A green building is environmentally efficient throughout its life. From conception to the time of its deconstruction, it needs to produce the least amount of waste possible. With the right design decisions, green homes can be as comfortable as traditional homes while saving you money on your utility bills and helping to protect the environment. Whether you’re an architect, or a homeowner looking to improve the durability of a new or existing home, many steps can be taken to ensure that your home is as green as possible.
Passive Solar Design
One of the most important aspects of building a green home is designing your space to allow for maximum ventilation, shade, and sunlight. You can do this with the orientation of your home about the sun and the placement of walls, windows, and roofs.
Build Smaller
The easiest way to build a green home is to build a smaller one. It takes less natural resources like lumber and concrete to construct smaller homes. Smaller homes are also easier to heat and cool, saving more energy over time.
Environmentally Friendly Materials
When choosing materials for your new home, opt for those harvested in an environmentally friendly way or reclaimed from old buildings. Also, choose materials with recycled content whenever possible.
It’s important to choose materials that have low toxicity levels and are sustainable. This includes using sustainably harvested or recycled wood products that help reduce waste. Ask the green builder about FSC certified wood products. You may also want to consider using non-toxic paint and insulation to avoid releasing potentially harmful chemicals into the air.
Reduce Water Wastage
You can install low-flow showerheads and toilets that use less water than traditional fixtures. You could also install a greywater system that uses wastewater from showers and laundry machines for irrigation purposes. In addition, you could also try to collect rainwater from your roof for later use in watering plants around the yard.
Hire the Best
You should only work with a reputable green builder that has a track record of delivering on projects. Try to check out their portfolios as well go to their office to see if they practice what they preach about green sustainability. Try to look at their customer reviews before making a decision.
Looking for Custom Home Builders in Texas?
GH Builders is a certified green home builder in the US that is on a mission to change the world one building at a time. For us, customer satisfaction is always a top priority. Check out our virtual display village here. You can also check out our customer stories here.
We love sharing our experience and offer other home builders in America the chance to become GH Builders Master Partners.
If you are looking for green contractors in Texas or want to own our construction franchise, then contact us today, and our friendly staff will assist you as soon as possible.
