What is Green building and why is it good?

“Why build green?” seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. At least that question has been asked more and more to local builders. “Mainstream awareness is growing about building Green,” says Daryl Wood, owner of TimberWood Custom Homes of Post Falls. “We spend the majority of our time indoors so it makes sense to build green which contributes to a healthy and comfortable indoor environment.” Green building principles and practices incorporate social, economic, and environmental issues into the design and construction of both commercial and residential buildings, according to Wood. “Green building emphasizes responsible use of resources, including land, energy, water, and materials,” he said. “Besides comfort and health, green designs add strong selling points for homeowners because it yields ongoing value and benefits.” Wood, a past president and board member of the North Idaho Building Contractor’s Association, has been building Green since starting his construction company in 1994. He has 20 years of experience in Computer-Aided Design and engineering, and all phases of residential construction. One area where Green construction vs. non-Green methods can make an immediate different is in energy. The energy cost to power an appliance adds up to many times the original price of the appliance. “Consider appliances and equipment that have the Energy Star label, a good indicator of energy use,” says Wood. “By building with the most energy-efficient models, homeowners can save money and have a positive environmental impact.” Construction techniques that allow for additional attic and wall insulation and the use of heat pumps and geothermal heating systems reduce the amount of electricity and/or natural gas needed to heat the home. Adding aerators with flow restrictors is an inexpensive way to save water from the tap, and insulating water pipes helps hot water reach the tap or shower faster, wasting less water while it warms up, according to Wood. Composting uses little or no water, while garbage disposals require a lot of water. Food waste eliminated with a garbage disposal can also account for as much as 50 percent of home wastewater solids, increasing water treatment costs or requiring septic tanks to be pumped more frequently. There are many green building materials such as premium roofing products which provide extreme durability and fireproof qualities and reduce maintenance; insulation for windows and doors which play a primary role in achieving high energy efficiencies; and engineered structural products that are made from recycled/reconstituted wood materials. These materials employ laminated wood chips or glue-laminated smaller boards to make large beams capable of carrying heavy loads. This allows the use of waste wood and wood chips to make building components that were previously made from larger trees. “Some of these new components are left exposed as an architectural accent and are superior to large beams because they will not twist or warp like solid wood,” says Wood. “They can span greater distances thereby removing some of the supporting walls and opening up today’s living spaces.” Wood advises the use of locally sourced and indigenous earth materials whenever possible and encourages clients to make conscious energy savings choices when building their dream home. He also believes in recycling construction waste from the job site whenever possible. According to Wood, a large percentage of residential construction waste is wood scrap that can be separated and returned to a wood processing facility to be shredded and reused. Other materials like waste steel can be recycled directly into the same product for reuse. This keeps the material out of the landfill. “Building green is cost effective building by its very nature,” says Wood.