Does the suggestion of a green residence call to mind a modern, boxy affair, replete with solar panels, a massive water filtration system, and a windmill whirling out back? While that may be the quintessential eco-property, today’s green homes may look much more conventional. They may be ranch-styles, foursquare styles, or bungalows. They may shine with slick, modern efficiencies or nest quietly in a neighborhood of historic properties. Green isn’t necessarily new—but it is smart. In an economy where energy costs are ever on the rise, where water is for some a scarcity, even within our own borders, and where gas guzzlers are no longer in vogue, green residential living takes active steps towards conservation and intelligent utility.
Reduce, reuse, recycle - the motto that has become synonymous with America’s conservation campaign - doesn’t just pertain to bottles, cans, and cardboard. In fact, the concept is even more significant for large-scale items like kitchen and bath fixtures, cabinetry, flooring, and even landscaping. But when it comes to home interiors and renovation, how does a homeowner know which “green” is truly green?
Blythe Bailey, a LEED-certified architect at River Street Architecture, boils the concept down to its bones. “If it’s already been made and is reused, that’s a good material,” Bailey says. “If it’s made nearby, it’s a good material. And if it’s something that grows quickly and is being managed in a way that it can renew itself,” then that, too, is a good material.
Salvaged goods, utilized in their initial form or repurposed, use zero or few resources and often offer a unique look to a home. Bailey explains that at River Street’s new Cherry Street location, the contractor used beams from on-site removed walls to create a handrail for the staircase. For homeowners, local businesses such as Estate of Confusion and Architectural Exchange offer a myriad of reclaimed items with both functional and aesthetic qualities.
If salvaged materials are unavailable, consider something created locally in a sustainable manner. Classic Cabinetry on Broad Street, for instance, offers two lines of cabinets made within 200 miles of Chattanooga: Ward’s of Simpsonville, Alabama, and Heartland by Duracraft of Smithville, Tennessee. By utilizing local products in the kitchen, a homeowner greatly reduces the carbon footprint associated with lengthy domestic or overseas shipment.
Although a material like bamboo may travel thousands of miles in transit, it is a green material by virtue of the fact that it is rapidly renewable; in fact, bamboo grows up to 24 inches per day in appropriate conditions and reaches its maximum height and girth in a single growing season. Therefore, choices like bamboo cabinetry and flooring are sound ones.
But sourcing green materials isn’t Bailey’s first tip for greening a home; initially, he recommends homeowners should consider whether they’re acting out of whim or necessity. “We’re so style- and fashion-oriented now, so much more so than we were generations ago, that we feel we need to change everything,” says Bailey. “Really think about what you can do with what you’ve got.” Could your floor be stained or painted for a new look? Could cabinet doors and accessories be replaced rather than full cabinetry? Perhaps the bathroom could simply use wainscoting and a fresh coat of paint.
“A green product must be evaluated based on its contribution to the project as a whole and not solely on its own qualifications,” says Ethan Collier, founder of Collier Construction, which specializes in environmentally sensitive homes. “A green product does not contribute to the energy efficiency of a home when it is overused or misused.” For example, the choice of energy efficient and LED lighting is less effective than proper use of natural light, which is both free and plentiful.
Collier emphasizes that thoughtful selection of sustainable products and materials is the most important step in greening a home. “The longevity of the home is the most important thing to plan for,” he says. “Products and materials that do not have to be thrown away and replaced are green because they help reduce production and waste. The next most important step is to incorporate products and materials so that they work in conjunction with one another and contribute to the longevity of the home.”
Greenworks, Inc., owner Cory Thomas agrees. “As far as making an effort to go green, it’s more about conservation than anything else,” he says. Greenworks, a local landscaping firm committed to environmentally conscious practice, seeks ways to utilize abundant and cost-free natural resources. For instance, for many landscaping projects, the firm installs an outdoor cistern and captures rainwater from the home’s downspouts; one inch of rain can amount to 600 gallons of water on a home with a 1,000 square foot roof. In Chattanooga, that equates to an average of 30,000 gallons of free water a year.
Thomas also encourages planting native species, which thrive in our climate rather than struggle against seasons that conflict with their nature and require large quantities of chemical upkeep. “People think that just because they’re putting plants around their house, that they’re being green,” Thomas observes.
Overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is anything but green, and organic lawn care can save you money in the long term. “You will enjoy significant financial savings by transitioning from synthetic to organic lawn care, especially after the first year of use,” adds Thomas. “Organic products will significantly reduce pests by restoring balance to your lawn’s ecosystem. You will also benefit from reduced maintenance in mowing, watering, and fertilizing because you will have a naturally stronger and healthier lawn.”
Mike Prater of Praters, Inc., a local hardwood flooring provider, considers chemical-related health concerns when choosing flooring products, as well. Waterborne finishes offer not only greater durability than traditional oil-based ones, but they are low-odor and low-VOC as well. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, evaporate into the air and react with sunlight, creating ground-level ozones that negatively affect air quality within the home. While standard oil-based finishes have VOC levels at 750 grams/liter, waterborne finishes have greatly reduced rates between 150 and 200 grams/liter.
As might be expected, green flooring choices depend upon material selection, too. Praters offers bamboo and eucalyptus wood, both of which are rapidly renewable. They also offer cork, which is stripped from the trunk of the tree and does not necessitate felling. Though eucalyptus and cork run higher in cost than traditional wood floors, bamboo is, as Prater says, “in the ballpark.” But keep in mind, these products also offer a longer lifespan than carpet, vinyl, or linoleum, which means greater savings and reduced waste over time.
In selecting cabinetry for her store, Becky Worley, owner of Classic Cabinetry, considers the practices of the companies that manufacture the products and the environmental friendliness of the products themselves. Worley and her team also assist customers in planning for the final “resting place” of the cabinetry, appliances, and countertops being removed from the home, much of which is operable and recyclable.
Worley’s favorite recycling choice is Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore on Main Street. ReStore accepts new and gently-used appliances, furniture, building supplies, and architectural items, which they resell to the public at a reduced rate. Profits from these sales help to build local Habitat homes for families in need.
Worley also recommends that consumers seek out products that utilize waste. Strong furniture-grade particle board or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) coated in melamine for cabinet backs and interiors are efficient waste utilizing materials. They are durable, easy to clean, and virtually indistinguishable from standard wood. What’s more, they reduce overall costs by 15 percent to 20 percent.
Besides being pressed into particle board, wood scrap and sawdust may be formed into pellets for energy-efficient pellet stoves that Clay Dennis of Southern Hearth and Patio offers. These smart stoves, which release less than 1 gram of particulate per hour compared to a standard wood burning stove’s five grams per hour, also monitor their own heat production to ensure greater fuel economy and moderated heat release. Dennis, who has been a proponent of pellet stoves for over 16 years, emphasizes the stove’s ability to provide both a clean and inexpensive heat source; during the last three months of 2008, Dennis heated a 2,100-square-foot space for only $300 and utilized waste material in doing so.
If homeowners would like to see a reduction in their water bills as well, they can choose from a variety of options in low-flow fixtures. Low-flow fixtures for both kitchen and bath, including shower heads, aerate the water, producing a steady stream with significantly-reduced consumption. Low-flow shower heads use about two-and-a-half gallons of water per minute, compared to between four and five gallons per minute used by conventional heads - that’s a savings of up to 25 gallons in a 10-minute shower. Low flow fixtures can be found at Stone Source, Ferguson and other merchants in the Chattanooga area.
Dual-flush toilets, now mandated in California, reduce water guzzling by offering full-flush and half-flush options. The Environmental Protection Agency has created a system of rating these toilets; the WaterSense seal of approval guarantees reduced waste with quality performance. Stone Source offers a number of WaterSense brands, including the affordable TOTO line. Ferguson also offers WaterSense brands including its own brand: ProFlo. Typical dual-flush toilets run slightly higher than standard toilets in cost, starting at about the price of a mid-range standard; however, the savings in water costs will certainly make up that difference over the life of the product.
Perhaps the best thing about greening is that home-owners don’t have to start big or expensive. There are plenty of conservation activities that can be done for little or no money: changing from standard to LED light bulbs; caulking behind the moldings of breezy, leaky windows; insulating ductwork and water pipes; eliminating the dishwasher’s dry cycle and opting for drip- or towel-drying; mulching and pulling weeds by hand instead of applying chemical agents; opening the windows on warm days rather than running the air conditioning; and finding the value in old things and repurposing them for new uses.
Reflecting on the green movement, Anna Baker of Stone Source, notes, “This isn’t just a trend. It’s the way it is, and it’s the way it’s going to be.” The green home is here to stay.