[Nathan]

We had some requests for a Green Buidling forum and here it is.
Thanks to Boogga for coming up with the idea.

Enjoy

[Tscarborough]

Sorry, I prefer most of my buildings to be an off white or pale yellow....

[dougchips]

Good with all of the industry predictions that if you are not promoting green then you will not last. Funny thing is that I have not heard the term for 6 months. Lets see if I fire a thread if I will get any response.

[Blackbird]

Good work with the forum. We are part of the industry so we are part of what makes the standards. This is going to be huge.

[Humble Abode]

Good idea guys!

[Milhaus]

Hey...new to the site. Nice work on the forum. I'm fresh out on my own so it's great to have some communication. The other cats in town give me jaded answers everything, I assume because I just became the competition, but regardless, seems like a ton of useful info passes through the site.

[Boogga]

Onya Nathan for making this a reality. I agree with you all, it's going to be huge!

[dirt diggler]

what is green building?


lost

[ProWallGuy]

Originally Posted by dirt diggler

what is green building?


lost

Environmentally friendly.

What it ALL entails, is beyond my comprehension at this moment.

[ruskent]

I know jack about green building. However, even though i am hardcore conservative, love the idea about it. If any of these local builders in my area, knew how to market, they'd make a killing with it in my area.

I mean, we go the highest property tax in the country, who doesn't want to save on their energy bills!

[Boogga]

It's a fairly new concept and a growing one too. I thought the States were 10 years ahead of us on the otherside of the world in regards to Green Building.

[joasis]

The cellulose insulation we are using is a green item.....

[dougchips]

Green can mean a bunch of things depending on how hard core you want to get.

Conservation: Using products that converse our resources. Like faucets, shower heads and toilets that use less water. Heat sources like pellets stove that can burn garbage and not nice trees.

Energy efficient products, like doors and windows that save on heating and air conditioning bills.

Long last products like those metal roofs that last a lifetime. Products that do not have to be discarded in our landfills like roofing shingles.

Recycled products and products that can grown quickly like bamboo for flooring.

I attended a class on this last year, the instructor was boring so I did not pay attention.

[dirt diggler]

Originally Posted by ProWallGuy

Environmentally friendly.

What it ALL entails, is beyond my comprehension at this moment.

OH! ok ....

maybe im not understanding exactly what ya'll are referring to ..

but man, that fad came and went around here about 10 years ago

it's not new ... there's a development not far from where i lived ... i think it was about 10 years when they built it. I've heard thing's fallin apart, etc. Buncha old hippies got into it --- it was kind of a big deal here for awhile. Almost kind of cult-like.

It was interesting ... I've heard a lot of their regulations and they make a typical HOA seem like a tea party. Some of the regs are downright non-sensical.

Most contractors won't even work there because it is so tightly regulated.

One rule is that you can't make tracks with a loader/backhoe/etc.

Technically, you're not supposed to disturb the environment (within this development) --- so I'm not sure how they went about doing much of anything - especially building a house

although, I could be mixing this up with something else

[woodmagman]

It is more then a nich market. Wall street companies are producing product for the market and the companies with enough forsight are on board. Former men of American Politics are making grand statements regarding global warming. The statements are being back with some validation. If the small contractor is truly looking for the new major trend, green could be it. It touches every aspect of the home from electical to plumbing, to the way homes are retrofited. It is more then triple glazed, low "E" argon filled window and a New 90 % effecient furnace. For smart contractors there will be a bonaza, the others will sit and wonder what all the fuss is about.
"Green" could fuel a lagging market.

[blackrott]

I stated this before but the main market will be fake green. People need a products that feels green. So we usegreen products and SIP panels for insulation and recycled metal roof and recycled materials where possible. But we find people still want granite counter tops, non green floors etc. So we do the best we can for the client and make it a win win.
The home looks normal and maintains value.

[747]

Originally Posted by ruskent

I know jack about green building. However, even though i am hardcore conservative, love the idea about it. If any of these local builders in my area, knew how to market, they'd make a killing with it in my area.

I mean, we go the highest property tax in the country, who doesn't want to save on their energy bills!

I'm not in the business and i know what it is. Its a environment friendly house. Its a point system. Where you get points in the materials that you use. Example they like the spray foam insulation so you get points for that. They also like the metal roofs so you get points for that. They also like recycled products so you get points if anything is a recycled product. You can also get points on the interior lightening. A state where its big is Texas. I would think Cole here who i haven't seen post in a while would know something about it he is from Texas. If you want to build a green house your best to have a consultant who can tell you how to rack up points.

[Norrrrrrrrrrrrm]

As far as the points system goes, does anyone now were I can find a point system and what products produce points for North Carolina? I am buying a house, gutting it and would like to replace as much as possible the green way.
Norm

[Chris Johnson]

Try the USGBC, I am in California, and the Redwood Empire has a rating system available online, I'm sure others do too. As for costs, 10 years ago, yea, building green was 40% more, now, under 10% and in some cases even cheaper than conventional

[atlas06]

Norrrrrrm (how many darn R's do you have in that name?).
Try the community forklift web site of your community. they collect materials from deconstrcuted (another trade nowadays), which means taking down a home by de-constrcution and not by demolition, you take it down one board at a time and give the materials to the community forklift who gives you a tax break, who in turn sells it for homeowners and contractors.
By doing deconstruction, they also teach young people how a house was put together by taking it apart, like teaching mechanics by taking down an engine.

Good luck