Eco-Construction for Greener Homes
A wise homebuilder will want to build a home that addresses the need for sustainable living. There are a number of ways for a homeowner to go about this important work. A typical home cane be fitted with energy efficient insulation and fixtures made from recycled products. Solar panels or other sustainable energy creation devices can be fitted to the home to reduce or eliminate reliance on fossil fuel generated power. Finally, a new home can be built using a mixture of time tested and new methods of construction for a home that nearly self regulates its internal temperature.
Recycled Insulation Material
Existing homes need to be re-insulated as existing insulation ages and degrades. Using recycled materials to update a home is a great way to practice Eco-construction in a sensible manner. There are several popular and effective recycled products used as insulation. Post-industrial denim and recycled fabric is shredded into a mass of fiber and small bits of fabric. This material is then pressed into a soft and warm felt-like ‘fabric’ which is then used in place of fiberglass insulation. A thriving wine industry supplies the raw material for recycled cork insulation. Light and water resistant, cork is an optimal insulation substance. As it is harvested from living trees, cork production is considered to be a sustainable product. Perhaps the best recycled insulated is cellulose. This is made from recycled paper and contains the most recycled material of any green insulation.
Get off the Grid
Home that fitted with solar panels and gray water capture systems can help cut back on resource use. Solar panels can be used in nearly any climate, as long as care is taken to properly orient them to the sky. In time, they will pay for themselves. A gray water system can be a simple as a rain barrel to capture runoff from the roof. The water can be used to water a garden or other non-potable uses.
Passive Heating Systems
Innovative ways of building houses can create a building that barely needs its heating or cooling systems in nearly every climate. Some of these houses use ancient techniques with thick stone and sand walls. Others sink their homes into the earth, allowing the stable temperature of the bedrock to regulate their homes.
Modern technology is used by others to build typical looking homes that use some of the same Earth regulating tricks as a sunken home. Deep concrete slabs and contact with bedrock keeps the interior comfortable. The smart appearance and low cost of construction make it an up and coming Eco-construction standard.
1. Mother Earth News
2. Greenworld
