With a glut of new homes on the market the thought of building one new seems like a unneeded expense. This is especially true when the National Association of Home Builders figures show U.S. housing starts plunged more than 38% in 2007 and are down 56% from their peak of 2.3 million in January, 2006 and some cities have subdivisions of new homes that are unsold. The problem with this thinking is that there are many more reasons than price that people build custom homes.

The Green Team

After years of ignoring the predictions of environmentalists the cat is finally out of the bag. Electricity rates will jump 12-15% in the next year as gasoline and fuel oil keeps climbing. This means that the cost to heat and provide electricity for a home is becoming more of an issue than being able to buy one. In fact, just like car buyers are shunning SUV's and other gas-guzzling vehicles, homeowners are looking options on a home other than the traditional: location, location and location. Because what good is a great location if the cost to heat the place and provide water for the huge lawn will put you in the poor house? In fact the McGraw-Hill Construction released a report that 40% of contractors now believe that "green building" will help them during the economic slowdown.

What is A "Green" Home?

There are many aspects of the term "green" but it starts with building a home using materials and methods that are not harmful to the environment and then running the household in the same way. LEEDS, The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System describes the process like this: "A green home incorporates smart design, technology, construction and maintenance elements to significantly lessen the negative impact of the home on the environment and improve the health of the people who live inside." This plan incorporates all aspects of the construction process and more contractors are coming on board every day.

The Building

The structure of the home has a great deal to do with the way a home retains its heat. In the distant past log homes were the preferred way and for good reason. The r-value of logs is a bit more than one-half that of a fiberglass-insulated home but r-values, although important, are not the determining factor. Logs have thermal mass, which is a material's ability to absorb and hold heat. When 8" the logs are warmed they have the insulating quality of an R-30 wall which means you would have to have 11" + of fiberglass insulation in a 12" wall. The fact is that there are many other products which are challenging the wood-frame home.

Insulated Concrete Forms: These are foam blocks which are stacked and filled with steel-reinforced cement. The walls are sealed from drafts and the cement is sandwiched by 4" of foam. Besides this the cement has a high thermal mass so it is the best of both worlds.

Structural Insulated Panels: Another "sandwich" product only it is two sheets of oriented strand board with a filling of 6.5" foam, depending on the structure. This also a sealed unit with a huge r-value of 28.

Wood-Frame Spray-Foam Insulation: Wood-framing got a boost with a sealing, expanding foam that seals off the walls and dries to a solid foam. This increases the r-value immensely while sealing off the home from drafts.

Windows

Window technology has come a long way in 10 years. Since windows are the greatest source of heat loss in the home they have gone from a double-pane heat draining portal to a respectable heat saver. This is due to the low-e (low-emissive, metal coating) and the argon gas fill rating. The gas prevents air circulation between the panes which steals heat. The coatings reflect heat back into the home. The sills are made from a foam-core vinyl which acts as a thermal break and the new, triple-pane windows have a plastic inner pane for the same purpose.

Doors

Almost all doors are filled with foam insulation and the glass is low-e and argon-filled. This is true with sidelights.Storm doors also help to stop the wind from battering at the door.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Heat pumps are one of the quickest-selling units for central heating, either air or geothermal. With the price of fossil-fuels climbing steeply many people are leaning this way. Heat pumps also act as air conditioners. Water heating is taking a page from a solar manual. Solar-assist water heaters are now a standard fixture in new green home building. These are tubes filled with glycol which heat water from the sun's heat.

Roofs

To avoid asphalt shingles from going into landfills green home builders are looking to clay tile and metal, either shingles or sheets. Metal, of course, is completely recyclable and lasts a lifetime.

Water Saving

Green landscapers are looking at smaller (or no) lawns and shrubs which can exist on the natural water cycles. Rain cisterns are becoming popular as rain storage makes up for the rising cost of water and the low aquifers in many parts of the country. Inside the home low-flow toilets and shower heads lead the way for water savings. In addition new homes are making use of "gray" water from showers, baths and kitchen sinks for landscaping water. This also includes the minced nutrients from the garborator.

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