One would have to be living on a deserted island to be unaware of the Green Building Movement. Undoubtedly the largest single trend in building, it will continue to grow as more of us are becoming aware of the impact we have on our environment.
While much attention has been placed upon building green, less discussion takes place regarding green remodeling techniques. The whole concept of remodeling for your home is, in a sense, a “recycling” of your old home. The process, from start to finish provides a lot of opportunities for social responsibility, or being a little “greener.” We don’t buy cars every day, nor do we make big decisions about remodeling. When do decide to remodel a kitchen, add a room, or change a bathroom, guess what, our decisions have broader implications for the environment.
In the design phase, always ask about energy efficiency, renewable or man-made materials, these are new technologies that provide substitutes for fossil fuels and lumber. Energy efficiency includes insulation, appliances, lighting, doors & windows, heating & air conditioning, hot water heaters, etc. There is a double appeal here, you are not only reducing consumption of fossil fuels, and you will be saving money on monthly utility bills as well, with many investments more than paying for themselves.
Renewable and manmade materials are available in virtually every category of building materials. Framing materials can be made from engineered lumber which help optimize lumber usage. Renewable materials include cork and bamboo flooring, bamboo cabinetry and countertops, fiber-cement siding, and much more. All you have to do is ask about it, and some enterprising contractor that wants your business will be sympathetic to your concerns.
Perhaps the most over-looked aspect of green remodeling is what to do with the materials generated during demolition. It is estimated that new home building generates between 3 and 5 lbs. of waste per square foot of home. Remodeling can generate between 70 and 115 lbs. of waste per square foot. A 200 square foot kitchen remodel can generate a ton of debris, what to do with it? For the most part it ends up in a landfill, but it doesn’t have to; between 85 and 90 percent of remodeling waste can be recycled. Maximizing the recycling of materials may add cost to a project, but costs for doing so can be recovered in many cases, and as the practice becomes more wide-spread the cost may become completely offset by revenue from recycling. Recyclable materials include copper wiring, concrete other masonry materials including bricks, metal products, lumber, cabinetry, plumbing and lighting fixtures, and more.
The do-it-yourselfer can be a part of the green movement as well, not only by utilizing the aforementioned products, but by donating much of his or her removed plumbing & lighting fixtures, doors, windows and much more to Habitat for Humanity to resell in their re-sale store; they will even come pick it up.
It’s up to us, as always. If these concepts are important to you, when you select your contractors you can ask for their experience in these matters. However, this is a fast-growing and relatively new field; it may be just as important to find a contractor willing to explore new methods and pick the ones that will think outside the box.
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