Sustainable Home Construction: Three Secrets from Professional Builders

 

Green design and sustainable home construction have become a major concern in recent times. Homeowners are adding attic insulation, replacing their hollow core exterior doors and installing external shades like never before. Windows are another drain on energy, and householders are finding that window replacement can bring major energy savings. Here are three secrets to sustainable home construction that will save you money in the long run:

 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification was established by the USGBC (US Green Building Council) to lessen home buildings’ ecological impact. The certification and documentation process begins with material selection before ground is broken. LEED points are awarded based on innovation and sustainable design, location and linkages, sustainability of the building site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, resources and materials, indoor environmental quality, and awareness and education.

 

Clearly new buildings meet LEED certification requirements more easily. But all is not lost! If you use sustainable building materials for your remodeling projects, your home can be as energy efficient and as sustainable as a new building. Before you buy building materials, find out if they will be coming from green companies, and what raw materials were used to make the material. You should also find out where the materials were harvested, whether any toxic fumes were emitted, and what adhesives were used.

 

Tax credits for sustainable home construction are available in many states and even bankers are getting into the mix. A recently completed home on the Mississippi River near Hardin, IL, gained an Energy Star rating and qualified for a $2000 tax credit. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before the US follows the example of the European Union in requiring new homes to have energy performance certificates.