Everything in today’s word is shifting towards eco-friendliness. Most property owners aiming to contribute to this trend will invest in eco-friendly appliances once their construction is complete and include one or two indoor plants. A green building starts long before your construction is ready for occupation. It starts right at your building’s design with the right team of experts ranging from plumbers, electricians, engineers, contractors, and other professionals.
With the right team, you will be assured of the best results during your building commissioning project in Portland, Oregon, and other locations. The commissioning, in this case, is a professional practice that ensures that your construction meets the requirements. It minimizes your maintenance and repair costs and guarantees the highest levels of efficiency for your building. When designing a green building, experts will ordinarily focus on four primary aspects.
Building Materials
The materials used in green constructions come from renewable and natural sources that have been harvested and managed with sustainability in mind. The common ones include engineered wood, bricks, fiber cement, and plastic lumber. Plastic lumber, for instance, is used for the non-structural elements of your property like the retaining walls, fences, and decks. It is insect and weather resistant and will not chip, splinter, or crack. Unlike other conventional building materials, it does not need painting and it minimizes the leaching of harmful VOCs into the groundwater.
Energy Efficiency
This is what most people envision in green construction because of the money they can save in terms of energy expenses. Insulation, passive solar building designs, and the installation of energy-efficient windows are among the aspects that contribute to your construction’s energy efficiency. The passive solar design, for instance, will use sunlight for heating and cooling different sections of your interiors without electrical or mechanical devices. Your building will also be extended on an east-west axis, and the frequently occupied spaces that need most heating and light will be on the south side to maximize indoor comfort.
Water Management
With dwindling water bodies because of global warming, water management is a fundamental element of eco-conservation. Rainwater collection, water-efficient plumbing, and porous outdoor pavers are among the aspects of water management on a green building. The pavers, for instance, allow the infiltration of your surface runoff into underground aquatic systems, unlike the conventional impervious surfaces.
Water-efficient plumbing systems include low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets that minimize the wastewater on your property and your water use without affecting your sanitation levels.
Occupant Health
Green construction also focuses on improving your indoor air quality and averting the risk of common health conditions such as sick building syndrome. The materials that will be used are resistant to mold, microbes, and spores, emission-free, and have no or low VOC emissions. The building will also include large windows and vents to maximize ventilation in your interiors.
Several contractors have come up to meet the needs of an ever-growing population looking for green building solutions. Some of the service providers are, however, not so intent on giving you the best green building but rather minimize their costs. You should ensure that the service providers you choose are reputable and well-versed in the above green construction elements.
