Building a Healthier Home

Building a LEED certified green home is done with two primary purposes.  Energy savings is the first thing that comes to mind, but just as important is creating a healthy and safe home.
Energy savings can be achieved in a variety of ways, by using environmental factors to advantage, and using the energy that is consumed in a frugal manner.

• Providing natural daylighting to replace the need for electrical lights during the day. You can improve the effect of daylighting by using light finish colors, too.
• Using Passive Solar design to capture the sun’s warmth through south facing windows to decrease the need for heat from a furnace.
• Using Passive Cooling design to increase ventilation and retention of coolness within the building components. This can reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Using materials such as an attic radiant barrier installed across the roof trusses to reduce the heat going through the ceiling insulation and into the house.  Reduction could exceed 40% less infiltration.  This in turn will save approximately 10-15% of the cooling costs in a typical home.
• Using LED or fluorescent lights, Energy Start appliances, low water flow fixtures and other measures to reduce consumption to a minimum.   

Creating a healthier home is just as important, and the types of materials chosen need strong consideration. Reducing the strain on resources, reducing the health risks to the occupants of the home, and creating a comfortable surrounding must all be emphasized.

• Using recycled materials diminishes the strain on resources.  For example, engineered lumber uses leftover materials, therefore reducing the need to harvest more trees.
• Using sustainably harvested wood, reclaimed wood, or wood-alternatives reduces impact to our forests. Bamboo flooring uses the split and flattened culms of the plant and is an alternative to the limited supply of hardwood.  It is as strong as red oak and also provides a material that is a conductor when installed in areas that get sun.  Cork flooring has excellent thermal and sound insulation qualities, making it also a great finish material in spaces where conduction is of value. Strawboard or wheat board are both are excellent materials for cabinetry and interior doors, and are non-toxic and biodegradable.
• Using locally-manufactured materials reduces the impact of transporting the materials.
• Using radiant floor heating so that warmth from the floor can create a more comfortable feeling.
• Improving air quality in the home is important to the occupants’ health. Poor air quality is related to “off gassing”, which is the release of toxins over a period of time into the air. For instance, formaldehyde is found in many insulations or carpets, and can be gradually released into the air for up to 10 years. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.  Natural-fiber carpet, tile, hardwood flooring, cork, and bamboo are better choices in this respect.
• Selecting low or no-VOC paints and finishes improve air quality.  Paint and stain also “off gas” and create allergy and health problems. When choosing a paint or stain, use materials that do not emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Paints, stains and adhesives should be non-toxic and biodegradable to minimize indoor air pollutants.

 
Green homes incorporate many ideas for building, such as choosing environmentally friendly products over the standard materials.  The most important thing is that these choices are being made in an effort to produce a home that is both aesthetically pleasing and healthy.  Future posts will highlight the choices being made in the homes in Three Groves Ecovillage.  These choices are innovative and make a conscious decision to protect the environment, the local communities, and the occupants.