Green Remodeling for a Better Home

Green – concerned with or relating to conservation of the world’s natural resources and improvement of the environment.

Remodel – to reconstruct, make over.  (from dictionary.com)

From these definitions, Green Remodeling could be summed up as a make-over which takes into account conservation of natural resources and improvement of the environment.  A pretty good definition.  Remodeling, in and of itself, is inherently “green,” simply by the virtue of re-using an existing structure.  “Remodeling is green by nature.  The essence of remodeling means extending the useful life of a structure – in other words, recycling your whole house (or most of it).” (From Practical Green Remodeling, by Barry Katz, p. 49.)  With over 140 million housing units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, green remodeling is on the brink of a revolution.  If a house has “good bones” – is architecturally sound, has a workable layout and in a desired location – it may be a good candidate for a green remodel.  But then what?

Benefits Of Green Remodeling

Green remodeling is making big headway in the housing market, especially with the increased focus on health, well-being and easier living in our homes. Many homeowners are choosing to make improvements to their existing homes with green, healthier practices, materials and technologies. This obviously has an impact on both short-term and long-term homeowners and the housing industry as well.

Green remodeling is good for both your health and that of your family. The benefits have been found to be physical and emotional. Making educated design and implementation choices can make your home a healthier, more comfortable space, and add to your overall quality of life.

Community is a big part of the connection between personal health and the health of our communities and environment. The impact a home has on its community as a whole, can be greatly reduced by features that are updated or added during remodeling. Some features of a green home can minimize the strain on landfills, water treatment plants, power plants along with other parts of local infrastructure.

Green remodeling reduces the overall impact on our environment and helps to slow depletion. Remember, even the small steps make a big difference.

And to wrap it up…The Financial Payback

It is well documented that energy-efficient home systems can have a very quick impact on your utility bills. This is due to most efficient appliances using up to 50 percent less energy than older, more wasteful models. But it is also important to take into account that efficient and durable materials last longer and cost less to maintain over their lifetimes.

Green remodeling has been shown to increase the resale value of homes. There have been many studies that demonstrate homebuyers are paying attention to the healthier, green aspects when shopping for houses. More than 90 percent of home buyers say they are willing to pay more for a home with green components because they realize the extra value they offer.

Certify It! 

One of the benefits of a green-certified home is the health and safety of you and everyone else living in that home. Another benefit is that the resale value of your home tends to be better, and green-certified houses tend to sell faster. All the certification programs give you, as the homeowner and inhabitant of the home, the peace of mind and reassurance that your home has that third-party stamp of approval that stays with that home, and that can be very important if you ever decide to sell the house.

There are several national programs for certifying a Green Home Remodel project.  

Green Home Remodeling and Renovations with the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS)(tm)

The ICC 700 National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) provides a dedicated section and practices for the design, construction and certification of remodels and renovations (as well as new construction) of single and multi-family homes. It is the only residential green building rating system approved by ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, as an American National Standard.

Any home certified must meet mandatory provisions and include sufficient green building practices in each of the six categories to meet the category minimums for one of the four green certification levels. It also offers home remodelers/builders an affordable process to remodel/renovate green homes that meets their health and environmental goals, are appropriate for their specific climate, and meet the needs of their particular market and home buyers.

Pearl Certification 

Pearl Certification is a third-party certification, homeowner information, business-building resources and more.

Pearl Certification changes the game for high-performance home value, making it visible today and decades from now to benefit homeowners and the professionals who serve them.

“Pearl Certification is a practical, valuable tool for homeowners who want to understand how their homes perform — and then keep improving them. In fact, with the help of Pearl Certification, your home can be the best performer on the block.” 

GreenStar Homes Certification 

“GreenStar Homes Certification helps you achieve and communicate your sustainability goals for new and existing, single family or multifamily projects.

The GreenStar checklist and manual are available to anyone to use and access for free in order to give you guidance on greening your next project.

The manual outlines the process and below are some success stories of project’s that certified.

Will yours be next?”