Busting the Green Building Myths

Green building -- or sustainable building -- involves incorporating eco-friendly elements into the design and maintenance of a home and minimizing the impact on the environment when building houses, condos and the like. More homeowners and builders are interested in green building and want to choose energy efficient features for their homes, so it's important to know what's fact and what's myth. Peter Yost of BuildingGreen LLC in association with GreenBuildingAdvisor.com addresses eight common green building myths.

Sustainable building often requires more expensive building materials, smarter technology and complicated systems than conventional building. But when thinking long-term, green building actually saves money because the materials won't have to replaced as often. So while initial costs may seem like a lot, green building offers better value when you consider the life-cycle costs. For instance, upgrading to energy efficient windows might cost more up front, but the reduced load on your heating and air conditioning system will help offset that cost over time.

In the early days of green building, builders focused on features that touted self-sufficiency and lower costs, which often detracted from a home's design or architecture. These days, green homes don't have to look strange unless you want them to. Virtually any home, regardless of home style, can have sustainable features. Solar shingles, for instance, can be incorporated directly into the building's structure so they're virtually invisible. Image courtesy of GreenBuildingAdvisor.com

Altering your home's structure and operating systems -- foundation, framing, wiring, plumbing -- can be very expensive. But "greening" an existing home doesn't have to be a complete overhaul. Upgrading windows and HVAC equipment, putting more insulation into the walls or attic, sealing air leaks, and installing energy-recovery ventilation equipment are all examples of upgrades that will make a house more energy efficient. Keep sustainable building practices in mind during routine maintenance and repairs, such as wrapping the house with an inch or two of rigid foam insulation before installing new siding.