using simple ingredients such as borax, vinegar, baking soda or hydrogen peroxide. These cleansers give off practically no odor and are very effective at keeping your home clean. If you want to buy green cleaners be sure to shop online at the many green stores.

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Buy Green For The Many Benefits

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As time passes more and more people are realizing that it is important to buy green. Green products improve the health of all consumers, from the youngest to the oldest. Choosing green shopping helps to stretch those limited resources which are left for us on earth. We must be good stewards of what has been entrusted us for the success of future generations. Our resources are no longer unlimited, so we must choose sustainable practices to continue life as we know it.

Green shopping involves purchasing foods grown without growth hormones and without pesticides. Prepared foods should not have artificial colors or preservatives added. If you have difficulty in finding these products consider shopping at green stores or green stores found online.

While some grocers may have small sections in their produce aisle that are labeled as organic or green, the selection is often very limited. This is especially true in smaller towns where the demand is low. Green stores offer many organic products that may be difficult to find in traditional grocery stores and are worth a shop.

When you buy green, you must expand beyond basic groceries.

Buying green can mean buying light bulbs that take less energy or installing used materials in our home. When choosing products like wood flooring, we can opt for bamboo that can quickly be replaced with other fast growing bamboo to keep our carbon dioxide levels down and avoid cutting trees that may have taken hundreds of years to grow.

Even you cleansers can be made green. Some of the things we buy in spray bottles is toxic to human beings or to pets. Most can be replaced with green mixtures, some that you mix yourself using hydrogen peroxide, borax, vinegar or baking soda. These cleansers give practically no smell, but are as effective as many of the spray bottles. You may choose to buy these cleansers at variety stores, grocery stores or online at green stores.

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Green Homes | The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part V

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This is the conclusion of a series of articles on the basic components of good green home construction. Having covered orientation, sealing the building envelope, insulation, efficient HVAC equipment, energy-saving appliances, upgraded windows, water conservation, and indoor air quality, we wrap up with durability and certification.

9 – Durability. One of the basic definitions of a green home is one that is built to withstand the test of time. What products offering increased durability will be used to construct the building envelope? What is the expected lifespan for the roofing and siding options you’re considering? For example, the estimated lifespan of metal roofing is more than 50 years, compared with 20 years at best for shingles. According to the manufacturers, concrete and copper roofing products are expected to last a lifetime.

One of the basic principles of durability begins with moisture mitigation. What products and methods will be used to protect the home from water intrusion through the roof, the walls, and/or around the windows?

Are termites a problem in your area? What termite-resistant products and procedures will be used in the construction of your home? Metal studs, borate-treated framing, installing irrigation and foundation plants at least two feet from the foundation, and exterior termite barriers are some of the possibilities.

Selecting products with durability in mind reduces replacement and maintenance costs down the road and increases the longevity of the home.

10 – Green Certification. Now that we’ve gone over the basics of green construction, you might be wondering if all green certified homes include these features. Not necessarily. The points selected from the green certification checklist and the green certification program chosen will determine the total green makeup of your home.

Your home can be certified as green through national programs such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designed by the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Green Building Program from the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders). In addition, many states have adopted their own green building certification programs. For a list of local green building programs, visit The National Association of Home Builders. Click the button on the left side of the home page entitled “Find a Local Program.”

Three components of a green certified home:

Whole-house approach: Although there are various green certifying organizations, they all require a whole-house approach to green construction. Because points must be selected from all categories within a certification program, all areas of the home are addressed. These categories generally consist of lot/site, energy-conservation, water conservation, health, and materials.

Inspection: A green certified home also means the structure was inspected during the building process by a green certifying agent to confirm that the selected green products and procedures were implemented or installed. The agent must provide documentation to an independent third party proving compliance with all selected points. If the third party is satisfied that the home meets all the requirements, it will award a green certificate.

Testing: Another aspect of the green home certifying process involves a series of tests on the home itself. These procedures measure whole-house air leakage (the blower door test) and ductwork leakage (the duct blaster and smoke test). Thorough and proper insulation installation is also reviewed through the thermal bypass inspection. (Note that not all tests are necessarily performed on every green home.) For an explanation of these testing procedures along with photos and a video of the ductwork smoke test, visit www.onestopgreenhome.com.



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Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Green building tips by Tracy DeCarlo & Curt Roese, Orlando Green Home and realty specialists.

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