As we focus more on climate awareness, building a new living space for you and your family isn’t just about your design preferences—it’s also about ensuring the project is kind to the environment. Luckily, this concept is also on the minds of many designers and manufacturers, so it’s not difficult to base your home construction on green principles. To kick off your brainstorming process, use the following eco-conscious guide to constructing an environmentally friendly home.

3 Points to Consider When Building a Green Home

Roofing

To significantly slash energy consumption, talk to your home construction contractor about a standing-seam metal roof. Because of their metallic nature, they reflect light and reduce the amount of heat absorbed into your home, taking the strain off of your air conditioning system. Plus, since they last upwards of 50 years and are fully recyclable, you can cut down on the world’s landfill waste.

Flooring

To shrink your carbon footprint with every step, choose cork flooring. This material is harvested from trees by cutting their bark, not chopping them down, and it grows back fully every three years. It’s also soft underfoot and shock absorbent, which is excellent for people with joint pain. You should also consider bamboo, as it’s an elegant material that looks like hardwood but is sustainable. Bamboo trees grow fully in just three to five years, as opposed to the decades it takes to sustain most hardwood materials.

Windows

The secret to energy-efficient windows is insulation. Although you can insulate the frame, how can you do so with glass? Double- or triple-pane windows feature multiple layers of glass with air in between. These gaps are filled with argon gas, which prevents the transfer of heat between your home’s interior and the outdoors. You can also increase energy efficiency by looking for low-E glass, which has been covered in an invisible, thin coat of silver to reflect radiant heat from the sun, which keeps your HVAC from being strained on exceptionally warm days.

From refrigerators to AC systems, there are countless other ways to ensure your home construction process is geared toward an environmentally friendly perspective. The team at Roider Contracting will be happy to work with to fulfill your eco-conscious goals as they build your new living space from the ground up. This Columbia, IL, company offers a wide variety of general contracting services from licensed professionals, whether you’re looking to build a patio or an entire property. To learn more about their skills, visit the website, or call (618) 939-0492 to ask for an estimate.