This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Green Home Remodeling III: Innovative Green Remodeling Ideas

Green remodeling ideas that add value to your home, and a look at Half Moon House, a sustainable green home in Madison designed and owned by architect Chris Kellogg and designer Helen Kaar

Sustainable and "green" do not mean "ugly." Think light and airy, warm and welcoming.

Locally, the quintessential example of a sustainable green home is a house (called Half Moon House) on Walnut Street in Madison, designed and owned by architect Chris Kellogg and designer Helen Kaar. Built to work with nature rather than against it, the house is heated and cooled by the sun (solar panels) and the earth (geothermal system) and incorporates many earth-friendly features, including recycled and renewable materials. Even if you are not building a home from the ground up, as Chris and Helen did, you can still choose from an array of green features to make your renovation or remodel more energy efficient and sustainable--at the same time that you enhance your home's beauty and long-term value.

Structurally, Chris and Helen's home was built with the goal of creating a thermal envelope, which is to a house what a thermos is to liquid. Between the exterior cedar shingles (FSC-certified) and the interior is a structural insulated panel (SIP), which is an excellent insulator and which replaces the conventional stud wall. This eliminates the possibility of gaps created when regular insulation is tucked around pipes and wires in a traditional stud wall. For your renovation, if you are re-siding your house, you can add rigid insulation under your new siding to create your own thermal envelope.

Find out what's happening in Summitwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Although a remodel will probably not present the opportunity for a costly geothermal or solar system, you may be able to take advantage of passive solar principles. Orienting your new addition or new windows toward the south optimizes the warmth you can get from the sun during the winter. Ask about glazing for your new, energy efficient windows to admit the sun's warmth during the winter, and think about adding small overhangs to block the sun in the summer. And to take full advantage of the sun's rays, think about an open floor plan, which allows for a more even distribution of light and heat.

Those are the big-ticket items, but there are many smaller, earth-friendly and cost-effective features you can put into place as well. Here is an enticing sampling:

Find out what's happening in Summitwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 - throughout. Although more expensive to install, the long-term savings more than make up for the initial outlay. Some newer LEDs have a life span of 50,000 hours, compared to around 1,000 for incandescents and 10,000 for CFLs.

 - Energy Star® appliances throughout. They will pay for themselves in energy-saving costs in no time. Consider low-flow plumbing fixtures as well.

 - Bamboo floors and cabinets. Bamboo grows very quickly so it is a highly renewable source, and bamboo cabinets look fabulous. Or look for other eco-friendly cabinets and flooring. Make sure they have non-VOC (volatile organic compounds) finishes to protect your indoor air quality.

 - Countertops made from recycled materials. There are many beautiful options readily available. Terrazzo, for example, uses glass and stone chips with binders, and the varieties of colors are endless. Other interesting materials include recycled aluminum and ocean glass. Again, watch out for the VOC finishes.

 - Plants! Don't overlook the natural beauty and air-scrubbing benefits of plants. Chris and Helen have a variety of potted plants, large and small, throughout their house--in the indoor solar porch, the kitchen, and even the bathroom--and their shapes and colors add considerably to the ambiance and tranquility of their lovely home.

By Beth Lovejoy, on behalf of the Summit Environmental Commission

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?