More On Green Remodeling
When it comes to saving the planet, can we ever know enough? At Cornerstone Builders, we keep returning to the need to use green materials and techniques in our remodeling and renovation projects.
Why is it so important? Well, apart from the helping our planet sustain itself, green remodeling allows us to correct existing housing that was built before many of the sustainable technologies came into being. We now know better, so we can do better.
A Harvard study says there are 120 million homes at least 32 years old in this country and we spend $233 billion renovating them every year. They were built when resources were plentiful and energy was cheap, so green construction can truly benefit them.
Since most remodeling projects last up to 30 years before another remodeling or renovation is undertaken, each homeowner would enjoy three decades or so of reduced energy bills and lower maintenance costs—not to mention the improvement in their general comfort and possible improved health.
Green remodeling is based in a few basic, but vital, principles—those of durability, resource efficiency, healthy indoor air and energy efficiency. These, taken together comprise what Carl Seville, a sustainable building consultant calls “Building Science†or “The house as a systemâ€. The study of this system provides remodelers like Cornerstone Builders with endless information about Green Remodeling.
We use that information to make homes healthier. Take, for example, indoor air quality. Most people spend much of their time inside, yet the air inside is not as healthy as the outside and such unhealthy air causes spikes in incidences of asthma and allergies. By using sustainable technologies like air filters and better windows and more cost efficient heating and air-conditioning, as well as building materials that don’t release toxins and chemical allergens into the air, we can make the indoor air of your older home cleaner and safer for your family—while saving money on your utility bills, too.
Green remodeling is good for all of us and the planet we share. Call us at Cornerstone Builders today to find out how we can green up your remodeling project.
