In most recent years, the buzzword that has gained much popularity and familiarity in the home building and construction industries is the term Green Building. Contrary to what others may think, the concept of green building is not entirely new and has been around since the early 1970s after a group of custom home builders and building designers formed an alliance focusing on energy and resources conservation in the building and construction industry.
Since then, the growing global concerns for slowly depleting resources and increasing environmental issues have triggered the world to focus once more on these green building initiatives. The trend continues to build up as more and more homeowners and investors are trying to incorporate green building elements into their projects. Contractors are now becoming Green Custom Home Builders while realtors are slowly changing the way they call themselves to Designated Green Agents.
Whether you are located up north in Alaska or anywhere near the Boston, Massachusetts area, homeowners are becoming more attracted in the prospect of renovating or remodeling their homes using green building principles to make them more energy-efficient and less expensive to maintain. What seems to be a fad during the early years has now become a necessary undertaking that even the US government will provide tax breaks to homeowners converting to green homes.
What are Green Custom Home Builders?
Custom home builders embracing green building methods are focusing in designs and building methods that will create an energy efficient and green environment for homes and buildings. Some of these methods include the following:
* Recycling of previous building materials during a home improvement or a home remodeling project. Depending on the extent and nature of the project, green custom home builders can utilize up to 90 percent of previous materials and turn them into something new.
* The creation of a living roof for a new or a remodeled structure. A living roof involves the use of real, live shrubs, trees, turf and other plants that will act as a water barrier and a better insulation for the roof.
* The use of innovative methods and systems for heating, cooling and lighting that will consume the least amount of electrical energy and other resources.
* Green custom home builders will also make use of alternative materials such as cotton, bamboo or wool which are more quickly renewing than synthetic materials. On top of this, the green home builder will opt to buy available materials locally in support of the economy.
Why Go Green?
The most important feature of green building methods is the use of methods and systems that will consume the least energy requirements. A green custom home builder takes this into serious consideration and will design and build homes that minimize consumption of these materials that would have the least negative effect on the natural environment.
Green homes are more environment-friendly and would be easier to sustain. Some of the methods used in green building maximizes reliance on renewable energy resources like wind, solar or water to make the home more sustainable, economical, safe for the environment, and healthier for the homeowner and his household. With the US government and private entities slowly adopting green building methods and techniques, this will eventually become the mainstream standard in the home building industry.
A majority of homeowners have the impression that go green would entail much cost and may be impractical to implement. Although the cost of materials and other green building elements are much higher than standard practices, the cost savings down the road would be much more beneficial for the homeowners in the long run. An extra initial investment at the start when building or renovating to green building techniques would eventually gain up to 10 times in savings later on.
Investing in home remodeling and renovation, while working with green custom home builders, can create a significantly positive effect not only for the environment but for the homeowner and his household's way of life as well.