A New Trend in “Green” Houses

Across the nation, environmentalists, architects, and contractors are “going green”, a new trend among some where houses are made more environmentally friendly- from solar energy, to permeable driveways, plastic and concrete siding and solar heated pools- anything to make everyday living more environmentally concise. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is the site of one of the “greenest” homes in the nation. The floors are made from bamboo-a hard grass, rather than hardwood that would require the cutting of trees. The carpet is made from recycled plastic soda bottles, countertops are made from recycled glass, and the lighting is fiber-optic, which saves energy. “An increasing number of home buyers are demanding that environmental issues become a top priority in new construction and remodeling efforts,” reports Ray Tonjes of the National Association of Home Builders(NAHB), commenting on buyers recent desires to use less natural resources, have lower power bills, and create healthier indoor and outdoor air. According to the Christian Science Monitor, 18,887 homes were built according to local green building guidelines between 1990 and 2001. In 2002 alone, 13,224 green homes were built. The first green building company appeared in 1991, and today there are more than twenty throughout the country. This week, NAHB is holding its annual National Green Building Conference. This year, one of its goals is to mainstream green homes and set national guidelines for green home building. Some houses are extreme in their preservation efforts. Permeable driveways and curbs reduce the amount of runoff being carried into nearby rivers and ponds. Rain barrels are strategically placed to catch rainwater run-off from the roof that is saved and stored to water plants. Pools are heated with solar power and use small amounts of sodium instead of chlorine to keep the water clean. To form exterior walls, concrete is poured between insulating plastic foam to resist wind. Bamboo flooring, which looks much like common hardwood, can grow up to thirty inches per day rather than thirty inches per year like oak trees. Bamboo is also much cheaper, costing around ten dollars per foot to install. Both lights and faucets can be put on sensors to detect when they are not being directly used. Even the water that runs when you brush your teeth adds up over the years in gallons and in bills. Some estimate that sensor faucets and special flush toilets can save a family over two thousand gallons of water each year. Even special paints and finishes that emit fewer gases can be used. While today these houses are expensive (some over four hundred thousand dollars), the prices are expected to decrease over the next dozen or so years. Cheaper versions of ‘green’ houses are available in some parts of the country for lower than one hundred twenty thousand. Owners of some of the most extreme and expensive green homes say that the high buying price evens out in the long run when the combination of cheaper bills and environmental advantages begin to add up. Green homes that are built solely to be more energy-efficient save buyers an average of four hundred thirty dollars per year in bills. So what does “going green” actually mean, and what does it really do? The NAHB refers to buildings that are “resource- efficient” in design, construction, and/or operation as being green. It applies to environmental quality both inside and outside the home. What it means for the buyer is lower utility bills-homes requiring less heating and cooling and less water naturally cut back on spending. More durable building materials, lawns that need mowing and weeding less often, and decks that need no sealing cut back on maintenance expenses and time. Documented lower utility bills and reduced upkeep can bring higher selling prices if you decide to sell. Tom Lipton of Portland, Oregon went even further in the effort to make his home green. Instead of shingles on his roof, he has soil- two inches of it. Lipton says that homes with four to five inches of soil on their roof can reduce rain run-off by nearly one-tenth. In a short rain shower, this could mean nearly all the water is held, preventing and reducing the acid rain toxins that permeate the ground and carry to local rivers. This is a big step in Portland, which is currently under a court order to reduce the release of raw sewage into its rivers by ninety-four percent by 2011. Another benefit of the green roof is improved air quality. During photosynthesis, plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. In cities, roofs with vegetation could even reduce temperatures by over three degrees. Europe is no stranger to green roofs. Since 1989, Germany has constructed over thirty-four million acres of ‘ecoroofs’, and the Swiss government has mandated that buildings must make up for the vegetation they destroy by implementing green roofs. Some places even offer tax breaks to those with green roofs because they are more costly than standards roofing. Soil and vegetation roofs cost almost twice as much as regular shingles, and more support beams are needed to hold up heavy water-logged soils. Green roofs also have an increased fire hazard risk, but in most places, these roofs need to be replaced only half as often as conventional ones. While most of us can’t afford to make such expensive and dramatic changes in our lifestyles, there are some things we can to do preserve the environment and our wallet. Making sure your house is well-insulated is probably the best thing you can do. Often, heat leaks through windows and doors, causing us to pay for more heat than we are actually feeling. Fix those leaky faucets. Even a slow drip adds up and wastes water. To see just how much water your faucets waste, place a dishpan in the leaky sink before bed. Most people are surprised in the morning how much water has collected, and continues to collect throughout the day. Money and water are both limited resources. Use low-energy appliances. Most appliance stores sell washers, dryers, refrigerators and heaters that use less water, heat and energy. Toilets that use greater pressure and less gallons can be purchased at home improvement stores. Making small adjustments in our daily lives now will build environmentally aware foundations in the future for our families, as well as demonstrate to others the benefits of energy conservation. While many can argue and say conservation is a waste of time, you can’t argue against the extra money in your pocket at the end of the month.