In celebration of #EarthDay I thought it was in order to write about some of the myths that still exist about green building. As a custom builder and remodeler of energy-efficient and healthy, so called "green" homes, clients always ask…

1. Are green homes or remodeling projects more expensive?
   The short answer is: NO! They can be, but they don’t have to be. Green building is not about using fancy expensive materials, or all renewable energy systems. Green building is all about applying sound building science principles in design and execution of your project. This means designing and building a home correctly for it’s site and climate conditions. Fron there, clients can go a step further and incorporate material upgrades and renewable energy systems if they choose to.
    
2. All the green homes I always see on TV look weird and different! Can I build a green home, but not a "weird" looking home?
   Green homes don’t look any different than any other home or structure. Please understand that on TV, you are always shown the "extreme" – in technology AND design. An energy-efficient, green home can be of any architectural style, it can be a modern home, a tradition french style or any architectural style you desire. Modifications should be made with certain architectural styles to accomodate proper design for the climate zone your home is built in. 
    
3. If I install a tankless hot water heater, bamboo floors and recycled material countertops, will I make my home green?
   NO! You are making better material and component choices than most other people make. But if you truly want to make your home more efficient and healthy to live in, there are many other things you should do first. Making a home healthier and more efficient requires a systems approach. This means establishing a plan so you can have measurable results of the improvements you make. Hire a knowledgeable and certified professional to establish a plan and design for your project.

 Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
EGC Custom Homes
http://DallasGreenBuilding.com
m.kleinmann@EGCDallas.com 
  

Or is it? There is a lot in the news lately about whether this whole Green Movement is based on a hoax or not.  My take on that as far as Green Building goes is, “What does it matter?”  Sustainable development makes sense all the time, not just because it’s a fad or that its popularity has resulted from government policies and concern about Climate Change.

Building more energy efficient housing saves consumers money through lower utility bills and extends existing energy supplies.  Using re-manufactured products or products from forests with sustainable replenishment policies also extends the life of valuable resources.

Reducing product waste helps extend the life of existing landfills in population centers with growing communities.

So building Green saves money, is smart and contrary to what Kermit says, “It is easy being Green”

Blog Written by:Wesley Scott
wes@archwaysandceilings.com
www.archwaysandceilings.com

In one of our recent projects, we installed a rainwater harvesting system that captures 100% of the roofs’ runoff water. The water is captured through gutters and then routed into a 16,000 gallon tank. For this purpose we installed a “trunk line” all the way around the home’s perimeter. All the downspouts of the gutter system “feed” into this trunk line which is connected to the tank. The water is pushed into the tank by gravity and then pumped out when needed. One important aspect of the system is the pre-filtering system, on this project we used a product called “Gutter Foam”. You can find details about their product at http://gutterfoam.com. You can see in the picture that the foam piece is wedged in the gutter and prevents any debris from entering the system.

The tank is a galvalume tank with interior liner set on a sand & gravel base. It has a backup line from the city water meter in case the water level ever drops too low. At this point the backup kicks in and fills the tank to minimum level with city water. Water is pumped out of the tank with a Grundfos pump and filtered through a UV-filtration system. That way the water will not carry and “foul” odor, especially if it is used for toilets or exterior water faucets. In this home the rainwater harvesting system supplies 100% of the irrigation water and 100% of the water for all toilets and the washing machine. This dramatically reduces the use of city water and also helps with managing drainage around the homes’ perimeter.

Not only are builders using metal roofs for commercial buildings, multi-family units and retail shopping centers but, more and more, cool metal roofs are being utilized for residential housing as well.

Metal roofs are on the leading edge of technology and are being sought after as an energy saving material for your home. They can improve the esthetics of your house and the can also provide long-term savings on energy costs.

So what is the difference between asphalt and metal roofing? Simply put, asphalt traps heat in the house while metal roofs reflect the sun’s energy and keeps heat away from the home. An unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation which is usually absorbed in your attic.

‘Cool’ refers to the cooling aspects that the color coating provides on a metal roof.  So for homes in warmer climates like Dallas, a pre-painted or granular coated metal roofing system is recommended. These roofs not only reflect the heat, they also re-emit heat of absorbed solar radiation which can make your home’s temperature even cooler. Your home will stay warmer in the winter because the metal roofs are reflecting inside heat from the underside of the roof back into the home which adds up to a comfortable living environment and more savings for the homeowner.

There are additional advantages to a cool metal roof system that you may not have considered. Check out these 10 personal and environmental benefits of a metal roofing system:

1. Wide variety of ‘cool’ colors and finishes so you can customize your roof to meet your architectural style

2. Fire resistance can save your family and contents in case of a fire

3. Contain a significant amount of recycled material and are 100% recyclable

4. Can be designed to resist strong winds.

5. Low-maintenance and they do not warp, split or crack

6. They can be configured to catch rain water for harvesting systems

7. Are light weight and can be applied over an original roof saving waste and removal costs

8. Sustainable and have greater durability than other roofing systems which leads to a longer life cycle

9. Homeowner may qualify for a tax credit or insurance rebate

10. Most metal roofing systems come with a 20 year warranty

Rainwater harvesting captures, stores, and diverts rainwater for later use. The captured water is used for landscape irrigation because the water is free of salts and other harmful minerals and does not have to be treated. Capturing rainwater for the landscape not only makes great use of a valuable resource, it can also save money on the water bill.

Harvesting rainwater not only reduces the demand on our city and state’s water supply, it can also prevent flooding and erosion by slowing runoff and allowing it to soak into the ground. Reducing run-off helps to reduce the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides in rainfall run-off.

For each 1,000 square feet of the roof area or catchment surface of your home, a harvesting system can collect approximately 620 gallons per 1 inch of rain fall.

Catchment is the surface of your roof that rain falls onto and collects from. The catchment area a home is larger than the square footage of a floor plan. It includes garage, covered deck area, and the amount of eave overhang. The vertical slope of your roof does not increase your catchment area, so only the "footprint" of the roof should be considered.

(photo by Yuliya Libkina: Rain In Summer)