As we begin planning our new home, one of the avenues we've been exploring is Green Building. Now this means different things to different people. To us Green building means, taking as little from the environment as possible, using our own resources and doing no harm. A tall order!
We are considering a number of different above ground pools as well and the intex pool seems to be one of the better ones around. As we haven't yet decided on which pool to order we've decided to go with an inflatable pool this summer. There are quite a few things to keep in mind when considering which above ground swimming pools are best. Every year that I've had to look after a pool I've never known which swimming pool chemicals to use. I'm told that pool covers make a big difference and as our evergreen trees tend to shed their leaves throughout the year we've been looking at which swimming pool covers will best suite our pool.
But before we get into that let's get back to green building.
When we mention green building, you can do as little green building or as much green building as you like. We'll be exploring many avenues shortly, from solar power to water conservation, but in the meantime I've found an article by Gregg Hicks, which I thought might give you all an overview of Green Building. Have a look and see what you think...
Green building almost seems like a fad these days. With all of the emphasis on helping the environment, it seems like being as environmentally conscious as you can is the popular thing to do. But when it comes to green building, there are a lot of ways to change your current living or work environment into something more energy efficient. Here are three ways that you can add green building to your life as well as to your home.
Water conservation is the first step in green building. Because the heating and cooling of water is something that takes up a lot of energy, you need to find new ways to perform these tasks. There are a number of 'green' solutions for this problem. Some homes install systems that are solar powered in order to heat and cool water in this way. You can also choose to recycle your water through your home in order to limit the use of water each day. This kind of system will take the water from your daily showers, clean it, and then put it back into use in the home for washing dishes, for example. You can also create a system that catches water from the environment to help you get more water.
Next in green building is to create energy efficient electricity. Though everyone would like to install solar panels on their home, it's not always cost effective for home owners. Solar panels are expensive and installing them to provide constant energy to your home is not always the best option when you don't live in a sunny environment. Talk with local solar energy providers to see if this is an option for you. If not, or if you're just not ready for solar power, you should look into changing your light bulbs to halogen bulbs and buy energy efficient appliances. These appliances will have energy efficiency stickers on them.
Another great way to add green building to your life is to consider the waste that you create each day. Instead of simply throwing out everything, you will want to create a recycling setup that collects recyclable items. You will also want to find a compost container that will allow your food waste and paper products to be turned into rich fertilizers.
This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.
We'll be bringing you more green building techniques as our blog progresses!
Enjoy your green building....
Susan
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