While straw bales, steel, and earthen homes may be the outliers of green home building, many other options that incorporate more traditional materials can be green as well with just a few twists:

• Certified wood from well managed forests is a renewable resource and a sustainable ‘green’ option.

• Using engineered wood with low VOC’s takes fewer and smaller trees to produce and can out perform traditional timbers in terms of its load bearing capacity.

• Eco-foam insulation with an air exchanger can create a highly energy efficient traditional “stick built” home.

• SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) that are Greenguard certified can be an excellent green alternative.

• ICF’s (insulated concrete forms) is another option for owner/builders to consider when building green.

HomeWrights can help you select the appropriate green construction methods that achieve the goals for your dream house.