Thinking Of Building A Green Home?

One of the biggest concerns for anyone looking to build, extend or refurbish their home is making sure that their project has a low impact on the environment. Using ethically sourced materials, low carbon footprint building and production methods, and creating sustainable, energy efficient structures are key to building a green home. Let’s look at several elements that can help you do your bit to help the environment when you build:

Find the Right Architect
To create a home that is truly sustainable, you need to engage the services of architects, designers and contractors that have expertise in this field. Luckily, environmental concerns are high up on many people’s agendas so most architects will have excellent green home building credentials. This means they will know the best layout, materials and construction techniques to make your home have as low an impact on the environment as possible. Choosing contractors that specialise in homes as opposed to commercial buildings is also a safer bet.
 
Choosing Materials
An essential part of building a home that is kind to the environment is to choose materials that have a low impact now and in the future. Concrete and metal have a massive carbon footprint due to the way they are sourced and produced; they also do not biodegrade so will have a harmful effect on the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years.
 
Timber frames are a great way to go as they are built using a natural yet durable material. Wood is a good material to use as it is sustainable, so long as you choose a supplier that sources wood in an ethical way – for example, many suppliers now plant two trees for each one they cut down, ensuring that future generations are unaffected by their actions. Materials that have travelled the shortest distance are also best as they have a low carbon footprint.
 
Lifestyle Changes
One of the biggest ways you can positively impact the environment is to make simple changes around the home. Using less water is very easy to do – fix your leaky taps and take showers instead of baths to use just 1/3 of the amount of water. Installing solar panels and switching to energy efficient light bulbs are tiny differences that have huge benefits. Designing your new home, you can take these things into account; include solar panels in your designs for clean energy to light and heat your home, and for plumbing only use fixtures and fittings that help you save water.
 
Building a house from scratch is a great way to ensure that you can live as sustainably as possible. From big decisions such as hiring an ethical timber frame manufacturer to simply fitting energy efficient light bulbs, you can play an important part in being as green as possible.