Green Renovation
Our contracting company provides intelligent ecologically conscious Design~Build services for home additions, remodels and new construction. Our philosophy has always been to use products that are energy efficient as much as possible, such as designs that minimize lumber and material waste, appliances with energy STAR ratings and energy efficient windows to name a few. Our passion is to creatively unite the use of advanced technologies in energy efficiency with the use of earth friendly materials and design concepts.
Remodeling and building green is not new. Greenwood has been using green building techniques for well over a decade. Most of the materials used in green building are never seen. These are hidden behind the walls and in the finishes. While many homeowners are interested in green renovation, they may have some antiquated ideas about what it involves: Excessive expense, difficulty in getting green products, misconceptions about the aesthetics of a green house. Most green buildings don't look different from conventional buildings. Most green elements, such as improved energy efficiency and air quality, are built within the structure of the home. And recycled products generally look the same as their conventional counterparts.
As for the cost of green renovation, some green building elements do cost more. However, many cost less. When it is part of the initial process of setting goals for the project, it becomes matter-of-fact. We have found that the real cost is in the learning curve, not in the implementation of the actual process.
We try to incorporate eight standards into our Green renovation projects:
WASTE REDUCTION: Reuse…Recycle…Renew
We save money and help to conserve natural resources by recycling, reusing and often donating our demolition waste. Our contracting company also helps divert waste from the landfill by utilizing salvaged materials from the deconstruction process and suppliers like Stardust Foundation for use during the construction and renovation process. Copper wiring for electricity is a combination of new copper and recycled copper. Recycled copper comes from previously remodeled kitchens, bathrooms, etc.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Greenwood is dedicated to increasing energy efficiency with advanced knowledge and technologies to insure homes are built tight, ventilated right and use a minimal amount of energy to keep the home environment comfortable by installing lighting and Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning (HVAC) components that provide comfort, pleases and saves both money and energy. In our projects we incorporate passive and active solar, wind, heat pumps, and geothermal heating and cooling systems to reduce energy liability and grid dependence. In our green renovation plans we install double paned windows and high SEER rating air conditioning units making it possible to stop energy losses throughout your house.
HEALTHY AIR
By uniting well ventilated homes with non toxic building materials we increase the indoor air quality and general health of the home. Indoor air quality is increased through the use of airtight designs, ceiling fans, non-carpet flooring, isolated garages and radiant heating.
DIVERSITY OF DESIGN: Innovative Designs
Healthy systems rely on diversity - we apply this mindset to our understanding of home design. Nature is not mass-produced and ultimately building green is about the relationship between the home and its occupants to their surrounding environment. For this reason, each home reflects a distinctive design as we strive to align our homes with the natural elements of local environments.
WATER CONSERVATION: Gray Water Reclamation
Homeowners can lessen their dependence on water utilities by installing water systems that include very low-flow appliances combined with a structural design. As well as landscaping with xeroscape plants and shrubs. Further, eliminating grass turf and landscaping with drought-resistant native plants reduces water needs. Wood that is removed or becomes scrap during a remodel is recycled back into mulch. When used around plants and shrubs, this mulch saves water by helping to keep the soil moist.
LONGEVITY: Building for the future
Our contracting company believes that increasing the lifetime of the home and the materials used is of utmost importance for any sustainable project. We achieve this with timeless designs and smart durable construction. Materials and technology used in our homes is selected for lifelong durability and efficiency. Selecting materials from the beginning that will serve the home in the long-term is a simple way to decrease the home's impact on natural resources.
ECOLOGICAL MATERIALS
We strive to use material that is managed in a sustainable manner such as Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) certified lumber and resources that are naturally more renewable and easily recycled. Products made from sustainably harvested materials generally have low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) and low embodied energy. Materials that provide both durability and low-toxicity are optimal because they also hold potential to be reused or recycled in the future. Examples of some more eco-friendly materials used in our homes are: fly-ash concrete, clay plaster, cork flooring, FSC formaldehyde-free plywood, Marmoleum flooring, concrete countertops and flooring and bamboo.
Green renovation tries to use renewable resources and products that are energy efficient and save money such as engineered lumber (OSB, microllams, paralams, LSL's, TGI's). These structural components (the framing of the home) are stronger and virtually perfectly plumb and square. The building products are a renewable resource (saving our forests - which generate oxygen by converting harmful carbon dioxide and preserves wildlife and ecosystem habitants). These products allow us to make much longer and wider sections of wood vs. cutting down old growth trees (old, very large trees) as these products are "assembled" and "manufactured" from small wood pieces. These products also take advantage of more of the tree and there is significantly less waste.
SUPPORTING LOCAL:
We support Phoenix/Arizona based craftsmen, suppliers and manufacturers to keep our dollars within our community. We are dedicated to using as many Arizona products as possible. Our efforts hope to ensure the utilization of Arizona’s natural products and benefit local jobs and enhance connections in the local economy.
Green renovation and building is something we all should consider. The world’s natural resources can no longer support the removal, extraction, and manufacturing required to support its growing population. In similar fashion, science has learned that materials previously thought to be safe in our homes and work places such as lead, asbestos, ventilation systems, paints, varnishes, VOC’s, and mold are causing serious long term health issues and destroying our environment.
Homeowners also can benefit from going green, saving money even as they do their bit to save the planet. Those cost savings help explain why 39% of all home-renovation projects are green. The percentage is even higher among certain types of projects, including replacement windows (47%) and heating, ventilation and air-cooling systems (44%). Many homeowners who undertake green home-improvement projects aim to improve energy efficiency -- a no-brainer in these days of high energy prices. Others are looking to improve indoor air quality. Still others hope to preserve natural resources by selecting products whose creation doesn't harm the environment, such as flooring made of bamboo.
Green renovation projects can cost a bit more than traditional remodeling jobs, but the green premium has declined sharply in recent years thanks to the increasing availability of expertise and materials. A report from a leading green organization found that the 2% upfront investment resulted in a 20% savings in operational costs over the lifetime of the building, primarily due to increased energy efficiency.
The hard part for a is helping homeowners decide just how "green" they want their rooms or homes to be. Because, when it comes to green renovation, you don't have to do everything, but anything you can do can help. Building green is a thinking process, not a contest to see how many green things a remodeler and a homeowner can incorporate into a home. Do what you can within your budget and motivation.
As you can see, remodeling and building green is not weird, expensive, or a passing fad. On the contrary . . . It saves you money and the environment. All of us at Greenwood Contracting LLC truly care about you and your family. That’s why we are committed to remodeling and building using products that are friendlier to both you and the environment.
We offer green renovation in Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, Apache Junction, Sun City, Buckeye, Payson and Prescott.