From Guest Blogger Jen: Ten Steps to Sustainable Building – A Homeowner's Guide
The essence of sustainable building means using a process that ensures that the building is environmentally and resource efficient throughout its entire lifetime. You must take into account the design, construction materials, the overall operation, maintenance and care and renovation, which must also conform to green building techniques, and finally the demolition of the structure when its usable service life has ended. In a perfectly executed sustainable build, a balance should be found between the building and the sustainable environment.
Here are ten steps that should always be considered when building a sustainable structure.
Step # 1: Incorporate the land
The Sustainable Development community says to keep hills and/or stands of trees to the north side of the building, while keeping the south face open and clear. Most energy is used in the winter for heating, but by limiting wind chill from the north by using trees or hills as wind breaks, and couple that with warming sunlight from the south, you’ll reduce energy costs just by the way the building is acclimated.
Step # 2: Think small
Facilities Net reminds us that a smaller building leaves less of an imprint on the land. It’s easier to heat and cool, and it is more efficient.
Step # 3: Consider the Design
Earthship Biostructures gives an idea of the many types of buildings that are considered “green.” Earth berm buildings, straw homes and even geodesic domes, among others, are highly energy efficient over conventional box structures.
Step # 4: Use Sustainably Harvested Wood
Wood Naturally gives many choices to consider when building a sustainable structure, but wood still tops the list when it is sustainably harvested. It is renewable, while the re-planting of trees aids in removing toxins from the air.
Step # 5: Get off the Grid
Treehugger suggests to design a building that uses sustainable power technology from the start. Windmills and solar can supplement or take over your power consumption, and your building will
have sustainable power that is ready to use.
Step # 6: Solar hot water
Homepower advises that one of the most expensive and energy consuming tasks is heating up hot water for washing and showers. By installing a solar hot water heater, any building using this energy efficient and sustainable way to generate hot water will be more environmentally friendly.
Step # 7: Rain run-off
Green Roofs says that water run off from rain and snow constitutes a major source of erosion. Catching this run off, by either using a cistern, rain barrels, a rain garden and others, or incorporating a living roof that absorbs the run-off, keeps erosion to a minimum and improves air quality.
Step # 8: Insulation
The site Low Energy House, as well as The U.S. Department of Energy, consider insulation, either built-in or added, as the best thing anyone can do to limit energy loss during the winter or summer. The less energy needed to heat or cool your building, the greater the “green” factor.
Step # 9: Waterproofing
This important aspect of new building construction keeps out mold and mildew growth which can become a serious health issue. To avoid such issues, it would be wise to contact a foundation expert and invest in basement or crawl space waterproofing. Only an experienced foundation expert can answer all of your questions about how important this step is.
Step # 10: You
You will decide what you want to do with a building and how sustainable you want it to be, depending on your funding. If you follow all of the suggestions listed here, you’ll have an extremely energy efficient and sustainably designed building. But if all you do is incorporate something as simple as a solar water heater, you will still be doing your part and being as sustainable as your budget will allow.
This article is a guest post courtesy of Apex Waterproofing Inc. in Arlington, VA.
