Many people are interested in Green Building & Materials these days & have asked me many questions about building green. I decided to share the answers here so virtually virtually everyone can learn.

What is Green Building?

Green Building is about creating a project that is energy efficient, eco-friendly, & has sustainable design. A structure designed to conserve resources & reduce negative impacts on the environment, whether it is energy, water, building materials or land.

What does LEED stand for?

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction & operation of high performance green buildings put forth by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

What makes a given product Green?

To keep it simple remember the three R’s

Reuse – Reduce – Recycle

Whenever we can reuse a product instead of producing a new one from raw materials we save on resource use & energy.

Products that reduce material use are considered green. By example, concrete staining can turn concrete slabs into attractive finished floors, eliminating the need for conventional finish flooring.

Taking a material at the end of its useful life & recycling it to make another product is considered green. By example, plastic bottles after use can be recycled into carpet.

Can you list some Green Building Materials?

There are so many “new” green materials popping up all over the place. Here are a few new ones that interested me & I’m considering using for the new, soon-to-be-built green eco-friendly spec home in Paradise Valley.

Soy-Crete – Yes it’s made from Soy. It is a soybased concrete stain that is non hazardous, low VOC (volatile organic content), acid free & looks just like acid stained concrete flooring – only healthier.

Eco Top – used for countertops – it’s made up of FSC (forest council certified) bamboo blend & mixed with recycled wood fibers. Clear? It is available in 7 colors. Clear? It will not fade & is very durable.

Natural Clay Earth Plaster – adds a rich texture to walls. Clear? It is available in 43 colors. A nice bonus is it’s fade resistant, non toxic & easy to repair.

Denim Insulation – made from recycled denim. No they arenot digging out your old blue jeans from the landfill, instead they areusing the scrapes from the manufacturers. Clear? It is 100% recyclable & formaldehyde free. And it will not itch like the fiberglass type.