Everything seems to be “going green” these days. Sometimes it can be hard to tell what that really means, especially when it comes to your current or future home.

Although we cannot entirely avoid affecting the environment when a house is built, green building can help minimize that environmental impact.

Environmental considerations and resource efficiency can be incorporated into every step of the building and development process. It is entirely up to you, the homeowner, as to which ones, if not all, are right for you.

As your Certified Green Professional (CGP), Lundberg Builders can provide you with ways to make your home resource and energy efficient, safer for you and your loved ones, raise value, and discuss incorporating green building principles without driving up maintenance costs.

Some key components of green building include:

• Energy Efficient Features: Decrease overall energy consumption within the home.
  
  
  • ENERGY STAR® ratings on appliances, windows and water heating systems
  • Efficient light fixtures and bulbs
  
  
• Water Efficient Features: Save water.
  
  
  • Fixtures and appliances such as low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets
  • ENERGY STAR® dishwashers and washing machines
  • Programmed, low-volume irrigation systems
  • Rainwater collection systems
  • Wastewater treatment systems
  • Hot water recirculation systems
  
  
• Resource Efficient Features: Take advantage of natural light, reduce heat gain and loss, and use renewable materials.
  
  
  • Home size
  • Orientation on the lot
  • Floor plan layout
  • Rapidly-renewable wood species such as Bamboo
  • Recycled-content materials in carpets, tiles, and concrete
  
  
• Indoor Air Quality Features: A properly ventilated home should cycle fresh air inside, and release stale air.
  
  
  • Heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems must be appropriately sized
  • Fans in the kitchen and bathrooms
  • Low-VOC paints and finishes
  
  
• Outside the Home
  
  
  • Preserve trees and other vegetation native to the area
  • Landscaping should contain plants that are appropriate for the climate and grouped according to water needs
  • Use gravel, permeable block pavers, grids, or other permeable systems for driveways and other surfaces