Of course, building a home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life. But then, what’s new about that? You have to make a home that turns out to be an example to others, a home that is environment friendly, made with all the organic and earth-friendly materials that you can amass – a green home. Switching to a green home might need some guidance and that’s exactly why you need to get in touch with a competent building contractor. If your contractor tells you that he has been building this kind of home for ages, then steer clear of him, because this idea of building a green home is fairly new, he can’t have been doing it for ages.
1. How do you propose to make a green building?
Why all this sudden craze for building green homes, you might wonder? It is because at least a section of the world population have realized the sorry state of Mother Earth and are trying their best to salvage what’s left of the environment. A green home will maintain the ecological balance of the environment by making use of only the natural and available resources. And not just that. A green home has other aims as well. Living in such a home will protect your family because you are making use of only safe and environment-friendly materials. Such a home will also release only the miniscule amount of waste, which will be good for the environment in the long run.
2. Before hiring a green home building contractor
You need to consider a few things before you hire someone to build green homes. First, you need to know for how many years he has been practicing this art. Next, he must be able to show you a portfolio of all the green projects he has done in the past. If the contractor is able to show references for what he has been doing then you can always check it out. If the contractor is able to provide you with third party certifications proving that he understands the environmental benefits of building a green home, then you will know he is theoretically qualified to work for you. Also, make sure that all the employees working under him are also certified. Quiz him on the equipments he uses to complete the homes. For example, water is precious and you need to have constant supply of water in your home to make sure you never run out of it. If you are living in an area where it rains quite well, then you must think of conserving all the rainwater, so you can use it for both home and agricultural uses. You can also tell your contractor to minimize waste water by incorporating low flush toilets and low flow shower heads. You can also save your utility bills by installing solar attic vents in your home. It will keep your home cooler during summer and warmer during winter.
3. Hiring a contractor for a green home
A contractor who builds green homes will help you with the following things:
• Will help you build an energy efficient home
• Makes use of the maximum amount of natural lighting
• The heating/ cooling system in your home becomes more efficient
• Uses raw materials that emits the less amount of toxic waste
• Conserves resources
• Rainwater harvesting
• Careful building of toilets and bathrooms
• Centralized hot water distribution
You probably didn’t know it in the beginning, but it is very important that your contractor should be licensed enough to build a green home. Not just any contractor on the block can call himself a green builder. So, just before you hire a contractor, you will know what you are supposed to expect of him.
4.Other reasons why you should go for a green home contractor
Building a green home is not just good for the environment and the natural resources provided by earth, it will also be extremely good for people in the house. You will be free from all sorts of allergens and pollens. Such a home will be good for people with asthma and other respiratory diseases. A credible contractor will use only top quality construction materials because it improves indoor air quality. That part is very important if you want to keep those respiratory problems at bay.
Everybody knows it is hard to find a contractor who will build within the budget he is specified in the beginning. A number of things could go wrong and you might have to push your budget limit. High quality work requires more funds and you need to treat your home as an investment for better living.
