Build a Green House For A Healthy Home

Building a green house has become a popular option to those investing in a new home.

The underlying factor when choosing to construct a home of this sort is undeniably environmental sustainability.

However, this is not the only factor that makes this kind of construction so appealing. Health effects and their relationship to indoor air quality also serve as a determining factor.

When choosing to partake in the process of building this kind of structure, one tries to do so without consuming fossil fuels, polluting the environment or using any more of the earth’s natural resources.

What should not be overlooked either is the principal goal which people wish to reach when they set out to build a green house, this being for their home to get closer towards an output of zero carbon.

Within the few ecological organizations in operation that work to fully create ecological awareness, it is agreed that energy performance in relation to building is relatively poor. There is also an indication that current regulations are not being complied with.

Reasons for this include;

A lack of education in relation to ecological building design.

The fact that energy usage in homes is not measured consistently.

The presence of a multitude of home building standards that do not require the measurement of energy performance within a finished structure.

If you have chosen to go green, it is a given that you must hire an architect who will maximize your energy efficient space. Hire an expert with ecological design experience to develop your house plan and ideas. Utilizing their skills will help you to save in the long run.

When opting to build a green house, building costs can be kept down by not over-sizing. Keep the footprint relatively small at the design stage. Consider certain options that will also save later in relation to time and construction. Think about things like "Will there be space under a staircase that I can use for storage?"

It is important to work in 3D whether planning for yourself or working with an architect, this way the plan will be fully interpreted and spaces used efficiently. Consider things like increasing room sizes by narrowing hallways, and making bedrooms bigger by putting closets in the hall.

It is a set precedent that if you opt to build a green house, it will always cost 40% more to construct than a house of equal size constructed using normal processes and materials.

In return, this may result in higher mortgage payments, however if your home is totally sustainable, and renewable energy implements are installed, do remember you would have totally eliminated all gas and electricity costs.

It goes without saying that a green home is the only way forward for today’s ecologically aware home owner.

More resources for Build A Green House

Need more resources? I recommend these books. Either these books were written by an expert or it is being favorited by most readers

The Green Self-Build Book: How to Design And Build Your Own Eco-home, by Jon Broome, an architect who runs his own consultancy specializing in sustainable construction.

How to Plan, Contract, and Build Your Own Home, Fifth Edition: Green Edition (How to Plan, Contract & Build Your Own Home), Written by experienced instructors and builders, and used by savvy homebuilders to put up thousands of homes. It is The All-in-One Custom Homebuilders Guide--Fully Updated with the Latest Green Construction Methods

Prefabulous + Sustainable: Building and Customizing an Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home, by Sheri Koones who recently won the prestigious Gold Award in the 2008 Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards from NAREE, It's a book where you can get an affordable house that was also stylish, healthy and energy efficient.

Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy-Efficient Home Construction (Builder's Guide). David Johnston and Scott Gibson offer guidance on environmentally sensitive home building in Green from the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy-Efficient Home Construction (Taunton Press, paperback). The book is packed with information, tips, illustrations and case studies that offer wisdom earned from experience