It is a proven fact that having an environmentally friendly, or popularly called ‘green’ house, brings the following benefits:
– Healthier indoor environment due to improved air quality and use of non-toxic building materials.
– Return on investment through energy savings (lower utility bills) and reduced maintenance costs – In 2003, the Californian Sustainable Building Task Force conducted a study which showed that “minimal increases in upfront costs of 0-2% to support green design will result in life cycle savings of 20% of total construction costs – more than ten times the initial investment.”
– Increased durability – Green construction implies higher quality construction which, in simple terms, means green houses last longer than the ones made from conventional building materials.
– Increased value of the house – Whether you are planning to sell your green home at certain point in the future or not, the fact remains that a home’s value increases between 3% and 5% when it is green.
– Reduced carbon footprint, i.e. you are personally contributing to healthier environment – Just consider the following facts – residential buildings account for 39% of the total energy use, 12% of the total water consumption, 68% of the total energy consumption and 38% of the total CO2 emissions.
Even if your house is not built with environmentally friendly building materials, there are still a few affordable improvements you can make to lower your house’s carbon footprint and utility bills.
Green roof is one of them.
Green roof is completely or partially covered with vegetation which is planted over a waterproof membrane and it is the ideal solution for houses with shallow-pit or flat roof. Not only are green roofs eco-friendly, effectively manage stormwater and minimize noise, but they also save money. How? They come with a very effective insulation which reduces both heating and cooling costs. Additionally, they expand roof life up to 3 times, and, on a more aesthetically pleasing side, they transform dead space into garden space.
If you are considering going green and building your own ‘living oasis’, these are the sustainable building materials that you should definitely consider – wood, strawbale, bamboo, recycled stone, and the dark horse of sustainable building materials, steel. Steel is known for its excellent durability and adaptability (it can be manufactured to suit a wide range of weather conditions). It also won’t burn, split or rot and is termite- and borer-proof. Steel has excellent spanning ability which allows you more design freedom. Its eco-friendliness is reflected in the fact that 80% of the existing stainless steel is being reused. Also, because of its high reusability level, the carbon, water and air emission footprints in the steel industry have all been drastically reduced in recent years.
As you can see, the pros of building an environmentally friendly home are many but the biggest benefit of them all is improved health of you and your family thanks to better quality of indoor air and less air pollutants. In translation, this means fewer respiratory problems, headaches, allergies and irritations.