What Is “Green” Building?

Green building isn’t just a trendy term thrown about by home builders. The term is backed by strict policies created by the National Association of Home Builders to guide the process. Very much like food growers who can claim “certified organic,” home builders that follow the “green” guidelines adhere to many procedures necessary to make claim to the final product. While a green home may cost slightly more upfront, you realize savings over the long run, in terms of both money and health. Also, don’t overlook your contribution to the longevity of the earth. Call Cayman Builders to build an affordable green home.

What Makes a Building a Green Building?

A green building is a structure that’s designed to be environmentally sound and energy efficient. Many buildings use a large amount of energy from outdated lighting, leaky heating and cooling systems and poor insulation. A green building is intended to reduce the negative impact that’s often created by buildings that weren’t built for energy efficiency. This approach recognizes the need to improve air quality, minimize the use of water and reduce energy costs.

Cayman Builders are always conscious of the impact construction can have on the environment when they construct custom-built homes. They follow the National Green Building Standard guidelines for green building that were initiated by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2015.

What Are Some Benefits of Green Building?

Both commercial and residential buildings generate huge energy demands. Buildings account for close to 40 percent of the U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide. The transport, assembly and manufacture of building materials such as steel, wood and concrete also contribute to high energy demands. As a more energy efficient option, green buildings have considerable benefits for building owners and for the environment. These benefits include:

• A reduction in energy consumption and waste
• A decrease in carbon emissions and pollution
• A drop in the exposure to toxins
• The conservation of water
• An improvement of indoor environment quality

A reduction in toxins supports health, improves comfort levels and contributes to a better standard of living. A healthy living environment for your family and for the community you select is an invaluable benefit. And while green building guidelines may at times require higher upfront costs, the savings always accumulate in the long run.

What Are Some Features of Green Building?

Green building emphasizes the use of sustainable building technologies, construction techniques and building materials. Some of the features and benefits incorporated into energy efficient homes created by Cayman Builders include:

• Water efficiency. Green buildings often include water saving and ENERGY STAR® appliances, as well as water-efficient toilets and faucets.
• Energy efficiency. This feature includes blocking and sealing areas of air leakage, which may mean installing energy efficient windows and doors. It may include other types of energy savings, such as increasing the efficiency of the cooling system and activating outdoor lighting only when needed.
• Resource efficiency. Green homes maximize the use of resources that may include sorting and reusing scrap materials during the building process as every step on your building checklist is completed.
• Site selection and development. Site selection for a green building minimizes erosion and soil disturbance and conserves vegetation onsite. Even when Cayman Builders build on your lot, they use the most environmentally friendly landscaping when finishing the project.
• Quality of indoor environment. The inside air can be improved with safe ventilation of cooling and heating equipment, as well as the installation of air quality monitoring systems and clean air recycling equipment.

These are some of the green building features that Cayman Builders includes in their smart homes. Very often, when they build on your lot, many of these features are included at no additional cost.

Is Green Building More Expensive?

The up-front costs of green building may initially be slightly higher than a conventional building. Higher efficiency heating systems, water-efficient ENERGY STAR appliances and properly installed insulation aren’t usually the cheapest options. But choosing sustainability and green building practices actually proves to be less expensive in the long run for several reasons, including:

• They require less energy or water to heat and cool, so energy bills are lower.
• Improved infrastructure withstands natural disasters and extremes in weather, especially beneficial in coastal areas of Florida and Georgia.
• Using sustainable materials require less reforestation.
• Green buildings are designed to require less maintenance, reducing additional time and money spent on fixing things.

The bottom line is that a green building is likely to pay for itself over time. A healthier living environment increases your productivity if you work from home. It may also play a big role in lowering medical costs for you and your family.

Does Cayman Builders Use Green Building Practices?

Cayman Builders have a reputation for the highest quality craftsmanship of new homes at affordable prices, as seen in the many satisfied customer reviews. At the same time, they’re committed to using eco-friendly building materials and doing whatever they can to protect the environment while constructing energy-efficient homes.

The smart homes constructed by Cayman Builders are custom-built. They can include any specific green building products or features you’re looking for. Contact Cayman Builders to find out about the many different energy-saving options you may want to include in your new home.