How to Build an Eco-Friendly Home

With many things in life, being green, starts at home. As homeowners are becoming more environmentally-conscious, they are constantly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint at home. Not only will these tips help take some pressure off the grid, but also off of your pocketbook.

From The Ground Up
The best way to ensure that your home is as energy-efficient and gentle on the environment as possible is to start with a clean slate. This way, you can ensure that all of the materials in your home are sustainable and non-toxic.The government also offers incentives and rebates for those that choose environmentally-friendly resources. Find out what green incentive programs your province offers, here.

A “green” home is one that has high levels of energy conservation and RRD: Renewability, Reusability, and Durability. To ensure this, here are some things to consider:

Exterior
- House design and orientation to minimize solar loss in winter, and gain in summer
- Responsible use of the land
- High performance, moisture-resistant materials
- Tightly sealed with controlled ventilation
- Minimal construction waste

Interior
- Improvement of indoor air quality by using low VOC paints and few or no carpets (which can trap  pollutants and also emit them because of the various plastic, petroleum-based materials used to make them)
- Flooring such as, bamboo or cork (More sustainable wood choices here)
- Energy smart appliances
- Lightweight concrete counter-tops, made from recycled newspaper and fly ash
- Proper filtered ventilation systems to remove dirt, dust, pollen and pollutants in home

Click here for more tips and ideas on how to build an eco home.

— Lian Novak