Sustainable Remodeling
Overview
Doing a sustainable remodel to your house means finding a contractor that knows how to retrofit your home for energy efficiency and knows how to use sustainable materials in an environmentally friendly way to create your new living space.
Details
Finding a contractor who has the knowledge and experience to do a sustainable remodel is not easy. Many contractors market themselves as being green, but that's because they know that their customers are looking for green contractors and that many people don't know how to evaluate whether a remodel is sustainable or not.
When you're considering doing a remodel, be sure to do two things. First, find a contractor that really knows how to do the project in a green way: using reclaimed and sustainably produced products, recycling and re-using as much as possible from demolition debris and designing the remodel around energy efficiency and green design by incorporating passive solar and/or geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Second, make sure to take the opportunity to insulate and air seal hard to reach places (like walls) while you're doing the project. The best way to make sure that all the right things get addressed is to get an energy audit before your remodel planning starts so you can make sure your general contractor addresses all the best efficiency opportunities.
