Green Homes
Building a home the conventional way creates an amazing amount of waste and a toxic environment for the people who live there.
Most conventional homes are built with no regard for ecological habitat, water and energy consumption, or preservation of open spaces. In contrast to conventional home building, "green building" is the environmentally friendly way to build houses.
To be more sustainable, green builders and building ecologists recommend using natural materials from a supplier within 500 miles of the building location. Avoid wood -framed walls and use materials like AAC - autoclaved aerated concrete- a precast building stone made of all natural raw materials - and insulated concrete forms for the wall structure. Try to avoid the use of plywood, particle board and laminated beams that are manufactured with toxins like formaldehyde. Also avoid sheetrock that has toxins in the paper and plastic finishes that give off toxic fumes when exposed to the sun.
To find a builder that is building sustainable, safe and healthy homes, look for certification with LEED -- the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design Green Building Rating SystemTM - or Austin's Green Building ProgramŽ.