Green Design ý What it Means For a Home Owner

ýGreen Designý ý What does that mean to typical homeowners? As designers, we want to give our clients information that will be helpful to them to make good, sensible decisions as they think of building a new home or doing a renovation. It is the trend of the future, but still so many people have no clue what the benefits are to using ýgreený products. We, as designers, have to help them put the puzzle together so as to alleviate the questions and concerns they may have.

When faced with starting a new project, consumers want to know what the benefits are of using ýgreený products. There is much more of a focus on being ýenvironmentally friendlyý. They are wondering if it is worth the effort and expense to go ýgreený or is this just a trend that will not have a lasting impact in the future.

There are four main ýgreený areas that people can understand how they can be of benefit to them if they are building a new home or just doing a renovation project. They are as follows:

1) HVAC (Heating & Air Conditioning)
2) Wall Thickness
3) Insulation
4) Doors and Windows

HVAC: We are seeing a new feature on these units called ýForced Airý. This consists of radiant space heaters and requires less duct work. Fewer duct lines going through a home are very attractive to a builder. In the case of a house fire, fire companies have noticed that lowering the amount of duct work in a home help to keep fires from spreading rapidly. This can be a great selling point for your client.

Wall Thickness: People are much more energy conscious and want to learn how to conserve. Builders, also, are becoming more aware that increasing the thickness of an exterior wall to 12ý can make a huge energy savings for the homeowner. The added thickness raises the R value of a home. This is a rating that determines how protective the walls are to the climate outside (acts as a thermal blanket).

Insulation: This is one area that can make a real significant difference in energy savings. Cellulose insulation is blown into the walls and ceilings, creating a much more compact insulation, leaving less room for air to penetrate into the walls. You can get a high R rating using this type of insulation. It can go as high as R-60. This is a great energy saver.

Doors and Windows: People are more knowledgeable about the benefits of upgrading to a better design that will help alleviate air from penetrating into their home. Companies have been advertising the benefits and have shown that people will save considerable amount of money in choosing energy efficient products. Most people have had to deal with older windows and doors that left in cold air. What they sometimes donýt realize, there is a higher price tag for ýenergy efficientý doors or windows. They will need to compare the initial cost to the energy cost savings when making their decision.

These are just four areas that can be readily understood by most clients after giving them a thorough explanation. There are many more ways, but if they can benefit from just a few, it helps to make us aware that we are part of a growing number of people concerned about saving our environment. As people start to take note of the benefits to them and also the benefits environmentally, ýgreen designý will become a natural part of home building. As Designers, we want to make it our goal to continue to learn and become educated in ýgreen designý; therefore, giving our clients a tool they can use.

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