Wise and wonderful choices for creating a more energy efficient, healthy and sustainable home.

Despite Kermit the Frog's complaint, "It's not easy being green", we now have many wise and wonderful choices for 'Green' design and building that are not going to substantially increase the building or remodeling budget and in some cases not add any costs, at all. There are some 'Green' choices every homeowner, who is remodeling or building new, may want to consider, even if the initial cost is a little more, as these choices will make a difference in their health, comfort, and the health of our planet.

Thinking 'Green' is all about comfort, the health of our families, and the conservation of our resources. It is about creating a home that is designed and built to last. Thinking 'Green' results in a comfortable home that will cost less to live in because it's energy efficient. Implementing the principles of sustainable design and building also makes a difference in the health & production capabilities of our employees and construction crews. Going 'Green' is the right thing to do - for yourself, your family, your employees, and for our environment.

Doesn't 'Green' mean that it will cost more?

Several years ago going 'Green' almost always meant spending more money. Homeowners wishing to add rooms onto their homes, remodel their kitchens, bathrooms, or update with new finishes and furnishings, were sensitive about the increase to the overall budget that going 'Green' would require - even though they were interested in the 'Green' idea.
Fortunately, in the last few years, the home building industry has been listening to our concerns. Many have developed and introduced products that are not substantially more expensive, and are often comparatively priced, but answer the needs of 'Green Design and Building'.

Along with the added 'Green' options now more readily available, think about the idea of 'Green Remodeling' - a little at a time. You don't have to change one hundred percent to make a difference, and you don't have to throw away everything to introduce some new building techniques or products that will improve a home's comfort or make a difference in a family's health. And by making wise choices, you can affect the future of the earth's resources and help guarantee a beautiful planet for future generations. Knowing the options and the local sources can make the difference.

What does 'Green' mean?

It's easiest to understand the 'Green' options if we break the big 'Green' picture down into areas of Energy Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality, and Resource Conservation.

The place to start is with the location of the home. Understanding the characteristics of the orientation of the home and the climate considerations of the site, can help you make some good 'Green' choices.

Designing to incorporate concepts of "passive solar" and "day-lighting" will create a comfortable indoor environment during all seasons, utilizing nature and lessening the frequency of use of the mechanical heating and air conditioning systems in the home, thus conserving energy and costs. 

Harness the sunshine through the south and southwestern windows and use interior finish materials like tile and stone that will radiate the sun's warmth to make a home comfortable in the winter. Designing exterior shading from trellises or plantings can shade the sun through these windows in the summer. A breeze through a north-facing window can cool a home on a warm day, especially if there is an open venting skylight, which lets the hot air out. By designing with "passive solar" in mind, the home can be much more energy efficient and save money in the long run.

Considering the size of the building is important, too. A well designed smaller home will use fewer resources to both build and to heat and cool, and there are substantial cost savings to both the building and the operational aspects.  Sarah Susanka's concept of 'a-not-so-big-house' is a huge step in 'green building' consciousness.

Thinking of the home as a 'system'  is the 'green' approach to design. There is not one part of the building process that does not affect another and there is not one system of the home that does not affect another. It is the sustainable designers' knowledge of 'building science' and home performance that will allow them to design energy efficient and healthy comfortable homes.

The next step to energy efficiency is to consider the insulation in the home. Walls, floors, and ceilings need to be adequately insulated. Radiant barriers on roofs or retrofitted in attics should be considered. The type of insulation you choose to use touches another of the 'Green' considerations -- indoor air quality. Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of the traditional fiberglass batt insulation. Formaldehyde is one of the chemicals responsible for "sick building syndrome" and a variety of indoor air quality issues. It is off-gassed into the indoor environment and can be unhealthy to breathe. The great news is that Johns Mansville manufactures formaldehyde-free fiberglass batt insulation, made from 25% recycled materials. Best of all, it is not more expensive than the commonly used fiberglass insulation and is available at Home Depot.

There are other very efficient, earth friendly and environmentally healthy insulation products which may cost slightly more than the standard fiberglass batt insulation. These products have benefits that may outweigh the additional cost.

UltraTouch, made by Bonded Logic, is an insulation product made from 100% recycled cotton fibers; blue jeans, actually. UltraTouch requires a minimal amount of energy in the manufacturing process, aiding the environment with energy conservation and a reduction in pollution. There is little landfill waste in the manufacturing process. UltraTouch contains no chemical irritants, no formaldehyde, and requires no warning labels compared to traditional products. This insulation contains no harmful airborne particulates that can enter your living area and the surrounding environment causing health concerns. The insulation is treated with an EPA registered, non-toxic, borate solution, which offers complete and safe mold and mildew protection. Borates are a very effective natural biostat that act as a fire retardant and pest inhibitor, too. This insulation product offers the same R-value, but exceeds the sound insulating capabilities of fiberglass insulation products. 

Cellulose insulation that is blown into the walls and ceiling of a home is another alternative. The use of this insulation increases the energy efficiency of the home, as there is less possibility of voids for air to get through. This product does require installation by an experienced contractor and the process may cost more than batt insulation.

One of the best insulation products is a soy-based foam insulation which is made from a completely sustainable source and when installed properly, eliminates all voids. The material is completely non-toxic, even when burned, which is a consideration when specifying other foam insulations. 

Almost everyone is familiar with energy efficient dual pane windows and the benefits that they provide. Going the next step and researching the sustainable practices of the manufacturers and the sustainability of the materials used in making the products is something you may want to do. Andersen Windows is considered a 'Green' manufacturer, as they utilize 90% or more of the materials in the manufacture of the windows, thus reducing waste and conserving resources. This company, as well as many others, posts their environmental principles and commitment on their website.

Another energy efficient choice is to replace standard tank-style water heaters with one of the tankless types. There are several manufacturers making these such as Takagi, Rinnai, and Bosch. Since there is no tank to fill, a tankless system guarantees that there is an endless supply of hot water available to the home. These water heaters take up only 2.2 cubic feet of space, weigh about sixty pounds, and are about the size of a suitcase. They can be mounted on an exterior wall and some can even be installed within walls. Since a tankless water heater has neither a storage tank to keep heated all day, nor a pilot light, it burns gas only when hot water is needed. This eliminates standby heat loss, which can be as high as 3-4% every hour for storage tank type water heaters.  This higher efficiency can allow a savings up to 50% off utility costs. With high thermal efficiency and extremely low emissions, these systems use much less fuel than traditional water heating systems. The units are more expensive and they require increasing the gas line size to the unit, but the savings in the long run may be worth the initial investment.

Smart lighting design and use of energy efficient fixtures is the 'green' designers responsibility and can be a beautiful and cost effective choice. Compact fluorescent fixtures are available in many styles that will fit any situation. Specifying fluorescent lamps to enhance colors and finishes is easy once designers understand Kelvin color temperature and the CRI (color rendering index) of the available lamps. The cost savings over time of using fluorescent lighting is substantial. In California, the Title 24 Energy Code requires the use of 'high-efficacy' lighting in the kitchen, and dimmers on all incandescent lighting hardwired into the rest of the home. In bathrooms all light fixtures must be operated by a motion sensor. Presently, fluorescent and LED is the only lighting that qualifies as 'high-efficacy'.

"Sick Buildings" can make you sick.

We all want our home to be a place of refuge, safety, and security. No matter what our personal tastes and style, comfort is most important. It is surprising to learn that many of the products that we use to create this comfortable home use chemicals and compounds in their creation that can off-gas, and leak into our indoor environment making us sick. Often the air inside the home is ten times worse than the air outside on the smoggiest of days.

Like knowing the ingredients of the processed foods that you buy, you now need to know the ingredients of building and finishing products. Try to choose products that do not contain VOC's (volatile organic compounds) like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene and toluene. VOC's that off-gas into the home, sometimes for years, come from cabinets made from particle board and some plywood products, vinyl floors, carpeting, and paint and finishing products as well as the adhesives used to install some materials.

There are local sources to acquire cabinets made from non-toxic plywood, woods from sustainable forests, or re-claimed woods. Get into the habit of specifying cabinets made with plywood with non-formaldehyde adhesives. Columbia Forest Products is now in the process of converting all of its standard hardwood plywood production to produce formaldehyde-free panels called PureBond". Cost-competitive with the standard urea formaldehyde (UF)-made hardwood plywood, Columbia's PureBond formula is derived naturally, then enhanced with a proprietary resin, giving it particularly strong bonding and water-resistance qualities. And better yet, it enables Columbia to completely eliminate formaldehyde from its standard veneer-core decorative panel production.

Requesting cabinets made from these materials will initiate local cabinet makers to build with these products on a regular basis, as they will find that the cost is the same and as an added benefit, they will find that the productivity of their workers will increase. Our local shops have reported fewer 'sick days' from their workers!

For decades, vinyl flooring and wallpaper have been popular choices for use in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. We are now finding that vinyl is one of the worst culprits affecting indoor air quality. Vinyl chloride, as well as the chemical plasticizers used in these products, is known to leach out into a home for several months. The fumes contain known carcinogens. These products can also trap moisture and contribute to mold growth. Carpeting, too, uses toxic chemicals in the fiber bonding material, dyes, backing glues, fire retardants, latex binders, fungicides and antistatic and stain resistant treatments.  These chemicals can off-gas for at least three years. The materials used in carpeting products are neither renewable nor biodegradable.

The great news in flooring is that there are many choices that are 'Green' on several levels. Wood flooring from sustainable forests or re-claimed sources, installed and finished with non-toxic products is a great choice for every room in the home. Cork flooring is beautiful, easy on your back and feet, and also comes from a renewable source.  Ceramic tile is earth-friendly and many manufacturers are incorporating recycled materials into ceramic tiles, lessening the load on the landfill. Natural linoleum, made from rye, linseed oil, and natural resins, and jute comes in many colors and can be custom designed and installed with patterned inlays. Concrete can be stained and patterned, and knowledgeable contractors can use recycled materials (fly-ash) in the composition of the material to replace Portland cement.

If carpeting must be used, be sure to specify natural products like wool, sisal, and other grasses. Make sure that the backing is non-toxic and install with non-toxic glues, or better yet, a tack-strip. Use a natural jute pad under the carpet.

Choosing 'Green' paint products has become very easy and affordable. Both Kelly Moore's Enviro-Cote, and Benjamin Moore's Eco-Spec, are Low-VOC paint products.  Sherwin Williams offeres a Zero VOC product in all hues except the darkest values. AFM Safecoat has developed paint products and floor finishes that are No-VOC, and are so strong and low in toxicity that they can actually reduce off-gassing from coated surfaces. 

Finding 'Green' choices for interior finish products

There are many wonderful choices for 'Green' countertops that address both the indoor air quality concern as well as sustainability of our resources. Richlite and Paper Stone, are solid surface countertop materials made from paper and natural resins. They are extremely durable, low maintenance, and come in several soft colors as well as black. The cost of material, fabrication and installation is less than stone counter tops.  Tile made from recycled materials, concrete, lava stone, and eco-resin by 3-Form are some more choices you may want to consider.

These are only a few of the 'Green' choices available, now. It can be overwhelming, and possibly cost prohibitive to make every choice 'Green'. If you think of choosing 'Green' like choosing lunch at a cafeteria, it becomes doable for us all, at any time. If we can specify 'Green' products from local sources, introducing the concepts and educating our clients, gently, will make a difference. If thinking 'Green' results in a comfortable home that will cost less to live in because it's energy efficient, it is the right thing to do - for yourself, your clients, your community, and for our environment.

Susan Davis is the co-owner of Spectrum Fine Homes, Inc. in Mountain View, California. She is a Certified Green Building Professional and her firm specializes in Sustainable Design/Build remodeling and interior design.