The Green Effect
“Green Building” and “Green Remodeling” are two fairly recent phrases in our industry. Actually being “green” is a little more difficult than including the phrase in the marketing campaigns.
P & B has been a Certified Green Professional for a couple of years now. What does that mean? It means we took the time to sit in classes and get at least some insight on what “Green” is all about. What it doesn’t mean is everything we do is bamboo or recycled or PVC free. Sometimes that’s neither possible or practical. What it does mean is that we care and we always have. It was pleasant to learn in the classes that we have practiced “Green” remodeling and building methods as long as we’ve been in business.
We care enough to question things. How are we effecting our environment by using this product? Are we doing the right thing? Is there a better way? Better product? Something considered not so green that is more efficient? Can I reuse this? Where does the waste go? Can this be recycled?
Sometimes materials considered green might not be so much. For instance, I’ve often wondered just how green bamboo really is when it has to be shipped from the other side of the globe. It does mature in about five years which makes it a wonderful product for building and remodeling but what about all the diesel it takes to get it here? Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it?
And that’s really what it’s all about. Thinking. Planning a project and running a business in a way that is less wasteful, consumptive and polluting. Having a “green” office…fairly paperless and efficient. Logistics…visiting job sites in a logical and efficient way. All of these things add to “The Green Effect”.
The single most important thing (in my opinion) is that the “greenest” house is one that’s already standing. Remodeling is, in and of itself, a green process. The resources in an existing home have already been used and may even have renewed. Changing a bathroom or kitchen might make more sense than building a new house. Even if your current home doesn’t meet today’s “green” standards for energy use, water consumption, etc., you’ll be hard pressed to honestly say it’s greener to build new than to remodel.
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