How to build the greenest home

You are in the driver's seat when it comes to the quality of the features and fixtures in your dream home.

Indeed, building from the ground up is a golden opportunity to create the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly house of a lifetime -- and for those committed, good advice is readily available.
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Builders expect to hear requests for green features

Due to demand, builders today are constantly learning about the new and advanced technologies for home construction. Owner-clients want to be assured of living in the healthiest, most durable, least wasteful house possible -- and therefore, building a home from the ground up is the best opportunity to get it right.

"In addition to fixtures and materials, be sure to ask for the most advanced construction methods," says Todd Blyth at Nudura, a leading name in building system technology. "For example, more and more builders, on request, are discarding the traditional wood-framing method -- now seen as inefficient and wasteful -- in favour of concrete walls."
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Home decor trends
Soy-based eco-flooring latest trend for today's healthy homes

According to home decor experts, 2011 will mark the introduction of a new approach to interior design -- the "Healthy Home." Honest architecture and the mantra of Zen are already playing out in interior spaces that feature natural finishes and clean lines. Making homes a healthier environment to live in is also a prime concern for homeowners, as shown by the demand for low VOC paints, stains and materials, as well as natural wood cabinets, furniture and floorings.
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Healthy eco-friendly hardwood flooring
Soy-based finished floors new "green" innovation

Imagine your family sitting on a floor so healthy and so eco-friendly that it actually was awarded the "Children and Schools certification" by world-renowned standards organization Greenguard?

That is exactly what Canadian Manufacturer, Mercier Wood Flooring set out to achieve when it first set their sights on developing the cleanest, least harmful and most eco-friendly flooring available anywhere. And now, after years of development, consumers, daycares and school boards can now benefit from this unique product never before introduced on the market.
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Home Builder Quick Tip: Concrete walls are replacing wood

Building the envelope of a house with concrete instead of wood is in high demand in the 21st century. Concrete is now a premium choice for delivering energy efficiency -- and as a replacement for wood framing, concrete walls reduce the need for trees and represent a big step in responsible building. Indeed, the latest technology in this field is able to deliver important energy savings -- as well as significant environmental and human health benefits.
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Environment Watch
The first 'net-zero' school sets a fine example

Energy efficient construction is celebrating one more milestone. It is now possible to build a facility -- even a home -- that is so energy efficient it produces zero demand on the public electricity supply.
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