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Top Overlooked Design Considerations When Making a Green Home
When eco-friendly homeowners begin dreaming up their ideal residence, they often integrate common environmentally friendly features that are well-known. However, there are many additional green building materials available today that are often overlooked in the design process! If you want to maximize sustainability in your home, consider these external building materials and green features.
Sustainable Underlayment Materials for Moisture Prone Rooms
Let’s face it—flooring puts up with a lot! For moisture prone rooms, like the kitchen, bathroom and den, an extra layer of protection goes a long way to keep flooring healthy and supportive. Innovative options, like engineered hardwood flooring, can boost flooring durability. This sustainable product protects your floor from the nasty effects of water damage, including mold, rotting, and decaying.
Building Wrap to Control Moisture and Drainage
Battling the elements can be a worrisome menace to any home’s sustainability efforts. One way to tackle rough weather and reduce your carbon footprint is to consider smart and efficient external building materials. For example, breathable house wrap can significantly boost a building’s defenses against moisture and drainage issues, while also increasing energy efficiency. This means fewer resources are needed to repair water damage and less energy is used to control internal building temperature. Don’t forget the advantages of breathable building wrap when designing your next home!
Stylish and Efficient Log Siding Without the Guilt Trip
If you love the cozy wood look of traditional cabins, be sure to consider this external building material in your design plans. Individuals creating green homes often rule out wood design features, because of the obvious faux pas of using unnecessary timbers. However, steel log siding offers an eco-friendly alternative that still looks impressively authentic. Steel log siding recreates the striking look of traditional wood siding without having to cut down any trees! This unique design feature integrates the aesthetics of natural wood without sacrificing sustainability.
Temperature and Humidity Control with Insulated Concrete Forms
When it comes to building materials, one element that is often overlooked can be found in the home’s foundation. Unlike most traditional materials, energy-efficient insulated concrete forms, also known as ICF blocks, provide the durability necessary to create a strong structure while also providing substantial assistance to temperature and humidity control. With this powerful building material, you can proudly tell your friends that your home is green to the core! If you’re looking to boost sustainability in unexpected places, having an ICF home is a great choice for your environmentally friendly construction and design plans.
By Mikeog39 [CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
Don’t forget—you have sustainable options when it comes to external building materials and features! Consider these often overlooked choices when designing your next green home.
