Building Eco-homes
These days, there is a lot of pressure to go green, and that pressure extends from private homeowners to large corporate entities. How do general house building companies address the subject of eco-friendliness? You might be surprised to find out the number of ways. Read on to learn all about green building:
Green eco house – image ddpavumba
What is green building? Also referred to as sustainable building and green construction, green building is an earth-conscious method of planning, constructing, maintaining, renovating, operating, and demolishing construction projects. The process of green building involves each and every stage of a building’s life cycle, and must begin with the initial planning of the space.
The green building team. In order for house building contractors to be successful at maintaining the high standards of green building throughout the entire lifecycle of the construction process, they must work with a number of qualified, eco-conscious professionals. This green building team includes architects, engineers, sustainability experts, environmentalists, and the clients, themselves.
Green building materials. Some building materials are more earth-friendly than others, and some are specifically manufactured with resource preservation, recycling, and biodegradability in mind. General contractors with a mind for green building have access to things like recycled stone and metal, paper-based paneling, compressed earth block, recycled industrial goods, sustainable plant products, solar paneling, eco-friendly roof tiles, and energy conserving appliances, among many others.
Other points for consideration. In addition to using green building materials, general contractors who engage in sustainable building must also be conscious of the energy used to manufacture building materials, as well as the waste produced in the manufacturing process. Also, the energy used to maintain the building, the energy usage of the building (and its components), indoor air quality, soil erosion, water conservation, waste, and environmental impact must be considered during all phases of green construction.
How to find green builders in your area. Simply search the web to find general contractors in your area who adhere to green construction standards. Additionally, you may check in with your local builders’ association for a list of sustainable building general contractors in your area.
Taking steps towards eco-friendly houses. Not everyone wants a totally eco-home but when they commission the building of a new home, it is easy and of course highly advisable to incorporate some “green” principles in the design and build of your new home. In fact you can very easily make your home highly efficient environmentally without it looking like a Hobbit home.
If you are embarking on a new home building project, ask your builder about their experience in installing environmentally sound materials, how they building techniques and what their waste policy is. It is highly likely that they will be using a few of the ideas mentioned above.
If they have not worked in all of these areas, you can still insist on the specific eco- elements that you want and they will probably have some sub-contractors they can call in for specialist activities such as solar panel installation.
For advice on building a new home, you can talk to this house building company in Auckland. They have built many different styles of house which have included a number “green” projects. This is their website.