Author Archive Green Home Expert

One of the most important things that each individual can do is to start at home. Green home plans have been developed through the years with the aforementioned concern in mind. To help re-nurture, conserve and protect the environment, many homes are being constructed with green standards.

You should consider several factors when you about constructing green home plans. However, you need to understand the top 3 factors that can help you meet your goal of having green home plans that every family should apply.

Factors To Consider For Green Homes

Durability – This is a key principle in all types of homes and construction. A green home should aim for the utilization of eco-friendly building materials, furniture, and recyclable materials. You should consider several factors when you’re thinking of constructing green home plans. Thus, the lesser materials you replace, the lesser impact you’ll make, with the likes of waste and/or toxic materials. You may use bamboo, cork, and eucalyptus since they are renewable and earth-friendly materials. Colored and textured recycled glass is another material that can also be conserved and used aesthetically.

Energy-Efficiency – It is another essential factor to consider when constructing green home plans. Always remember the main goal – to conserve and protect the environment with little or no impact.

Initially, you may use energy-efficient appliances, solar power cells to power your home, and/or other natural methods of generating energy such as magnetic generators. You may look for appliances that are compliant with environmental standards and are energy efficient. You can use eco-friendly insulation that can help protect your home from the cold and hot seasons.

Efficient Use of Water – It is important to note that water is a vital resource for everyone across the globe and not just for those who need it the most such as in regions that are prone to drought. A huge amount of good drinking water is wasted each day because of daily human routines such as washing clothes and flushing toilets. It is a good move to use recycled water for these household routines by applying water treatment systems such as sand filtration and wet compost systems.

There are many efforts that have been placed in order to reduce the impact of human activities and materials on the planet. Everyone can start helping out through the use of green home plans for their dream homes. The conservation and protection of the earth can be achieved collectively, one household at a time.

Green home solutions do not necessarily mean revamping your house from the roof down to the foundation. You can start by recycling and reusing items that could have ended as trash like large furniture, appliances, and building materials.

Recycling or reusing water is one of the basic green home solutions that you can implement and it has a big impact on the conservation of the planet. By upgrading your home’s piping system, you can reuse gray water from your washing machine and dishwater, reduce your consumption and wastage of gallons of water every day. Use gray rinse water to wash up your lawn and to flush toilets in your home. You may also have a reservoir for rainwater which you can use for the same purpose.

Green energy solutions are complimentary with any green home solutions you use. These two complement each other especially in conserving electricity, minimizing pollution and expenses. It is best to use renewable energy if you want to use green energy to power your home. Wind, solar and hydroelectric energy are just some of the best natural sources of energy that can be used and reused without making huge impacts on the environment.

It is best to use sustainable building materials for your green home so you too can help protect the planet. You can use alternative wood products instead of using oak or other expensive and already depleting hardwood. Bamboo is one of the various species of wood that can grow quickly and do not leave huge damaging results.

It is possible to use and maximize natural resources such as air and sunlight, especially for homes that are yet to be built. Your home should have enough windows and doors to allow these natural elements to pass and penetrate through.

It does not matter what green home solutions you use; what’s important is that you implement them to help lessen the negative effects of human activities on the environment. And to encourage family members to help out, become aware, and spread the word, it is best to start right at home.

The impact of pollutants, depleting natural resources, and using fossil fuel are just a few of the many problems that the environment is facing today. By implementing green home ideas in and out of your home, you can help lessen the impacts of harmful elements on the planet.

One of the green home ideas that you can practice is the use of cost-effective and low-energy lighting. CFLs only require a low amount of energy which makes them better alternatives for fluorescent lights.

You should also make use of the natural light from outside to illuminate the interiors of your home. For homes that have ample windows and doors, always let the natural light in during the daytime since this also reduces mold formation.

Water consumption can be reduced by almost 50% if you have a proper plumbing system in place. Use gray water from the washing machine and dishwasher to flush toilets and to clean up your drive/walkway.

One of the many green home ideas that most advocates are supporting is the use of sustainable energy at home; so if you want to make a huge change, this is one of the best initial steps. Since electricity is expensive and can have harmful effects on the planet, more and more residential homes use solar panels instead. Solar energy is free and non-toxic on the other hand. Some homes use electricity at a minimum when they have enough solar power stored during the day.

Recycling is one of the widely-advocated environmental solutions of today. Recycling doesn’t stop at small wastes since you can also recycle furniture and building materials if you wish to renovate your home.

Aside from the green home ideas that are mentioned, you will find other solutions and practices that you can apply. Your family can partake in small, attainable green solutions that can be applied at home. To increase the good effects of your eco-friendly practices, you can gradually add more green solutions and applications.

You can have a green home just by applying the simple steps in order to be compliant with the basic standards of going green. The first is to identify which green home construction materials are ideal to use at the onset. The initial structuring of your green home should consider eco-friendly raw materials that are essential for management measures during construction.

One way to keep your construction green from the start is by using high-fly ash cement instead of regular cement. If your preferred home materials are hard to find or some of them are not available, you may look for salvage shops for reusable materials such as wooden doors, panels, windows, and re-engineered wood.

One practical measure is to install a drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler system for your garden or lawn. You may have a rainwater reservoir that collects and recycles rainwater for your garden during summer. Installing permeable paving is another way to use rainwater since this allows rainwater to seep into the soil. Also, use a plumbing system that will allow rinsing water to be reused for cleaning walk/driveways and flushing toilets.

Green home construction also involves the use of sustainable wooden fittings such as the SFC or Forest Stewardship Council-certified products. You must use low to zero formaldehyde-based paints for the interior of your home to help create healthier living conditions for your family. Using photovoltaic cells and solar heaters can help reduce your electricity consumption; thus, reducing your electric bills every month.

It is ideal to use light-colored roofing because it helps reduce heat build-up in your home. They are also longer-lasting since the absorbed heat is reduced and they do not expand thermally compared to dark-colored roofs.

Fixed and movable items in your home are both involved in green home construction. It is advisable to use recycled wood furniture inside your home. There are some companies that advocate using cork or bamboo flooring instead of the usual hardwood flooring. Also, try to steer clear of vinyl linoleum and use natural linoleum instead.

There are many other compliant practices that you can apply that can help protect the environment. What’s important is that you and your contractor know the right green home construction materials to use and how to implement efficient eco-friendly systems in your home.

Prefab green homes are generally built from environmentally friendly materials such as wood. Although advocates for not using wood abound, you can use alternative wood materials from trees that grow more rapidly than those huge hardwood trees like oak, mahogany, and others. Sustainable harvesting is one of the solutions to keep more hardwood in the forests which protect and nourish wildlife.

There is a misconception that prefab green homes are manufactured in certain factories. Well, not all of it. You can make your home green with the use of panels and a roofing system that allows you to take care of your home’s framing on your own. You may have to hire a contractor if you have a hard time putting them together.

There are several companies that sell products such as housing panels that are made of eco-friendly materials and are built for sustainability. As mentioned earlier, wood has alternative sources which can rapidly grow and may only have less impact on the earth.

Prefab green homes are chosen by many people because of various ecological reasons; creating less waste is one of their main focuses. Just think of all those wastes produced by building one house. But when talking about prefab green homes, it is more likely that all the waste materials will be controlled and managed by the factory. This equates to fewer waste materials being disposed of outdoors and this could also mean that these materials can be saved and reused whenever possible.

Prefab green homes may look like your typical home, but they really make an impact in terms of preserving and protecting the environment. Your part is in the selection of green housing panels and the other materials, that can help create a home that is safe and ideal for your family and also the environment.

A green home design primarily focuses on various aspects of conserving energy. There are many considerations that you need to know in order to effectively apply the concept of going green.

Your home’s construction site – This is one of the primary considerations when building with a green home design. A detailed study about the construction site should be laid out by the construction engineer – this includes the slope, location, and surrounding vegetation. To minimize the impact on both flora and fauna in the area, you need to be mindful during the construction of your home.

Ensure that your home is built in such a way that it maximizes the use of natural light. There is enough sunlight so you can maximize its natural light source and minimize the use of electricity. construct your home in an area with proper transportation, schools, parks, and shops.

Ideal size for green home design – This concern is quite easy and logical. The larger your home, the more impact it has on the earth. Ideally smaller or just the right size, green homes are built based on the size of your family. Decide upon the number of rooms that will be used versus rooms that are just for extra storage or for unexpected guests. Take note that this design uses simple math, meaning, the more rooms in your home, the more energy it consumes due to lighting, heating, cooling, water system, etc.

Go solar – If your home’s location is ideal for maximizing sunlight during the daytime, it is a good idea to install solar panels to collect solar energy that you can use at night time or during power outages. To conserve more energy and money, you may use solar-powered appliances and equipment for your home.

Water conservation – You can set up a reservoir for rainwater so you can recycle it for your washroom/s so you can help minimize the usage of potable water. You can have a gray water plumbing system that collects wastewater from washing, bathing, and laundry, and you may use this for watering lawns and flushing toilets.

You can do other things to help reduce the impact of your activities and materials on the planet – such as not using fossil fuel. for example – since these are the most basic considerations. Using green home design is just one way to support the advocacy to protect the planet, and it should start at the basic unit – your family’s home.

First is the location. If you have been living in a congested city, it is understandable that you wanted to look for a more spacious area or village that is far away from the city. When you look up green homes for sale on the net, you will see comparison charts, recommendations, and many more. You should know where exactly the area is. If you wish to visit the area, contact the brokerage company or the property consultant to book a tripping schedule.

It is not surprising to find many green homes for sale that are not as big as the homes in many rural areas and counties. It is typical for green homes to have smaller floor areas, use prefabricated panels, have efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as a plumbing system that allows reuse of rinse water.

A full green home can be quite expensive and hard to find. Since there are many construction companies and local communities that have combined their efforts in developing green communities, it is possible to find affordable green homes for sale. You may also find the packaged deal types of green homes that may have – the finished home, eco-friendly systems, and sustainable energy and water resources.

To help you find the ideal green home for your family, you may approach construction or real estate companies that are highly reputable at using appropriate building materials. A regular home can become eco-friendly by following the basic standards for conservation and waste management among other green practices.

One of the best solutions to help solve the planet’s environmental issues is by investing in a green home. By finding the best among the green homes for sale, you are not just investing good money, but also good practices that can help the environment’s current problem. Lastly, all of these can result in a longer-lasting and healthier home that you and your family can enjoy for years.