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Patterns come in all different styles to fit your taste and budget. (Courtesy of Wallpaper Collective)

By Janice Zaltman
January 2, 2012 

Are you ready to refresh a room or two for the New Year? Good news: there’s no need to bring VOC-emitting wallpaper into your home! Here Sierra Club Green Home explains environmentally friendly wallpaper, its benefits, and how to find it.

Many traditional wall covering use Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC, to prevent moisture buildup and to make the paper easier to clean. PVC releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are linked to asthma and other health problems. As vinyl wallpaper never decomposes, waste and pollution are big concerns when the wallpaper comes to the end of its lifecycle (about every 10 years).

Environmentally friendly wallpaper is typically made of natural fibers which have zero or low VOCs, and can be recycled or composted. That means better indoor air quality in your home. Many wallpaper manufacturers produce materials that have low VOCs, but the greenest companies are those with sustainable practices throughout their entire process.

Ferm Living Shop, for example, uses only environmentally friendly, water-based pigments in their products. The wallpaper material consists primarily of cellulose and mineral fibers. According to the company’s website, it also recycles the waste generated during manufacturing. The company even uses the “slow boat shipping method” to reduce its carbon footprint, according to founder Christiana Coop.

Found the perfect pattern? Before you stick to it, know that traditional wallpaper paste may contain polymers, chemicals, oils, and fungicides. Look for greener alternatives such as water-based wallpaper paste, water-soluble wallpaper paste, or solvent free wallpaper paste.

Finding products produced locally or regionally has a lot of benefits to the environment, and you may want to start your search by asking local companies for their eco-friendly options. However, the Internet will definitely provide the largest selection.

Wall Paper Collective is a good place to start. This Web site includes environmentally friendly wallpapers from many different designers. You also can see what makes a certain design green, whether because it is free of PVC or because its material comes from sustainably managed forests.

Wake up those tired walls with a fresh look for the New Year. No matter what your style and taste, there is a perfect pattern waiting to transform your walls!

© 2012 SCGH, LLC. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Cargo containers—those giant, steel, rectangular boxes most often seen hitching a ride on a train, truck, or ship—hold a myriad of industrial goods. But now the shipping container itself is a house. Cargotecture is a modular home that is portable, off the grid, and made of recycled materials. HyBrid Architecture | Assembly designs sustainable living spaces in cargo containers and coined the term “cargotecture” to describe these novel structures.

“You can essentially press a button and order a house shipped to you—within eight weeks,” said Joel Egan, principal architect at HyBrid.

Rainwater HOG (rainwaterhog.com), a modular water storage system, can be added to the cargo container house.

HyBrid showed off its c192 Nomad model home at the recent Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco. The Nomad can last 400 years, Egan said. The firm focuses on maximizing the efficiency of the cargo container space. The Nomad dwelling spans eight feet wide, 192 square feet in all, and the price for its design and manufacture starts at $59,500. Customized options include solar panels, composting toilets, water collection decks, and additional doors.

“This represents the beginning of a system that we’re offering,” Egan said. “It’s sort of predesigned, but it allows different containers, different sizes—homes and offices—to plug into each other, to stack essentially like Legos [sic] any way the client wants to do it.”

Aside from being combined to create larger spaces, this sustainable dwelling can be an addition in the back yard as a home office or a guesthouse that sleeps up to four people. It can also be used as a self-contained vacation retreat in the mountains.

“This [Nomad model] is the first we’ve actually built in a factory,” said Peter Secan, HyBrid project manager.

HyBrid is located in Seattle, Washington, and has built cargotecture in Washington, Oregon, and California. Besides homes, cargotecture also includes commercial space. HyBrid has designed a 3,600-square-foot office building, Secan said, as well as townhomes and ski lodges.

“They’re engineered to go twelve floors high,” said Secan, adding that the dwellings are seismic fitted as well. “They’re fully capable of being earthquake safe.”

HyBrid researches, designs, and arranges the construction of cargo container homes.  In as little as eight weeks, a feasibility study can be completed, required permits can be obtained, and the dwelling can be built. The construction of the home itself takes three to four weeks, Secan said. The home is typically transported by truck from the factory to be installed at the designated site and can be relocated at any time.

The Nomad cargotecture home can function completely off the power grid. To be self-sustaining, the home can be designed with solar panels for electricity and water,  roof water collection, propane, and an above-ground septic system.

“You can get satellite and Wi-Fi …, “ said Egan. “So at that point, you have no utility bill, no address to send it to … . You can relocate it around the world.”

Take a tour of the c192 Nomad, Sunset Magazine’s 2011 Idea House, with HyBrid architect Joel Egan, to view the deck, full kitchen, ¾ bathroom, beds, storage space, and place holder for a clothes washer and a dryer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out more articles by E.Q. Lam.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. All rights reserved.

Whether you are hiring someone to replace a window, remodel a bathroom, or re-side your house, doing your homework will help ensure the project goes smoothly and professionally.

• If possible, get word-of-mouth referrals from family, friends and colleagues–people you know are  likely to be forthcoming about the strengths and weaknesses of the professionals they hired.
• Get written price quotations from at least three companies. When comparing quotations, make sure they cover the same scope of work. If the bid seems extremely low, make sure the company understands the project scope and isn’t planning to hit you with unexpected charges down the road.
• Always call at least three references for each company you are considering. If your project scope is large, such as remodeling a kitchen or landscaping an entire yard, try to visit the homes on the reference list and see the quality of work for yourself.
• Watch for unprofessional conduct. If the company representatives don’t return phone calls promptly, show up late for meetings, evade questions, or just don’t communicate well, look for a more professional outfit.
• Ask to see a copy of insurance certificates, including worker’s compensation (if the contractor has employees), property damage and personal liability.
• Check your state’s Better Business Bureau and consumer affairs office to see if there are complaints about the company.
• Use our Green Directory of pre-vetted GreenCheck Providers

Signing the Contract

Regardless of the project size, make sure you have a written contract spelling out the details. If there’s something you think should be done that isn’t specifically mentioned in the contract, it likely isn’t included in the scope of work. Be sure to read the contract thoroughly; if it contains language you don’t understand, don’t sign until you know what it means. Companies usually have standard contracts, but you can write in changes if both parties agree.

The contract should include:

• The company’s specific responsibilities. In addition describing the work to be performed, the contract should spell out other requirements such as obtaining permits, removing waste, and cleaning up the site.
• A list of all materials to be provided by the company, including brand name, specific product names or model numbers, colors and other details.
• Approximate start and end dates.
• The total price and the payment schedule. Try to limit your down payment. Check with your state office of consumer affairs-many states have laws limiting how much money the contractor can request for a down payment.
• Details about the warranty for materials and workmanship.

Don’t get taken

Scam artists and unscrupulous contractors prey on gullible homeowners. The Federal Trade Commission warns that these signs may indicate a contractor is planning to rip you off:

• Soliciting door-to-door
• Only accepting cash payments
• Asking you to get the necessary building permits
• Not listing a business number in the phone book
• Telling you your project will be a “demonstration”
• Pressuring you for an immediate decision
• Asking you to pay for the whole job upfront
• Suggesting you borrow money from a lender the contractor knows

Do it right from the start

An architect isn’t required for all work in your home, but for certain projects, an architect’s services are indispensable. You’ll want one, for instance, if you are planning to build a custom-designed home. You should also consider hiring an architect if you are planning a renovation that will significantly alter a home’s structure, such as adding a room or another story.

Not all architects have experience designing green homes, however. Until recently, few architecture schools gave more than a cursory nod to energy efficiency, passive solar design, renewable energy systems, indoor air quality, and resource conservation. To be fair, few clients asked for green homes. But that’s changing fast as architects and homeowners alike come to grips with the immense impacts that homes have on our health as well as on the climate, energy, and other resources.

Your best bet is to look for an architect with experience designing green homes. Otherwise, it may fall to you to become the project’s eco expert.

Top Tips

• Hire early. Many decisions need to be made very early in process of planning a green home, so it’s worth bringing the architect on board as early as possible. Making up your mind about a certain orientation or layout before hiring an architect may preclude options that would make your home more enjoyable and less expensive to live in, such as passive solar design.
• Find a green match. Look for architects who do the type of green home design you are interested in. If you like modern design, seek an architect who has done modern green homes. If your main concern is healthy indoor air quality, look for an architect with that expertise. When reviewing an architect’s portfolio, ask about each project’s green elements and whether they would or wouldn’t be appropriate for your project.
• Check for a license. Make sure the architects you are considering are licensed to practice architecture in your state. Also ask about their green credentials, such as LEED Accredited Professional status from the U.S. Green Building Council or certification from a local green building organization.
• Say what you want. Let the architect know from the start what your priorities are, especially when it comes to green practices that aren’t yet standard in the building industry, like advanced framing techniques that reduce the amount of wood used in home construction. The clearer you can be about your green wish list, the more likely your architect can fulfill it.
• Who’s on first? When you interview an architecture firm, you’ll typically meet with a principal or partner in the firm. But once you hire the firm, the work may be assigned to a more junior staff member. During the interview process, figure out who will actually be working on your project on a day-to-day basis and what they know about green architecture and home design.
• Be nosy. When talking to previous clients on the architect’s reference list, don’t just ask the standard questions about budget, schedule, and quality. Also inquire about the architect’s green expertise. What green elements did he or she include in the design? Once built, were these elements successful? Did the architect bring green ideas to the design table, or did the homeowner have to push for more eco-friendly solutions?
• Put it in writing. In the contract between you and the architect, clearly spell out your project’s green goals and requirements. You may not know details like the type of materials that will be used or even the number of rooms, but you can include some guiding green principles, such as, “The owner has established as a goal that this new house be designed to be at least 50% more energy efficient than required by the state building code.”

Other Considerations

• The traditional design process is linear, with the architect handing the completed building plans off to your builder, who is expected to execute them to the letter. Unfortunately, significant efficiency and cost savings opportunities can be missed if the builder doesn’t have a say in the design process. The builder may have good ideas about, for example, where to locate the bathrooms, laundry, and water heater to reduce pipe runs, which could save money and water-heating energy. To enhance communication, you might suggest “integrated design,” which basically means your design and construction professionals have frequent discussions about how to make your home as eco-friendly and healthy as possible. Integrated design isn’t easy to accomplish, however, since the builder is often hired after the plans are complete. At least look for an architect who is a team player–someone willing to take into account suggestions even after the drawings have been completed.
• When you interview architects, ask if they have signed on to the 2030 Challenge. This global initiative establishes aggressive goals for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of new and remodeled buildings. The 2030 Challenge states that all new buildings and major renovations be designed to produce 50% less greenhouse gas than the regional average for that building type. The targets get more aggressive as time goes on, so that by 2030, new and remodeled buildings will be “carbon neutral,” meaning they will use no fossil fuel-based energy to operate. Hiring an architect who has signed the 2030 Challenge means that you are also committed to making your house as energy efficient as possible.

Benefits…

…to your health
A green architect can suggest design strategies and materials that will keep the air inside your home cleaner, promoting better health for your family.

…to your wallet
A green architect can help you build a home that will cost less to operate, lowering your utility and water bills.

…to the Earth
If your home uses less energy and water, you’ll emit less climate-changing greenhouse gas, year after year. Some green architects have even figured out how to build carbon neutral homes!

Common Mistakes

• Rushing the planning process. In your eagerness to get your project under way, you may be tempted to race through the process of hiring an architect and getting completed drawings to your builder. Take some deep breaths and slow down. Good green design requires careful planning and sometimes additional legwork to investigate options or track down products. Taking plenty of time early on will help you avoid costly mistakes.
• Not speaking up. If you want a healthy, eco-friendly home, make that clear when you first interview the architect. If you’re not sure what your green priorities are, ask the architect to help you define them before design work gets started. If you wait too long to clarify these ideas, some options may be off the table.

Getting Started

Decide whether your project would benefit from an architect’s services. The American Institute of Architects, a professional association for the architecture industry, has fact sheets and other online publications explaining what architects do. If you’re not planning any major structural changes but need professional help with the interior layout of rooms or with product selection, consider working with an interior designer. Some building companies also provide design services using their in-house designers or architects.

Related Products & Services

• Builders
• Demolition experts
• Interior designers

SCGH: So, $195,000? Is that realistic? I think a lot of our readers would be shocked to learn that you can put up sustainable homes for that little money. Tell us some of the secrets.

Aash: It starts with building smarter. Traditional stick-building has a lot of inefficiencies and we’re aiming to remove those inefficiencies in a couple of ways. First, we’re investing heavily in design. The actual design of the house and the layout of the rooms has a big impact on the cost to build and operate. For instance, we’ve designed the HVAC system to minimize the ductwork required. We’ve also taken as much advantage of natural light and passive solar heating as possible. In fact, we rejected many lots the City thought we could use because we only want to build on north/south streets to take full advantage of the sun. Second, we’ve moved some of the process off-site. When possible, we’re using pre-fabricated panels which are less expensive to build and allow us to build a much tighter envelope. This tighter envelope not only reduces ongoing HVAC costs, but allows us to install a smaller HVAC system on Day 1, further lowering costs. Finally, we’re going to replicate the same design multiple times. Just like Boeing can’t make money on the first 777 it produces, we can’t make money on the first home we produce, especially at a sales price of $195,000. However, by using the same design multiple times, we get some economies of scale and real learnings that will help us lower the costs of production over time. We really believe sustainability doesn’t have to be a higher cost product, just a better designed product.

SCGH: So, if I understand you right, you’re going to do some part of the building away from the actual construction site. Tell me about that? Why is that a benefit for sustainable homes?

Hans Fedderke and Aash Desai onsite discussing the project.

Aash: A lot of things are still happening on-site but instead of building the actual frame on-site, we’re bringing in pre-insulated panels and erecting them on site. This allows us to get the home closed quickly, reducing our temporary heating needs and helping to keep the home secure. We’re still bringing in lots of materials for inside the house. This isn’t a modular home like at the Museum of Science and Industry. The mechanical and electrical systems will still be assembled on-site but we’re working with our vendors to limit the fittings, corners, attachments to help make the assembly as quick and easy as possible.

Hans: That brings up another great point. We’re very reliant on our vendors to give us advice. We don’t believe our way is the only way and many times our vendors can help us design a better solution. Our mechanical is a great example. We’re going to use a central trunk ductwork that branches out and opens up and down so we can use less material. This idea came from our suppliers and was clearly a better solution.

SCGH: So, a lot of what we talked about here was behind the scenes stuff. If I was going to live in the house, tell me the 3 cool things I’d immediately notice about the sustainable home.

Aash: Well, first you’ll notice the house is going to be much brighter. We have a large solar chimney right in the middle of the home bringing in lots of daylights to every room in the house, not just those in the front and the back. It makes the house more pleasant to live in, and it also helps lower electrical bills. The second thing you’ll notice is how low your utility bills are. We’re targeting a house that is at least 30% more efficient than codes require.

Hans: The third thing would probably be the floor plan. We’ve designed the house to have maximum usable space. This keeps you from having to heat and cool hallways and it keeps construction costs down because the overall footprint of the house can be smaller.

SCGH: So, when all is said and done, just describe the house as I’ll see it.

Hans: The neat thing is the design starts on the outside. We’re minimizing storm runoff by using permeable pavement and installing a green roof. We wanted to keep the impermeable footprint to a minimum. Then, when you enter the home, you’ll feel like you immediately came into the middle of the house. There’s a big living room up front and the solar chimney is right there lighting up the room. The kitchen is then behind the chimney. Walking up the stairs, you’ll continue to get lots of natural light and once you’re upstairs, you’ll have 3 bedrooms. We worked hard to make sure the rooms could be as large and usable as possible.

We also invested a lot in the little things that make the home sustainable. We’re using bamboo flooring, low VOC paints, low-flow fixtures and high-efficiency lighting. Almost none of these components are an “upgrade” in the sense that they cost the same as traditional materials but they make a huge difference in the cost of maintaining the home, the health of the occupants, and the home’s overall impact on the environment.

SCGH: So, ultimately if you’re going to make this happen, you must be getting a lot of help from the City of Chicago. Tell us how the City has helped you in this endeavor and how other cities can think about copying this sustainable home model.

Hans: The key to the whole thing has been getting community support from the beginning. When we first started, we were working with both the local development council and Alderman Burnett of the 27th Ward. With their help, we tweaked the home and the design a bit to make sure we were accommodating all of their concerns. We’re also working with the City Lots for City Living program. This program allows the City to provide us vacant parcels of land at no or limited costs in exchange for our commitment to build affordable housing on the site. And we’re working with the Building Employment and Entrepreneurial Partnerships (BEEP) committee of West Humboldt Park to help us find local employees to work on-site.

SCGH: What’s the timeline for this whole project? When can we come back for a tour of a completed sustainable home?

Hans: We’re looking to break ground on 2 units in April 2009 and deliver those in June 2009.

Aash: The initial allocation is for 14 lots and we hope to build 2 at a time and continuously learn from what we build. The nice part of having a standardized process is we can learn and improve the process with subsequent homes. This will help us ensure the sustainable housing isn’t just for the top of the market but can be accessible to everybody.

Site drawing for the 600 N. Central Park Avenue project. Click image to view the complete site.

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Was your kitchen in its prime in 1971, when orange laminate countertops and avocado refrigerators were all the rage? When you open the dishwasher, does it block access to the cabinets? Is the lighting so dim you can’t tell if a recipe calls for potatoes or tomatoes?

It may be time for an overhaul. But where do you begin? Whether you do it green or not, remodeling and interior design can be a daunting process.

Assuming the changes you’re dreaming of don’t require major structural changes that require an architect’s services, you might consider turning to an interior designer. Interior designers don’t just suggest fabrics and colors. They’re professional problem solvers, resolving awkward layouts, figuring out what goes where, assessing what’s possible within your budget, and coming up with creative solutions to problems like inadequate daylight and lack of storage space. Designers can also recommend or buy products including furniture, appliances, accessories, and art.

If you wish, they can even orchestrate the entire remodeling process, managing construction and installation and overseeing the comings and goings of the builder and other tradespeople.

Although growing numbers of interior designers have the know-how to create homes that are healthy and don’t squander energy and natural resources, green interior design is not yet a standard practice, so you may need to do some extra legwork to find the right person for your job.

Top Tips

• Go green. Green interior design isn’t rocket science, but the choices and tradeoffs can be complex, so having a savvy eco-designer on your side can be a huge help. While designers aren’t the people to turn to for recommendations on insulation or new furnaces, they do make many decisions that affect energy efficiency, like choosing appliances, kitchen and bath plumbing fixtures, lighting products, and window coverings. Green designers also need to be familiar with a wide range of environmentally preferable products and materials for interior spaces, from flooring to furniture to cabinets. Moreover, a good green designer should serve as your first line of defense against choosing furniture, paints, and other products that might emit high levels of unhealthy VOCs into your home.
• Communicate. Good interior design requires good two-way communication. Choose a designer who listens to you and shows a good grasp of your goals and desires. By the same token, you need to communicate clearly about what you do and don’t want, especially when it comes to green techniques and products that may not be standard practice.
• Trust your taste. If you reluctantly agree to aqua-hued tiles that your designer insists are perfect for your bathroom, they may grow on you. Then again, you may grow to hate them, and decide to replace them as soon as your bank account rebounds from the initial expense. Trashing stuff because you don’t love it is no way to show your love for Mother Earth, so don’t let yourself get talked into a style or product that you really don’t like.
• Set limits. Many designers make money by taking a mark-up on products they buy for their clients, so they have a financial incentive to entice you to accumulate more stuff, be it a larger sofa, a new dining set, or another bank of kitchen cabinets. All this stuff takes its toll on the environment. It’s up to you to declare when enough is enough.
• Buy the best. Chair legs that snap, bookshelves that sag, and cabinet doors that become unhinged mean another load for the landfill. When choosing new items for your home, look for quality workmanship and materials. That doesn’t have to mean a higher price tag. Many moderately priced items are well crafted, while some high-end products are shabbily put together.

Other Considerations

• A decorator isn’t the same as an interior designer, although there is overlap between the fields. Decorators choose furniture, colors, fabrics, light fixtures, wall coverings, and other surface decoration. They are primarily concerned with the esthetics of a space. Interior designers also select furniture, materials, and colors, but they also restructure and reorganize rooms, and they often manage the construction and installation process.
• If you’re planning to remodel a kitchen or bathroom, you may want to hire a designer who specializes in those rooms and can make savvy decisions related to plumbing, appliances, and layouts. NKBA, a trade association for the kitchen and bath industry, certifies designers who have met the association’s criteria for education and experience.

Benefits…

…to you and your health
A good, green interior designer will arrange your space for comfort and convenience, and will choose materials that keep your indoor air clean.

…to the Earth
Green design also means creating spaces that don’t squander natural resources and are energy- and water-efficient. This can radically reduce your emissions of climate-changing global warming gases.

Common Mistakes

Falling for the greenwash. Anything related to green homes is big business these days, so some designers will drop words like “sustainable,” “green,” and “eco-friendly” into their sales pitches without having the knowledge and experience to back it up. The more educated you are about what makes a home healthier and kinder to the environment, the easier it will be for you know real green when you see it.

Getting Started

Pick a qualified professional. Before hiring, check the designer’s credentials. Some states require interior designers to be licensed. In addition, some designers receive professional accreditation from trade associations like the National Kitchen and Bath Association and the American Society of Interior Designers. Besides certification from trade associations, look for designers with accreditation from a local or national green building organization, such as LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) status from the U.S. Green Building Council. While accreditation doesn’t guarantee that they’ll do good work, it does show an investment of interest, time, and money in green design education.

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So if you’re a proud homeowner who has devoted time towards making your home greener—whether by installing kitchen countertops from recycled materials, replacing older fixtures with low-flow fixtures, insulating your water heater and pipes, or installing bamboo flooring—we encourage you to share your story for This Old House’s consideration.We take pride in knowing Sierra Club Members are examples of how to be more environmentally conscience and we expect your homes are no exception!For more information, please contact SCGH at ThisOldHouse@scgh.com.

Is “out with the old and in with the new” the motto of your remodeling project? If so, you’re hardly alone. Many remodeling projects involve gutting a portion or all of the home–in other words stripping the interior of everything from light fixtures to cabinets to wallboard so the builder can start from a clean slate.

If it’s a small remodeling project, say one or two rooms, you or the builder might do the work, but for larger remodeling projects like gutting an entire home, it’s common to hire a company that specializes in demolition. They’ll quickly strip out everything slated for demolition, tossing it all into dumpsters and hauling it away. Before you know what hit you, your home will be a mere shell.

Demolition is efficient from a time and labor perspective. But from a resource-conservation perspective it’s problematic. In some communities, everything in those dumpsters winds up in landfills or incinerators. Other communities have facilities in which recyclable materials are pulled out of construction and demolition waste. Some manage to recycle 50% to 75% of the waste. But even recycling isn’t a perfect solution because it requires large inputs of energy, water, and other resources.

The most environmentally responsible remodeling option is deconstruction. Deconstruction means manually “unbuilding” or dismantling the room or the entire house, taking care to salvage all materials that may have resale value. It’s a lot easier on the environment to take an old door out of a house and use it again on a new house than it is to grind it up into sawdust and make it into particle board or bury it in a landfill.

There’s almost no end to the other materials that can be salvaged, including cabinets, countertops, light fixtures, wood flooring, lumber, sinks, bricks, and molding.

Top Tips

• Be aware of hazardous materials. Before starting any deconstruction or demolition work, assess whether you are likely to run into asbestos or lead-based paint. The U.S. EPA has information about how to identify and deal with these potential hazards in your home.
• Plan well. If you’re doing deconstruction yourself, before you even pick up a crowbar, make a plan for what you can reuse, what you might be able to sell or donate, what you can recycle, and what will have to be trashed. Check with your local waste hauler or town recycling department about what’s recyclable in your community and whether there are any special procedures to follow for disposing of construction waste. Make sure you have enough space to organize the different types of material so the deconstruction process doesn’t become chaotic. Protect reusable items from the elements.
• Pay to play. When you or your contractor hires a deconstruction firm, you pay it to strip your home. The company will save anything with market value and resell it, typically at a salvage yard they operate. It is unlikely to pay you for any resalable items. You or your contractor must alert the company to any items you plan to keep before signing the contract.
• Deduct it. Deconstruction typically costs more than demolition because it takes more labor and time. But many deconstruction companies are charitable nonprofits, and homeowners may get a sizable tax deduction for the value of the donated material–often enough to cover the entire cost of deconstruction. And even if you’re not using a deconstruction company’s services, remember that items you donate directly to a legitimate charity may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Other Considerations

• Demolition and deconstruction costs vary greatly, depending on the size of the remodeling project, the type and condition of the home, and many other factors. The ReUse People, a deconstruction outfit in California, estimates that demolition of a 2,200 square foot house might cost the homeowner about $10,000, while deconstruction might cost about $24,000. But with a tax savings of $29,000 (based on an $88,000 donation value), the building owner who chose deconstruction could actually come out $5,000 ahead. Check with a tax advisor about your situation.
• It’s great to keep building materials and other goods out of the landfill. But can you take your devotion to reuse one step further by using salvaged materials in your own home improvement remodeling projects? First, think about what you can reuse from your own home. Then shop at building-materials reuse stores (you might know them as salvage yards or junkyards) and thrift stores. Check Internet classifieds to track down used building materials. Not everything should be reused, however. Steer clear of inefficient single-pane windows, old water-wasting toilets, and energy-guzzling old appliances.

Benefits

…to your wallet
Deconstruction costs more than demolition, but if you sell the materials or donate them to a non-profit for a tax deduction, you could actually come out ahead.

…to the Earth
By making it possible to reuse materials that would otherwise be recycled or discarded, deconstruction saves natural resources. It also eliminates the fossil-fuel burning that would be required to make recycled or new products for your home. As a result, you’ll emit less climate-changing greenhouse gas.

Common Mistakes

Not allotting enough time enough for deconstruction. A project that takes a demolition crew a day could take a deconstruction crew a week. That’s because deconstruction involves careful unbuilding of the home to preserve as much usable material as possible. A demolition crew’s goal, on the other hand, is usually to strip the house as fast as possible without regard for reuse or recycling. Construction schedules usually have little wiggle room, so plan ahead to make sure there’s enough time for deconstruction.

Getting Started

Planning for deconstruction begins during design. It may be easier on the environment (and on your budget, too) if you make only modest changes in an area to be remodeled. But if a complete overhaul is necessary, be sure to allot time in the construction schedule for deconstruction.

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It’s hard enough finding a builder who will do the work you want for the price you’re willing to pay, and deliver it on time and on budget. Add to those criteria your need for a green-building expert, and you can assume that your search for a general contractor is going to take some time.

But don’t despair. Half the battle is finding a builder with a reputation for doing high-quality work. Many green building strategies, like carefully sealing ducts and air leaks, properly installing insulation, and reducing and recycling construction waste, boil down to quality construction practices. If you find a builder who knows how to build right, chances are that builder knows how to build sustainably. Moreover, builders with more specific expertise in energy efficiency, resource-saving building methods, and healthy-home construction practices are becoming more common.

Top Tips

When remodeling or planning a custom-built home

• Licensed to build? Make sure your builder is a licensed general contractor in your state.
• Leaning green? Can you create a healthy, eco-friendly home even if your builder has no interest or expertise in building green? Yes, but it means you’ll have to provide exact specifications for materials, products, and even building methods and then make sure they are being followed. You may even wind up having to educate the builder about green building strategies, or worse, you may find yourself in conflict with the builder over green practices and products. Your project is likely to go much more smoothly if you hire a builder who has experience building healthy, energy-efficient homes. Many regional green building programs offer education and certification to builders; having green building certification is no guarantee the builder will do a good job, but does indicate they have a basic familiarity with the practices and principles of building green.
• Clearly describe what you want. Don’t wait until after signing the contract to surprise the builder with your green wish list. Let the builder know from the start what your priorities are, especially when it comes to green practices that aren’t yet standard in the building industry, like using FSC-certified lumber. Resource conservation and energy efficiency need to be integrated into the entire design and construction process, not tacked on at the end.
• Meet the team. When you interview a general contracting firm, you’ll typically sit down with either the owner or a project manager. Before signing a contract, though, you should meet the crew, including the job-site supervisor who will be working on your home. Ask if any of the crew has received green building training or certification. It’s important to be impressed by the owner or project manager, but it’s also important to feel good about the people doing the hands-on work.
• Be nosy. When talking to previous clients on the builder’s reference list, don’t just ask the standard questions about budget, schedule, and quality. Also inquire about the builder’s green expertise. Did the he or she bring green ideas to the project, or did the homeowner have to push for them?
• Put it in writing.Include your green goals in the contract between you and the builder. If you are working with an architect, ask him or her to provide a green specification (or “spec”) sheet that will also become part of your contract. The spec sheet should spell out your general requirements for green building practices and products, such as:
  • Reducing construction waste, reusing materials, and recycling as much as possible.
  • Protecting the site to avoid compacting the soil and disturbing vegetation.
  • Reusing as much of the material in demolished structures as possible.
  • Using salvaged, FSC-certified or engineered wood.
  • Using zero- or low-VOC paints, caulks, sealants and construction adhesives.

When buying a newly built home

• Ask good questions.Healthier, eco-friendly homes don’t necessarily look much different from conventional homes, so how can you tell if a home in a new development is green or merely greenwashed? Ask the builder these questions:
  • What steps were taken to improve the home’s energy efficiency beyond what’s required by the building code?
  • How was indoor air quality taken into account when choosing equipment, materials, and finishes?
  • If the land was previously undeveloped, what steps were taken to mitigate the loss of open space?
  • During construction, what steps were taken to protect the natural environment, such as preserving vegetation or avoiding building on ecologically sensitive areas?
  • Is the neighborhood sited and designed so that residents can walk, bicycle, and take public transit to local stores, schools, and parks?
• Ask about options and upgrades. If the new home you’re buying is still under construction, perhaps you can make it greener by requesting certain options or upgrades. Ask at the sales center about options for more energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling equipment, and lighting. Depending on how far along in the construction process the home is, higher levels of insulation and more energy-efficient windows may be possible. These days, some developers offer green finish options, such as low-VOC paint, and FSC-certified wood or bamboo flooring. Some builders even include solar electric systems, either as a standard feature or as an upgrade.

Benefits…

…to your health
Green builders generally use materials that ensure excellent indoor air quality.

…to your wallet
A green builder should use materials and methods that minimize waste and maximize durability, which will save you money. A green builder is also an expert at building energy efficient homes.

…to the Earth
If your house uses less virgin material, fewer trees are felled, less is ore mined, and less petroleum is burned–all of which lessen the stresses on natural habitats and reduce emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases.

Common Mistakes

Not speaking up. If you want a healthy, eco-friendly home, make that clear from the moment you first interview the builder. If you wait until too late to bring up your green wish list, some options may be off the table.

Getting Started

• If you’re planning to buy a brand new home, look for homebuilders with a green reputation. The U.S. EPA’s Energy Star website lists homebuilders who meet Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. Also try contacting local green building organizations or your local chapter of the Home Builders Association (HBA), a trade association for homebuilders and remodelers. Some regional HBAs sponsor programs that certify green builders.
• In addition to the green considerations mentioned here, there are many other general steps involved in hiring a general contractor. For advice on what questions to ask contractors and other tradespeople, see our “What to Ask Your Contractor” article. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) have additional information.

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