Washington Gas

When talking to builders about a home that will be more energy efficient and help to reduce your carbon footprint, there are lots of areas for discussion.

Here are some tips to help you have that conversation and choose an exceptionally qualified green builder:

• Those who specialize in green building and stay updated in the latest green building practices and technologies will be members of green building trade organizations. So start the dialog by asking for credentials and references that are directly related to green building.

• Although most homeowners think only of architectural details and construction materials when they envision a greener home, it is also important to examine actual worksite strategies.

• How are the building material deliveries scheduled to ensure that they arrive on time, for example, so that they are not spoiled and wasted by exposure to inclement weather and do not contribute unnecessarily to the carbon impact of trucking and transportation?

• Is the lumber used to build your home sourced from a sustainable forest and certified by a reliable organization or watchdog group like the Forest Stewardship Council?

• Some excellent buildings components can also be pre-fabricated, and that can consolidate production under one roof to drastically reduce the carbon footprint.

• Accurate drawings, measurements, and estimates can also reduce waste caused by, for example, cutting lumber the wrong size or ordering materials in excess of what is actually used. Many construction outfits ignore these details, but a committed green builder will incorporate best practices into every aspect of the job.

• Will the builder or landscape contractor create a more sustainable landscape? Believe it or not lawn mowers are one of the biggest polluters in the USA. So installing a landscape that requires less maintenance thanks to an intelligent design and discriminating choices of plants and grasses can not only add greenery to your yard but can be part of your green home initiative.

These kinds of green builder policies run the gamut from simple things like carpooling workers to and from the job site to save gas to more complex strategies like insulating corners to reduce energy loss in the building. Talk them over with your builder and find out how he or she plans to create a truly greener new home from start to finish.