Your Green Home

by Wilson, Alex

• ISBN13: 9780865715554
• ISBN10: 0865715556
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-09-30
• Publisher: New Society Pub

Summary

More and more homeowners today want houses that are healthy to live in and cause minimal damage to the environment. That's what green building is all about. Your Green Home is written for homeowners planning a new home-whether you are working with an architect or builder, or serving as your own general contractor. Intended to improve the overall environmental performance of new houses being built, the book sets out to answer some of the big-picture questions relating to having a home designed and built-and getting what you want. Your Green Home covers: a_? Home location and its relationship to the community a_? Site design a_? Construction systems a_? Building design to optimize energy performance a_? Renewable energy systems a_? Material selection a_? Indoor environmental quality a_? Water efficiency a_? Material selection Written by the founder of BuildingGreen-North America's premier green building authority-this book will prove useful not only to future homeowners, but also to designers and builders seeking to meet this demand. Building professionals well-versed in green building may find this a useful book to give to potential clients to convey the scope and principles of green building. Alex Wilson is president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, the oldest and most respected publication serving North America's green building industry. A green building expert since the 1970s, he has authored countless articles on the topic and several books, including Green Building Products, the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, and Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Foreword by John Abrams	xv
CHAPTER 1: So You Want to Build a Green Home	1	(8)
What is Green Building?	1	(2)
A Short History of Green Building	3	(4)
How to Use this Book	7	(2)
CHAPTER 2: Finding the Help You Need	9	(8)
Hiring a Designer	10	(2)
Hiring a Builder	12	(2)
Serving as Your Own General Contractor	14	(1)
Building Your Own House	15	(2)
CHAPTER 3: Where to Build	17	(12)
Building a New House vs. Fixing Up an Old One	17	(1)
Your Home as Part of the Community	18	(2)
Building on Previously Disturbed Land and Urban Infill Lots	20	(1)
Evaluating the Greenfield Sites	21	(4)
Regulatory Constraints	25	(1)
Siting Your Home	26	(3)
CHAPTER 4: General Issues in House Design	29	(10)
Is a Stand-Alone, Single-Family House What You Really Want?	29	(2)
How Big a House do You Need?	31	(1)
Design for Durability	32	(1)
Design for Accessibility and Adaptability	33	(1)
House Configuration	34	(2)
What About an Attached Garage?	36	(1)
Other Design Issues	37	(2)
CHAPTER 5: The Structural Building System	39	(18)
Conventional Wood Framing (2x4,2x6)	39	(2)
Conventional Wood Framing with Rigid Foam Insulation	41	(1)
High-Tech Wood Framing Systems	42	(1)
Timber Framing	43	(2)
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) Construction	45	(2)
Steel Framing	47	(2)
Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction	49	(1)
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)	49	(1)
Other Masonry Block Building Systems	49	(2)
Strawbale Construction	51	(2)
Deciding Among the Building System Alternatives	53	(4)
CHAPTER 6: Energy Efficient Design	57	(34)
Why Reduce Use of Fossil Fuels?	57	(2)
Integration is Key	59	(1)
A Superinsulated, Airtight Envelope	60	(9)
Selecting Windows	69	(3)
Selecting Heating Equipment	72	(7)
Cooling Your House	79	(3)
Water Heating	82	(3)
Home Appliances	85	(2)
Lighting	87	(1)
Energy Improvements on the Horizon	88	(3)
CHAPTER 7: Making Use of Renewable Energy	91	(16)
Passive Solar Heating	91	(4)
Natural Daylighting	95	(3)
Solar Water Heating	98	(2)
Photovoltaics	100	(3)
Wind Power and Green Electricity	103	(1)
Wood Energy	103	(3)
Zero-Energy and Carbon-Neutral Homes	106	(1)
Final Thoughts on Energy	106	(1)
CHAPTER 8: Materials and Products for Green Building	107	(18)
Why Choose Green Building Products?	108	(1)
Use Less Material	109	(1)
Consider the Entire Life Cycle	109	(2)
Selecting Building Products	111	(11)
Getting the Information You Need for Material Selection	122	(3)
CHAPTER 9: Creating a Safe Indoor Environment	125	(22)
Eliminate, Isolate, and Ventilate	125	(2)
House Design for a Healthy Indoor Environment	127	(6)
Choosing Products and Materials for the House	133	(5)
Ventilation Strategies	138	(6)
Keeping a Healthy House Healthy	144	(3)
CHAPTER 10: Respecting and Conserving Water	147	(18)
Water Conservation in the Home	148	(5)
Water Conservation Outdoors	153	(2)
Dealing with Wastewater	155	(4)
Graywater Separation and Treatment	159	(2)
Rainwater Harvesting	161	(2)
Managing Stormwater	163	(2)
CHAPTER 11: Dealing with Construction Waste	165	(8)
Reducing Job-Site Waste	165	(2)
Reusing Job-Site Waste	167	(2)
Recycling Job-Site Waste	169	(2)
Proper Disposal of Wastes that Cannot Be Recycled	171	(2)
CHAPTER 12: Landscaping and Plantings	173	(12)
Protection of Soils and Vegetation During Site Work	173	(1)
Landscaping for Energy Conservation	174	(3)
Landscaping for Biodiversity	177	(4)
Water-Conserving Landscaping	181	(1)
Edible Landscaping	182	(3)
CHAPTER 13: Costs of Building Green	185	(10)
Controlling Construction Costs	185	(2)
Construction Costs vs. Operating Costs	187	(3)
The Cost of Good Design	190	(1)
Paying for a Green Home	190	(3)
Benefitting When You Sell a Green Home	193	(2)
CHAPTER 14: Living in Your Green Home	195	(14)
Understanding How Your House Works-The Homeowner's Manual	195	(1)
Energy Efficiency	196	(3)
Water Efficiency	199	(1)
Maintenance	200	(1)
Selection of Furnishings	201	(2)
Cleaning Products	203	(1)
Dealing With Waste	203	(2)
Composting Organic Waste	205	(2)
Involve the Whole Family in Waste Management	207	(1)
Transportation	207	(1)
Enjoy the Outdoors	208	(1)
Afterword	209	(2)
Glossary	211	(16)
Index	227	(10)
About the Author	237