Remodeling With Green Buildings

Conduct a home energy audit. Call in a professional and for a few hundred dollars he'll assess your home's energy usage: You'll need to confront your own wastefulness and you'll discover the integrity of the structure of your home in terms of air leaks that could benefit from extra insulation. This document will guide the remainder of your green home renovation.

Focus on energy efficiency. The next step is to tighten your home's energy envelope and reduce your energy use. Ways to accomplish this include replacing single pane windows with insulated, double-sided windows, or at least beefing up the insulation in your walls, around your windows and doors and especially in the attic.

Choose green finish materials. Paint your walls with formulas that contain low or no level of volatile organic compounds (VOC), resulting in better air quality. The same goes for other caulks and sealants, as well as material choices. Bamboo floors are lauded as sustainable because they are a renewable resource. Otherwise, choose forest stewardship certified (FSC) woods that were harvested through sustainable practices. Also consider tiles made from recycled glass for counters and other surfaces, and materials from your local architectural salvage yard can lend character without adding a lot of cost to your renovation.

Recycle construction waste. Rather than having the contractor haul off the demolition trash for the day, separate it out and send reusable elements to your local architectural salvage yard or other materials to your city's recycling center. The more you can keep out of the landfill, the better.

Install renewable energy systems into your home. A remodel presents the best time to try out such innovative products as photovoltaic panels or solar hot-water heaters. These systems cost a bit upfront, but the payoff will arrive much faster than you expect.

Continue to practice green living strategies long after the renovation has been complete. Recycle, compost, conserve water -- they may seem like extra chores, but they will go a long way toward conserving our planet's resources.