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More money is spent annually on home renovation than on new construction, (almost $300 billion in 2006). It is estimated that more than a million homes per year undergo major renovation or remodeling.

Economic and environmental realities are driving homeowners to look at how to maximize resource usage and to decrease the waste stream generated by construction projects. More of us are asking if there are better ways to remodel that can enhance health, reduce energy consumption, lower maintenance costs and minimize environmental impact. There is. It’s called green remodeling.

What is green remodeling? Essentially, it is the convergence of three basic principles:

• Increasing energy efficiency

• Improving indoor air quality

• Conserving natural resources

Perhaps the best way to describe the philosophy of green remodeling is that it is a form of applied common sense. Remodeling and renovation projects offer myriad ways to reduce, re-use and recycle. Salvaging and re-using materials can result in lower cost of materials and in the reduction of environmentally damaging waste disposal and lowering disposal-related fees. As a bonus, the use of salvaged materials, such as wood flooring, doors and antique fixtures can also add beauty and style to a newly remodeled space.

In their book, “Green Remodeling”, co-authors David Johnston and Kim Master refer to green remodeling as “Changing the World, One Room at a Time” (available at http://www.amazon.com), According to the authors, you can do this by employing green building processes and materials in remodeling projects, because going green “is more energy-efficient, more resource-conserving, healthier for occupants and more affordable to create, operate and maintain”.

Many products and practices used in remodeling a home can have negative effects on the environment. Green remodeling requires that thoughtful attention is given to minimizing or eliminating products or practices that could cause environmental damage or that could harm occupants during construction, or after the remodeling project is complete.

Since 1993, The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) http://www.usgbc.org/ has developed and administered a Green Building Rating System. USGBC provides practical information on applying green building standards to building projects. The adoption of green practices is seen as a way homeowners can meaningfully contribute to efforts aimed toward reducing global warming. There are many green alternatives to standard practices that USGBC recommends:

• Use wood alternatives like engineered lumber, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood harvested from managed forests (http://www.fscus.org)

• Employ renewable products like bamboo for flooring

• Reduce the use of paint and cleaning products containing high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

• Use natural fiber rugs and fabrics

• When available, use recycled or high recycled-content materials

• Plant trees to provide shade and wind protection, saving money on heating and cooling costs

• Green up your yard using native plants that are adapted to local soil and weather conditions, thereby lowering maintenance and reducing the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer and irrigation

• Shop locally. When practical, use locally produced products to reduce carbon emissions caused by long distance transportation

When planning a remodeling project, bear in mind that it is both easier and cheaper to incorporate green materials and strategies in the early stages, rather than adding them piecemeal, or as an afterthought, when in the thick of the project.

Here are some green remodeling strategies to consider.

Energy Conservation

Ways to increase energy efficiency can range from simply adding an insulation blanket to your water heater and insulating hot water pipes to replacing older appliances with new Energy Star-rated appliances. Replacing a standard storage water heater with a so-called tankless water heating system can result in increased efficiency and significant monthly utility savings. Additional savings can be achieved by simply switching from incandescent to fluorescent lighting, which reduces energy consumption for lighting by up to 75 percent. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, homeowners who choose green alternatives when updating their homes could be eligible for tax credits to offset some remodeling costs. For details on available credits, go to the following website: http://www.energystar.gov.

If your remodeling project includes new exterior siding, consider having a professional evaluate the insulation in your exterior wall cavities and the energy efficiency of your doors and windows. If deficiencies are found, insulation materials such as cellulose, rock wool and some forms of foam can be installed from outside, without damaging interior wall surfaces. Adding a house wrap under new siding will markedly reduce air infiltration and exfiltration, saving on both heating and cooling costs. Tests commonly performed when evaluating the thermal efficiencies of your home can diagnose the ability of your wall, window and door systems to prevent heat loss and air infiltration. A primary technique to evaluate energy efficiency involves the use of ‘blower doors’ to test air inflow and outflow. http://www.homeenergy.org.

Replacing old single pane windows with insulated glass can save up to 25 percent on heating and cooling costs. The highest level of savings can be achieved by using so-called low-e glazing (for low emittance). Low-e coatings are microscopically thin, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on window or skylight glass primarily to reduce radiative heat flow. Low-e glass units are available that promote high, moderate or low solar gain, depending on your climate.

Indoor Air Quality

When an older home is tightened up to promote greater energy efficiency, it’s imperative to assure that adequate ventilation is available in order to assure healthy indoor air and to prevent interior moisture build-up.

Current research indicates that our indoor air is often more polluted than outside air. This increased concern is prompted by the realization that most people spend 80-90 percent of their time indoors.

There are many sources that can negatively impact indoor air quality. These include pollutants from the outdoor environment, and the toxic chemicals used inside the home from a variety of sources. Indoor air is often further degraded by other pollutants introduced by occupants, such as tobacco smoke, smoke or particulates emitted by home appliances that burn wood, coal, kerosene, and propane (or natural gas). Other significant sources of toxicity come from sealants, cleaning products, paint, asbestos, damp carpets or fabrics, and certain pressed-wood cabinet and furniture products that release chemicals into the air. In some areas, radon (a naturally-emitted subterranean radioactive gas found in some regions) can cause serious health problems. http://www.dspinspections.com

/radon_facts.htm

Green remodeling seeks to remedy these problems with a combination of air filtration, ventilation systems and choosing to use the least toxic product options. An overview of the problem and possible solutions are available from the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html

Reduced Material Waste and Resource Conservation

As a rule, remodeling is more eco-friendly than new construction, since fewer materials and resources are consumed to remodel an old house than to build a new structure. Since 30 percent of materials disposed of at landfills typically consist of construction debris, there is a lot of room for improvement in home improvement.

Even though remodeling generally uses fewer materials than new construction, it can generate a significant wast

e stream. This results in 136 million tons of waste annually. Planning how salvaged materials can be used or recycled can lessen the costs and the impact of construction debris disposal. Good planning can pay off. If you choose not to re-use your old claw foot tub, you may find a local buyer that will be very happy to take it off your hands. The same is true about sinks, cabinets, lighting fixtures, doors, etc.

When it’s possible, using local materials, building with engineered lumber, and hiring recycling companies to remove waste all help to maximize resource use when remodeling.

Perhaps most important of all when you are considering a remodeling project, get back to the basics. Consider the advice of Sara Gutterman, co-founder of Green Builder magazine http://www.greenbuildermagazine.com:

“In order to accomplish the most desirable sustainable outcome, it is important to begin the process of remodeling with the end result in mind. Understanding the personal impetus behind your desire to remodel is paramount so that you can optimize your new design. Think about how you live in your home. Consider which spaces you use and which ones sit dark and lonely for most of the year, waiting those few special evenings when partygoers enter and infuse them momentarily with life. Many modern designs do not actually fit the needs of the typical homeowner. They often contain formal living spaces that remain unused because of their size and lack of intimacy. When we can understand that interior space is a precious resource just like clean water, air, and soil, we can begin to think more sustainably about it.”

When you think of home remodeling, you probably think of extending a room or changing cabinets in a kitchen or modernizing an older home. Yet there is a whole new market of people needing home renovations – the elderly.

Renovations for the Elderly:

According to a recent CNN report, home renovations for the elderly are on the rise. These types of renovations are the fastest-growing segment of the remodeling industry, said James Lapides of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB’s recent study concluded that 75 percent of remodeling companies have seen an increase in requests for so-called “aging-in-place” work.

The “Certified Aging in Place” Specialist program, offered by the NAHB Remodelers Council to teach professionals how to modify homes for older adults, has increased in enrollment, according to Lapides. Representatives of NAHB and the AARP created the program in 2002. Over 1,000 participants have learned building techniques and structural awareness for accommodating physical needs. (CNN, “Builders: Home Renovations for Elderly on the Rise”, by Grace Wong)

Statistics Show Elderly Want to Stay in Their Homes:

According to the AARP, 83% of people over 45 own their own homes. A 2003 AARP survey, “These Four Walls,” sampled this group and found that 75% expect to stay there for the rest of their lives. 51% envision making changes so that can happen.

In addition, The National Association of Home Builders conducted a survey of remodelers and learned that:

• 75% reported getting more requests for “aging in place” projects

• 60% had done “aging in place” projects. Of those:

• 43% were for customers aged 45 to 54

• 76% were for customers aged 55 to 64

• 67% were for customers 65 and older

Remodelers reported that clients wanted aging-in-place remodeling because:

• 75% were planning for future needs

• 53% were living with older parents

• 46% had acute, age-related disabilities

• 23% had acute disabilities unrelated to aging

(realestate.msn.com, “Elegant Remodels Allow ‘Aging in Place’”, by Marilyn Lewis)

A Remodeling Project:

Some families are bringing older relatives to live with them and extending a part of the house to accommodate that change. Others are making modifications for physical reasons, such as widening doorways for wheelchairs, lowering bathtub walls and adding support bars. Other modifications simply include updating an older home because of wear and tear. However, the going trend is to do it all with style.

An example of an accommodating remodeling project occurred in a California backyard. A playhouse was rebuilt to become a livable apartment for one family’s 70 year-old father with Paget’s disease. Building aspects of the apartment include a walk-in shower with no obstructing ledge at the entrance, two-inch-square commercial nonskid tile, lever handles instead of doorknobs and an anti-scald device to keep water temperature even. (realestate.msn.com, “Elegant Remodels Allow ‘Aging in Place’”, by Marilyn Lewis)

Suggestions for Remodeling:

If you are contemplating a remodeling project, keep the future in mind. You can make simple changes now for what may be needed many years in the future. Sam Clark, a builder and author of “The Real Goods Independent Builder: Designing & Building a House Your Own Way” and “Remodeling a Kitchen”, provides the following suggestions for changes to make to your home to accommodate the physical bodily changes that occur over time:

• Remodel your home so that you can live on the ground level if necessary.

• Widen doorways to accommodate wheelchairs.

• Plan the front entry to be as level with the ground as local building codes allow. Eliminate stairs with sloping sidewalks.

• Try to think way ahead. For example, in a bathroom remodel, install reinforcement for grab bars.

• Plan for a lot of storage within the “optimal reach zone” – the space between 20 inches and 44 inches above the floor to a depth of 20 inches away from your body.

• Use drawers instead of cupboards where possible.

• Install lever handles throughout the house.

• Use hard flooring or choose an attractive, low-pile commercial carpet.

• Place electric outlets higher than usual and switches lower.

• Install a shelf outside the front door so you can put down packages while searching for keys.

Additional tips from the Home Remodelers in New Jersey (www.homeremodelersgroup.com) further suggests vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is made to look like real wood and it never needs painting, preventing any hazardous maintenance or painting. Vinyl windows are also suggested; they are easy to clean and energy efficient.

For additional remodeling articles, visit http://www.homeremodelersgroup.com/?source=articles