Green Home Renovation
Renovators Place Columnist
Oct 08, 2009
Maybe you're troubled by the fact that commercial and residential buildings account for 65.2% of the electricity consumed in the U.S. each year. Or maybe you're just eager to cut down on your own electric bill. Either way, green building can help. And even better, going green for your home renovation doesn't have to mean increased home renovation costs. Read on to find out just what green building is, and just how you can turn your home renovation into a green building project.
The U.S. Green Building Council calls it like this: green building equals design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment. For your home renovation project, green can play out in a number of ways. Here are a few of the biggies.
In the end, going green doesn't have to mean spending a lot of green. But it does mean finding a contractor for your home renovation who understands and employs green building practices. To find an accredited green building professional in your area, visit the U.S. Green Building Council's website.
With that off your to-do-list, you'll breathe just a little bit easier.
Sources
About the Author
Dawn West holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Home Renovation Cost Savers
Major home modifications like solar panels may jump to mind when you start thinking about green ways to save energy, but easier changes like energy-efficient windows and doors fall under this category, too. The wonder of energy-efficiency modifications is that they keep giving back for years by lowering your utility bills. So if you're looking to recoup those home renovation costs, increasing your home's energy efficiency is a great place to start.Conservation of Materials and Resources: Recycling, Reusing, Renewing
Choosing building materials from green resources--like recycled flooring--can significantly lessen the impact of your home on the environment. This may be where you assume your home renovation costs will take a turn for the worse if you go green. In fact, more and more green building products are available--many of which are comparable in cost to traditional home renovation products.Indoor Environmental Quality: A Home Renovation that Makes Your Home Safer
Green home renovation doesn't just focus on the outside environment; it also focuses on the environment inside your home. For instance, radon-resistant construction or the removal of asbestos from your home can both affect your home's air-quality and reduce health hazards.In the end, going green doesn't have to mean spending a lot of green. But it does mean finding a contractor for your home renovation who understands and employs green building practices. To find an accredited green building professional in your area, visit the U.S. Green Building Council's website.
With that off your to-do-list, you'll breathe just a little bit easier.
Sources
About the Author
Dawn West holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.
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