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Free Green Remodeling Tips| Home Repairs and Remodeling
By Marketing Dept | March 11, 2009
Many homeowners hear the words “Green Remodeling” and instantly think high costs are involved. One does not have to spend 20-30-40k on solar panels. One just has to take control of one thing: the budget!
Set the budget and stick to it (not as easy as it sounds…ask elected group of men and women inside the beltway in DC). Whether you do it yourself or select a contractor to do it…the budget is the budget. Positive things happen when one follows the budget. Here are the byproducts of setting a budget: proper planning, creativity, resourcefulness, and efficiency.
And remember Rome was not built in a day, neither is your home going to be as Green/Sustainable as possible in one month.
There are 6 categories that the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) uses in its rating system…just think SWEMI
1. Sustainable Site
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design
When new buildings go up or new homes are built and the owners want them to be officially LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified, then guess what, the owner must meet certain requirements in each of the above categories. But as a homeowner you may tackle each category at your own pace…so it takes you 1-3 years to go through all the categories…you are being fiscally responsible with the environment…and keeping more dollars in your pocket…nothing wrong with that! With all this new info, let’s get to the nuts and bolts (that would be recycled nuts and bolts!!!!)
Tip #1 Planning phase: Decide which of the following categories you want to address first:
1. Sustainable Site: How your home is situated on your property, how to manage stormwater (just like it sounds…rains from storms), the landscaping being used, the grading on your property.
2. Water Efficiency: how much water you are conserving (low flow fixtures, tankless water heaters), recycling water (aka Graywater), collecting water. Good resources are http://envirolet.com and http://watersavertech.com
3. Energy and Atmosphere: conserving energy (heating system, cooling system, appliances, lighting, electronics), solar and wind power. Good resource is http://irecusa.org
4. Material and Resources: Recycling paper, cardboard, glass, plastics and metals. The fun stuff…what is the end product going to look like (bamboo and cork flooring, recycled paper countertops, Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, natural insulation, fire clay tiles, recycled glass tiles, ceramic tile, low to zero VOCs {Volatile Organic Compounds} paint, natural fiber carpets)…where you buy your materials (think local) makes a difference in saving energy, plus it gives a nice boost to local economy! Also re-using materials from demolition (i.e. if we were to demo wall, we could re-use 2×4 studs to frame maybe another portion of the remodel project). Good resources:
http://vetrazzo.com
http://enviroglassproducts.com
http://glasstile.com
http://kireiusa.com
http://ecotimber.com
http://bondedlogic.com
5. Indoor Environmental Quality: If you choose certain materials from #4 you automatically improve the air quality indoors. By using 0 VOC paint, and installing HEPA filters in your HVAC return system, and changing out furnace filters 1x per month you can save up to 10% of your heating costs plus remove allergens from home and improve air quality. Think of techniques to create natural ventilation (will address when we cover these item more in depth).
6. Innovation and Design: this category if more geared to getting a project LEED Certified. The purpose of this post is to give homeowners valuable tips as they contemplate going green.
Please check back with us at http://homerepairsandremodeling.com/blog over the next 7 days as we break down each category in separate postings to give Free Green Remodeling Tips that homeowners can do themselves (for the most part), and most importantly keeping it within a budget!
Please visit us at http://homerepairsandremodeling.com and visit the Request Service page…or email javier@homerepairsandremodeling.com or call Javier Zuluaga, Director of Sales and Marketing at 602-686-8354.
Topics: Green Remodeling, Home Repairs, Remodeling | No Comments »