One of the most desirable trends in custom home building today is the use of green building materials, and that trend is certainly not going away in the foreseeable future. Aside from being good to the environment, making the decision to build green can offer homeowners significant cost savings through decreased energy usage, helping to minimize utility bills. Incorporating environmentally friendly upgrades in your home can also prove to be very attractive for your home's resale value as well.
Besides being a smart investment for both cost savings and the future market value of your home, partnering with a custom home building contractor that uses green materials and embraces environmentally friendly practices can make your home a healthier place to be. Indoor air quality can significantly impact your overall health, and choosing paints and materials that are both good for the environment and your health is a win-win.
So what are some green home building trends in today's market?
Keep it local.
Does your contractor work with local suppliers? It's a good idea to buy building materials that are produced locally as you'll have a better understanding of what the materials are actually comprised of and what practices were used to produce the materials.
Opt for low VOCs.
This is a really easy and inexpensive way to create a healthier, green-friendly living space in your home. When possible, paints, caulks, and sealants should contain low volatile organic compounds, otherwise known as VOCs. Often, there is little to no difference in the cost of low VOC paints when compared to traditional paints.
Consider rapidly renewable building materials.
While traditional hardwoods can take many, many years to grow, bamboo can be replenished within just a few years. This material is also very hard and durable, which is why many homeowners are choosing to use this material as an alternative to traditional hardwood flooring.
Think outside the box with recycled materials.
You probably know someone that has used IceStone as a green-friendly alternative to traditional kitchen countertop materials. IceStone is probably one of the most popular choices for countertops made of recycled materials, and a wide spectrum of colors can be selected to create a countertop that best compliments your kitchen.
Smart technology.
When considering how to make your home's HVAC system run more efficiently with your next custom home building project, don't skimp on the thermostat. Smart programmable thermostats like the Nest can be controlled remotely from your smartphone or tablet and actually learn how you like to keep the temperature inside your home. Smart technology and home automation are musts for the 21st century home and can help to reduce energy usage.
Please contact us at Empire Custom Builders to learn more about the importance of building green and why it's something that you should consider for your custom home. We'll be happy to talk to you about green home building trends and even some of the ways that we've incorporated green building practices into our most recent projects.
