Disadvantages of Building Green

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.

Have a Simple Green Life – It All Starts With a Green Home

A house which is green is constructed and run keeping environment in mind. With the danger of global warming becoming more pronounced with every passing day, the average family needs to do their part to make as minor effect as possible. A simple green life should be the first step. The greener your house; the healthier ambience it will posses. You can utilize environment friendly items from paint to curtains and other components which will append to the complete decoration of your house.

The most likely green materials to be utilized:

In case you are willing to construct a brand new house, think about the environment as well. You can utilize renewable resources such as lightweight concrete, manufactured, stone, straw, earth or wood.

What makes a home green? Well it will directly depend upon the amount of usage of these raw materials. Our planet itself is an abundant resource. The dirt beneath our feet is very environment friendly. You can select from earthen sources like cob, adobe, and rammed earth.

Since last 50 years, lightweight concrete has been utilized for construction of buildings. Its potency is not as much as the usual concrete normally used for construction, but you can be definite about the fact that the final product will match the standards. Benefits of using this building material are that it can be utilized for insulation as it has outstanding fire resistant attributes. It also asks for a smaller foundation and there isn’t too much requirement of structural steel. This effects the environment positively.

Manufactured building materials make an impact on those who care for the environment but don’t like living in a home built of dirt, tree parts, straw etc. Mostly a home built with this kind of material once constructed with prove to be an excellent house that is energy efficient with concern to the planet.

If you desire to live a simple green life, wood is amongst the most flexible resource for construction. Earlier it was considered as a sustainable material for building, but with the excessive harvesting of forests throughout the planet, the people’s greed has beaten the capabilities of trees to regenerate. You can construct a green house keeping in view the environment by using timber farmed, log wood and stick farmed if you require wood.

There are numerous models of green homes available. Models can vary from square to rounded, earth-sheltered and organic. Every mode has many styles you can select from to make your home distinct, soothe and environment friendly.

A square mode home often indicated that it will accommodate the usual idea of a home with respect to the opinions of the Western World. Houses that are judged as conventional frequently have vertical walls and rectilinear floor plan. Modes that can be judged as conventional are modern, bungalow, tradition, Victorian or southwestern.
A house which is curved or rounded in outlook is judged as rounded styling. This indicated that the idea foe the home has a major part which is rounded or curvy. This kind of house is an example of simple green living.
Green homes covered with earth can be positioned either partly or completely into the earth. There are many benefits to you and your environment whenever you decide to make your home green with the selection of this style. Whenever you stay six feet below the surface of the earth, you will observe that the temperature only oscillates a few degrees in the whole year. The advantage of this is that it will need much lower energy to warm up and cool your home, setting aside the environment from draining natural resources.

Living a simple green life can help the environment a lot more than you may think. Our planet and its natural resources is something which should be given to our children. If we don’t bother about the future, there will be nothing left of the environment to pass on.

A house which is green is constructed and run keeping environment in mind. With the danger of global warming becoming more pronounced with every passing day, the average family needs to do their part to make as minor effect as possible. A simple green life should be the first step. The greener your house; the healthier ambience it will posses. You can utilize environment friendly items from paint to curtains and other components which will append to the complete decoration of your house.

The most likely green materials to be utilized:

In case you are willing to construct a brand new house, think about the environment as well. You can utilize renewable resources such as lightweight concrete, manufactured, stone, straw, earth or wood.

What makes a home green? Well it will directly depend upon the amount of usage of these raw materials. Our planet itself is an abundant resource. The dirt beneath our feet is very environment friendly. You can select from earthen sources like cob, adobe, and rammed earth.

Since last 50 years, lightweight concrete has been utilized for construction of buildings. Its potency is not as much as the usual concrete normally used for construction, but you can be definite about the fact that the final product will match the standards. Benefits of using this building material are that it can be utilized for insulation as it has outstanding fire resistant attributes. It also asks for a smaller foundation and there isn’t too much requirement of structural steel. This effects the environment positively.

Manufactured building materials make an impact on those who care for the environment but don’t like living in a home built of dirt, tree parts, straw etc. Mostly a home built with this kind of material once constructed with prove to be an excellent house that is energy efficient with concern to the planet.

If you desire to live a simple green life, wood is amongst the most flexible resource for construction. Earlier it was considered as a sustainable material for building, but with the excessive harvesting of forests throughout the planet, the people’s greed has beaten the capabilities of trees to regenerate. You can construct a green house keeping in view the environment by using timber farmed, log wood and stick farmed if you require wood.

There are numerous models of green homes available. Models can vary from square to rounded, earth-sheltered and organic. Every mode has many styles you can select from to make your home distinct, soothe and environment friendly.

A square mode home often indicated that it will accommodate the usual idea of a home with respect to the opinions of the Western World. Houses that are judged as conventional frequently have vertical walls and rectilinear floor plan. Modes that can be judged as conventional are modern, bungalow, tradition, Victorian or southwestern.
A house which is curved or rounded in outlook is judged as rounded styling. This indicated that the idea foe the home has a major part which is rounded or curvy. This kind of house is an example of simple green living.
Green homes covered with earth can be positioned either partly or completely into the earth. There are many benefits to you and your environment whenever you decide to make your home green with the selection of this style. Whenever you stay six feet below the surface of the earth, you will observe that the temperature only oscillates a few degrees in the whole year. The advantage of this is that it will need much lower energy to warm up and cool your home, setting aside the environment from draining natural resources.

Living a simple green life can help the environment a lot more than you may think. Our planet and its natural resources is something which should be given to our children. If we don’t bother about the future, there will be nothing left of the environment to pass on.

Shaye Michaels is the creator of http://www.SimplyGreenlife.com, a blog dedicated to helping people live simple green lives. Our free articles and tips will help you to live life green everyday! Shaye Michaels is the creator of http://www.SimplyGreenlife.com, a blog dedicated to helping people live simple green lives. Our free articles and tips will help you to live life green everyday!


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Building to a Higher Standard

There has been an explosion of interest in going green. Everything from cars to light bulbs are being pushed to new levels of efficiency. New industries are cropping up, it seems, on a daily basis.

But what about buildings; office buildings and schools in particular. These are the places that we spend most of our waking hours, and where we consume most of the energy.

There is a movement, led by the US Green Building Council, to establish standards to which buildings are designed and constructed by. Affecting more than just the energy consumption, but also the environment of the occupants inside. Buildings are certified, showing that it has met the requirements for a particular level of efficiency.

Not only do buildings get certified, but individuals also become accredited. There are thousands of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professionals in the United States, all of whom had to pass a fairly difficult test covering the details of the “LEED” program. These “APs” act as a guide to design a building for the specific purpose of attaining high levels of efficiency.

Just as hybrid cars are more expensive than their normal, gas powered counterparts, buildings achieving, or attempting to achieve any level of certification will have an increased cost. The cost, if calculated properly, should be offset by the reduction in energy usage, and the increase in productivity of the occupants of the building. And the payback of the additional cost could come in 5 years.

A recent study released from the venture capital firm Good Energies, Inc states that around 50% of non-residential building will be green by 2015. That is five years from now. It must also be noted that these numbers also include buildings that did not obtain LEED certification, but did adhere to the guidelines. This should be recognized as tremendous growth.

Based on the ever increasing number of buildings being submitted for certification and the growing population of accredited professionals, it looks as though green building has only barely gotten started.

If you like this article and have a website, you can link to it, or post it (please include greendesigncommunity.com as the original source).

10 Steps to Maximize Your Energy Audit

energy-audit10. Don’t Get the Free Audit – Energy Audits are like all other things in this world. You get what you pay for. If you’re willing to take a day or a half day off work to have an energy audit on your home. Then it’s presumed that you intend to generate enough data to either satisfy an outcome, or solve a pesky problem that you may be having. Auditors who perform free audits do not get paid very well, think sub 40K per year. As so, they may not be as professional or as motivated to serve you as an auditor for hire.

9. Gather Your Records – An Energy Audit without clear usage histories on both your home’s heating fuel usage and the electricity associated with cooling, operating appliances, and lighting. Is likely to become an audit filled with anecdotes, probables and maybes. For instance, the auditor may very well miss the three space heaters you run in the deep of winter that costs $700 per year, or that your base-load domestic hot water usage cost is way too high. Most utility companies have at least a one year history of usage on each bill. So even just your most recent bill will really help out.

8. Be Prepared to Answer Questions – A good audit should always begin with the auditor taking the time to ask questions. He should be concerned with the history of the house, behaviors of the occupants inside the home, as well as finding out about any specific concerns that may have prompted the audit. And of course what sort of desired outcome there is for the findings of the audit.

7. Prepare the House – Do you want a really good audit? Or do you want someone to clean out your fireplace and move boxes around in the attic and basement. Auditors will burn lots of calories during the 2-4 hours they spend with you. Blower door testing, infrared imaging, combustion analysis, manual inspections of dark, tight places. If your fireplace is dirty with wood ash, clean it out for a safe blower door test. if you have furniture in front of crawlspace access doors, move it out of the way. I assure you, after doing over 2,000 private audits. If you take these steps prior to the audit, and maybe mention it in passing to the auditor at the beginning. He will work harder to maximize your audit.

6. Be At Home – Auditors are not magic. They will have questions for you. Because of the programs in place right now to train new auditors. It’s pretty likely you may have an auditor who hasn’t been in the field that long. He will need some guidance. Someone who can help him sort out what he thinking. I’m not saying you should stay in his “hip pocket” the whole time. But do make yourself available.

5. Don’t Sweat Infrared Imaging – I had a call from a guy last summer who said he wanted an audit but wanted to wait for winter so we could infrared image his walls. If auditors could only work in ideal infrared environments, then it would not be a viable occupation. Infrared is useful for about 4 months out of the year. Unless it’s less than 40 degrees outside or greater than 85 degrees, it just isn’t that accurate on the building envelope. Anything that can be determined on an ideal day for thermal imaging, can be determined on any day regardless of temperature, provided the auditor is knowledgeable and patient enough to carefully come to his conclusions.

4. Do They Do the Work Also, or Just The Audit? – Sure it sounds good: Have an independent professional who is not tied to the outcome in any way help you to prioritize energy improvements. However, here is how it happens in the real world. The real cost of a full service energy audit is about $500. Auditors who charge $500 don’t stay very busy. Auditors can only afford to do it for less if they also make money on energy upgrades. My preference is for the firm who does the audit and makes money on the absolute most cost effective measures. Which is usually some weatherization. This auditor should be an absolute expert on building envelopes and also offer real good advice about windows, doors, hvac, and lighting. But would leave the big ticket work up to those who specialize in it. This type of auditor can usually perform an audit for a couple hundred bucks or so, and more often than not will also earn a contract worth 1-4K. Don’t worry. Those first weatherization dollars pay for themselves quickly.

3. Do the Upgrades – No, you don’t have to do them all at once. Yes, you can start with the most cost effective first and then work your way through the list. But do them. IT WILL improve the value of your home.

2. Be Nice to the Auditor – Is he thirsty? Would he like a snack? Smile and thank him for coming out. Trust me… he’s much more likely to find the draft at the far end of that tight, dark crawlspace if he likes you.

1. Tip Him and Offer Referrals – Hey, he worked hard. Carried equipment in and out. Didn’t complain about your dog jumping all over him. Cleaned up after himself. Came up with some good ideas. Maybe saved you a pile of money because the windows or furnace you’re worried about aren’t ready for replacement just yet. That’s right… show him a little extra green so his lunch is paid for today.

Learning More About ICF Construction

By now, many people of heard of and are intrigued by green building techniques. Vertical ICF construction is one green building method that has seen resurgence thanks to its energy efficiency and environmentally friendly construction and installation process. Traditionally used in commercial building construction, ICF construction is as popular as ever in providing energy-maximizing savings and structural integrity to residential consumers. ICF, or Insulated Concrete Forms, are a type of wall that is generally made from cement-bonded wood fiber (usually made from recycled wood and cement) and polystyrene.

The strength of a building constructed with ICF technology will be unmatched in terms of strength, energy efficiency, noise reduction and comfort when compared to a structure built with typical wood frame construction. Termites and other pests and insects will not be attracted to insulated concrete forms, therefore eliminated the risk of having structural integrity compromised. ICF walls are mold, mildew and allergen resistant as well, so you can rest assured that your home would be a comfortable environment for you and your family.

Vertical ICF walls are ultra efficient when it comes to energy savings. Concrete and foam is the best insulator available for your home. You can save as much as 50% to 80% on your heating and cooling bills when comparing to energy costs of a traditional wood frame house. The high insulation value also makes it an ideal sound barrier, keeping exterior noises out of your home and interior sounds from escaping, allowing for better security and privacy.

Insulated concrete forms can withstand the highest winds that you would encounter with severe weather including hurricanes and tornados. Winds of up to 200mph are no match for ICF construction, and neither is fire. Insulated concrete forms are able to resist fire for up to 3.5 hours. Furthermore, ICF walls will resist mold and will not rot due to excess moisture, so your maintenance and general upkeep will be virtually non-existent.

Installation of insulated concrete forms is relatively easy and can be done quickly with an experienced green building contractor. Many ICF walls are made with recycled and environmentally friendly materials, non-toxic and not manufactured with any harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde. Installation is easy and even the waste products are kept to a minimum. Cleanup will be quick and easy, and the leftover waste products from the construction can be recycled.

It is easy to see why Vertical ICF construction techniques are gaining popularity, especially within residential buildings. The energy efficient, reinforced concrete walls have an unmatched fire tolerance, a high resistance to termites and pests, resistance to mold and mildew, and will result in the maximum amount of energy savings possible. The structural integrity of a home or building constructed with Vertical ICF walls will be much more enhanced to those constructed with traditional wood frames.