The Complete Guide to Green Building & Remodeling Your Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics) (Back to Basics: Building)

The Complete Guide to Green Building & Remodeling Your Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics) (Back to Basics: Building) Review

In today s economy and socially conscious environment regarding the environment, many people cannot afford not to start considering ways they can build or remodel their home to ensure it is green. With scientific sources such as the UN council on global warming making statements about the degradation of ice flow and environmental conditions by 2050 and the likelihood that crude oil sources will be used up within the next fifty years, it is especially necessary for young families to consider the implications of reexamining their homes and living situations to be more green. This book will guide you and your family through the process of learning more about and implementing the necessary changes and perspectives needed to change your home or build a new home that is environmentally conscious and prepared for the changing economic and environmental climate in the coming decades. You will learn why people have started to build green and how it can be done in today s regulatory and cost conditions quickly and inexpensively. You will learn how to remodel with green in mind and how to start working with building professionals that can provide the necessary materials, plans, and paperwork you need to proceed. You will learn which materials are best for green building by lifespan and how to choose between various green materials. You will learn how to not only use green materials but to make sure the construction process is green as well. You will learn the basics of framing your building, natural building methods, the energy systems you might use, and the heating cooling options at your disposal. Construction and environmental experts have been interviewed and their expertise is included in this book to help you learn everything you need to accomplish the above as well as to know what kinds of water and waste systems are best, how to site plan and landscape your home, and what the most common myths about green building are. You will learn ten things you can do on any building project to keep it green and any materials you should always have on hand for anything you do around the house. Regardless of whether you are just looking to remodel to make your house greener or are building a new home, this book will give you everything you need to stay green and respect the environment with your home.

Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home

Passive Solar House: The Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your Home Review

Revised and Expanded Edition-Includes CD-ROM with Custom Design Software

For the past ten years The Passive Solar House has offered proven techniques for building homes that heat and cool themselves, using readily available materials and methods familiar to all building contractors and many do-it-yourself homeowners.

True to this innovative, straightforward approach, the new edition of this best-selling guide includes CSOL passive solar design software, making it easier than ever to heat your home with the power of the sun. Since The Passive Solar House was first published, passive solar construction expert James Kachadorian has perfected user-friendly, Windows-compatible software to supplement the design process explained in the book by allowing homeowners/designers to enter the specifications of their design and see how changing a variable will affect its energy efficiency.

This is the building book for a world of climbing energy costs. Applicable to diverse regions, climates, budgets, and styles of architecture, Kachadorian's techniques translate the essentials of timeless solar design into practical wisdom for today's solar builders. Profiles of successful passive solar design, construction, and retrofit projects from readers of the first edition provide inspiration to first-time homebuilders and renovators alike.

New Remodeling Book: Your complete guide to planning a dream project

New Remodeling Book: Your complete guide to planning a dream project Review

The new cornerstone of Meredith’s remodeling and home improvement category.

Two books in one: A dream book filled with lush photos of remodelings big and small and a workbook that leads readers through the process of planning their own beautiful home improvement projects.

Provides an inspirational starting point for readers who may hire a contractor, but want to do the dreaming and design work themselves.

Tips for increasing the beauty, livability, and even the resale value of any home.

Helps readers assess their own personal needs and evaluate their home and its market potential.

Leads readers through the process of planning major room additions, as well as smaller improvements, such as opening up existing spaces by removing walls.

Tips on financing.

Illustrations show readers some common remodeling mistakes to avoid.

Advice from some of the top remodeling experts in the country.

Approximately 450 full-color photos show whole-house redos, single-room makeovers, and dramatic exterior facelifts.

The Energy Efficient Home: A Complete Guide

The Energy Efficient Home: A Complete Guide Review

Reducing energy consumption and costs is an issue of ever-increasing importance, and European as well as international legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions is tightening up minimum energy standards for new buildings and those being extended or renovated. Energy-saving measures in the home will, therefore, become ever more cost-effective throughout our lifetimes. Find a comprehensive outline of them here.

Your Natural Home: A Complete Sourcebook and Design Manual for Creating a Healthy, Beautiful, Environmentally Sensitive House

Your Natural Home: A Complete Sourcebook and Design Manual for Creating a Healthy, Beautiful, Environmentally Sensitive House Review

Drawing upon the expertise of one of the world's premier designers of ecologically sensitive houses, this unique guide provides both inspiration and practical advice for creating a natural, more energy-efficient home. The heart of the book is a compendium of 2,000 building, remodeling and decorating products. Detailed illustrations & informative sidebars.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living Review

The environmental movement and rising awareness of global warming have sparked an interest in green living. People want to know what they can do to live sustainable lives. In this book, you will find an overview of global warming and environmental degradation of air, water, and soil; what sustainable living is and how to do it; how to cut down on carbon output (the cause of global warming) with alternative cars and fuels; and environmentally friendly home and lawn care products.

The Complete Guide to Green Building & Remodeling Your Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics)

The Complete Guide to Green Building & Remodeling Your Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics) Review

In today s economy and socially conscious environment regarding the environment, many people cannot afford not to start considering ways they can build or remodel their home to ensure it is green. With scientific sources such as the UN council on global warming making statements about the degradation of ice flow and environmental conditions by 2050 and the likelihood that crude oil sources will be used up within the next fifty years, it is especially necessary for young families to consider the implications of reexamining their homes and living situations to be more green. This book will guide you and your family through the process of learning more about and implementing the necessary changes and perspectives needed to change your home or build a new home that is environmentally conscious and prepared for the changing economic and environmental climate in the coming decades. You will learn why people have started to build green and how it can be done in today s regulatory and cost conditions quickly and inexpensively. You will learn how to remodel with green in mind and how to start working with building professionals that can provide the necessary materials, plans, and paperwork you need to proceed. You will learn which materials are best for green building by lifespan and how to choose between various green materials. You will learn how to not only use green materials but to make sure the construction process is green as well. You will learn the basics of framing your building, natural building methods, the energy systems you might use, and the heating cooling options at your disposal. Construction and environmental experts have been interviewed and their expertise is included in this book to help you learn everything you need to accomplish the above as well as to know what kinds of water and waste systems are best, how to site plan and landscape your home, and what the most common myths about green building are. You will learn ten things you can do on any building project to keep it green and any materials you should always have on hand for anything you do around the house. Regardless of whether you are just looking to remodel to make your house greener or are building a new home, this book will give you everything you need to stay green and respect the environment with your home.

Your Natural Home: A Complete Sourcebook and Design Manual for Creating a Healthy, Beautiful, Environmentally Sensitive House

Your Natural Home: A Complete Sourcebook and Design Manual for Creating a Healthy, Beautiful, Environmentally Sensitive House Review

Drawing upon the expertise of one of the world's premier designers of ecologically sensitive houses, this unique guide provides both inspiration and practical advice for creating a natural, more energy-efficient home. The heart of the book is a compendium of 2,000 building, remodeling and decorating products. Detailed illustrations & informative sidebars.

Building Green, New Edition: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative)

Building Green, New Edition: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs (Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative) Review

The best-selling and highly regarded reference to sustainable construction gets an update! It’s refreshed with a completely revised introduction, a bright new cover, and extensive online resource tie-ins. Plus, it’s now printed on recycled paper with agri-based inks, so it’s greener than ever!

This groundbreaking book doesn’t just tell you about “green” house-building techniques: it actually shows you, with more than 1,200 step-by-step photographs that follow the actual erection of an alternative building from site selection to final-touch interior details. Readers will get a clear sense of the real world challenges as Snell and Callahan create a lovely country cottage using four methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick-frame.

Along with sidebars throughout, there’s a thorough discussion of the fundamentals of building construction, alternative approaches, and designing a beautiful yet environmentally responsible home. Building Green was the first book of its kind—and it remains heads and shoulders above other titles in this field.  

 

Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs

Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs Review

Clarke Snell and Timothy L. Callahan, whose popular Good House Book helped environmentally-minded readers create an earth-friendly home, have returned with a photo-packed, amazingly complete, start-to-finish guide to "green" housebuilding.

This absolutely groundbreaking manual doesn't just talk about eco-friendly building techniques, but actually shows every step! More than 1,200 close-up photographs, along with in-depth descriptions, follow the real construction of an alternative house from site selection to the addition of final-touch interior details. Co-authors Clarke Snell and Timothy Callahan (a professional builder and contractor) provide thorough discussions of the fundamental concepts of construction, substitutes for conventional approaches, and planning a home that's not only comfortable and beautiful, but environmentally responsible. Then, they roll up their sleeves and get to work assembling a guest house that incorporates four different alternative building methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick frame. The images show every move: how the site is cleared, the basic structure put together, the cob wall sculpted, the bales and cordwood stacked, a living roof created, and more. Most important, the manual conveys real-world challenges and processes, and offers dozens of sidebars with invaluable advice. It's head and shoulders above all others in the field.

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials Review

In the United States alone, the annual construction of over one million new homes causes a very substantial drain on natural resources. Today, approximately 60 percent of the timber cut down in our country is used for building homes. Using alternative home building materials and creating a greener home are about creating better homes that are environmentally friendly, are less expensive in the long run, and create healthier occupants. Unfortunately, many people are unfamiliar with alternative building materials and do not know the first thing about going green. However, The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods will teach you everything you need to know about this movement toward natural construction methods. This book will show you how to identify, locate, and effectively use alternative building materials. You will learn about straw bale, cordwood, cob, adobe, rammed earth, light clay, pise, earthbag, bamboo, earth-rammed tires, cork, wool carpeting, sod, compressed earth, earth plaster, beer cans, bottles, as well as living roofs and more. In addition, you will learn the costs and performance characteristics of these materials and construction techniques for each, as well as how to integrate plumbing and electricity into these unfamiliar materials and substitutes for conventional approaches. You will also learn about the structure, climate control, siting, foundations, and flooring options you gain when using these materials. Also included are the advantages and benefits of alternative building materials for both consumers and builders and the key ecological design principles. Ultimately, you will come to understand that these materials are cheaper, easier to build with, stronger, more durable, and more fire resistant. Architects, designers, students, homeowners, homebuyers, owner builders, and those who want to build for a sustainable future will want to read this book. If you are concerned about the environment, want to create a healthier, more enjoyable home, and want to save money, The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods will show you how.

Green Guide: The Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely

Green Guide: The Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely Review

Paper or plastic? Organic or conventional? In a world that is rapidly going "green," how does the average person make decisions that are smart for the family—and good for the planet? The Green Guide is here to help, with the concepts and choices for Earth-conscious living. Presented in concise, information-packed chapters, this up-to-the-minute resource touches on every aspect of our lives, from grocery shopping to housecleaning to work, travel, and investing—enabling consumers to make informed decisions and simple changes that impact the planet in big ways. Easy-to-follow information and hundreds of fascinating sidebars, fact boxes, and other key elements recommend how you can replace unhealthy and environmentally damaging practices and products with more wholesome, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing alternatives. Neither scholarly nor scare-mongering in tone, the lively text has been written in partnership with a board of noted experts—offering readers the most authoritative, engaging, comprehensive, and in-depth reference of its kind.

Created by two of the strongest brands in conservation and the environment, and drawn from more than ten years of reputable coverage in The Green Guide newsletter, on-line and in print, this comprehensive resource is destined to become a must-have for millions of families and the first name in household reference books in this up-and-coming category.

Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options

Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options Review

Natural Home Heating is the first comprehensive guide to heating your home with renewable energy sources. Greg Pahl offers a well-organized, easy-to-understand tour of all available renewable home-heating options, including wood, pellet, corn and grain-fired stoves, fireplaces, furnaces and boilers as well as masonry heaters, active and passive solar systems, and heat pumps. Learn how to burn environmentally friendly biodiesel fuels, not just in your car, but in your furnace or boiler. Included is everything you need to know about the fuels, systems, technologies, costs, and advantages and disadvantages of each option. Pahl teaches homeowners how to retrofit existing heating systems and choose renewable replacements, or design an entirely new house that can be heated comfortably with minimal environmental and financial impact.
Consider:

95% of American homes are heated with fossil fuels or electricity (which is generated mainly by fossil fuels).

Oil and gas prices will continue to rise as supplies dwindle and sources become less reliable.

Home heating costs could double or even triple in the event of a fuel crisis.

The use of fossil fuels is the primary contributor to global warming.

There are viable, clean, healthy, and affordable home heating alternatives!
Learn how to burn environmentally friendly bio-diesel fuels, not just in your car, but in your furnace. Find out how a ground-source heat pump works and why it can achieve 400% heating efficiency. Discover what it takes to make burning wood truly sustainable. Natural Home Heating explains all these details and more, making it unique in the marketplace.

The Complete Guide To Energy Conservation for Smarties

The Complete Guide To Energy Conservation for Smarties Review

Finally, between the covers of a single book, the answers to everything you need to know about energy conservation. Smarties, no more dummies is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper, offers 300 pages of easy-to-digest information about how we all can conserve energy, but it goes a lot further than that. The book is fully indexed and divided into three sections. The first offers more than 100 free ways to save not just money, but the planet and even yourself. The second section shows how spending a few pennies to a few dollars can yield big financial and energy savings. The final section offers ideas that come with a serious price tag, but yield lifetime paybacks. Cleverly illustrated and attractively designed, the book offers counsel on everything from how to properly defrost frozen food to reduce home heating bills, from how to stop the flood of junk mail you're receiving to the ins and outs of putting solar panels on your roof. A resource guide points you to helpful websites and explains some of the oft-confusing terms that pop up in discussions of energy use. A line on the cover of the book says it all: This is a common sense book. You have the brains, you have the backbone and now you have the blueprint for energy conservation right here.

The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Techologies and Sustainable Living (9th ed)

The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Techologies and Sustainable Living (9th ed) Review

It is arguably a form of cultural insanity that industrial civilizations constantly bathed by free and clean energy from the sky (the sun and the wind) continue to depend upon dirty and limited chemical fuels that poison the people, their foods, and the land upon which they depend.

Happily, this comprehensive sourcebook provides those of you with foresight a way out of this madness; it includes products ranging from simple energy-saving devices such as compact fluorescent lights to home-scale energy-harvesting systems that utilize the sun, wind, and water to make electricity for people living "off-the-grid." Chapters focus on Independent Living, Land, Shelter, Harvesting Energy, Managing Energy Systems, Heating and Cooling, Water, Energy Conservation, the Nontoxic Home, Home and Market Gardening, Mobility and Electric Vehicles, and Livelihood and Learning. Committed to selling only products that promote environmental responsibility at an honest value, The Real Goods Trading Company is one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Many of the products listed in another of our favorites, the Millennium Whole Earth Catalog, can be purchased by mail from Real Goods.

The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)

The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners) Review

Today, a new generation of architects and builders is emerging, intent on creating homes that meet human needs for shelter while causing only a fraction of the environmental impact of conventional housing. The New Ecological Home provides an overview of green building techniques, materials, products, and technologies that are either currently available or will be in the near future. Author Daniel Chiras provides a wealth of up-to-date, practical information for home buyers, owner-builders, and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future.