From the Book - Regular Print
Chapter 1 So You Want to Build a Green Home 1 --
What is Green Building? 1 --
A Short History of Green Building 3 --
Chapter 2 Finding the Help You Need 9 --
Serving as Your Own General Contractor 14 --
Building Your Own House 15 --
Chapter 3 Where to Build 17 --
Building a New House vs. Fixing Up an Old One 17 --
Your Home as Part of the Community 18 --
Building on Previously Disturbed Land and Urban Infill Lots 20 --
Evaluating the Greenfield Sites 21 --
Regulatory Constraints 25 --
Chapter 4 General Issues in House Design 29 --
Is a Stand-Alone, Single-Family House What You Really Want? 29 --
How Big a House do You Need? 31 --
Design for Durability 32 --
Design for Accessibility and Adaptability 33 --
House Configuration 34 --
What About an Attached Garage? 36 --
Other Design Issues 37 --
Chapter 5 Structural Building System 39 --
Conventional Wood Framing (2x4, 2x6) 39 --
Conventional Wood Framing with Rigid Foam Insulation 41 --
High-Tech Wood Framing Systems 42 --
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) Construction 45 --
Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction 49 --
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) 49 --
Other Masonry Block Building Systems 49 --
Strawbale Construction 51 --
Deciding Among the Building System Alternatives 53 --
Chapter 6 Energy Efficient Design 57 --
Why Reduce Use of Fossil Fuels? 57 --
A Superinsulated, Airtight Envelope 60 --
Selecting Heating Equipment 72 --
Energy Improvements on the Horizon 88 --
Chapter 7 Making Use of Renewable Energy 91 --
Passive Solar Heating 91 --
Natural Daylighting 95 --
Solar Water Heating 98 --
Wind Power and Green Electricity 103 --
Zero-Energy and Carbon-Neutral Homes 106 --
Final Thoughts on Energy 106 --
Chapter 8 Materials and Products for Green Building 107 --
Why Choose Green Building Products? 108 --
Consider the Entire Life Cycle 109 --
Selecting Building Products 111 --
Getting the Information You Need for Material Selection 122 --
Chapter 9 Creating a Safe Indoor Environment 125 --
Eliminate, Isolate, and Ventilate 125 --
House Design for a Healthy Indoor Environment 127 --
Choosing Products and Materials for the House 133 --
Ventilation Strategies 138 --
Keeping a Healthy House Healthy 144 --
Chapter 10 Respecting and Conserving Water 147 --
Water Conservation in the Home 148 --
Water Conservation Outdoors 153 --
Dealing with Wastewater 155 --
Graywater Separation and Treatment 159 --
Rainwater Harvesting 161 --
Managing Stormwater 163 --
Chapter 11 Dealing with Construction Waste 165 --
Reducing Job-Site Waste 165 --
Reusing Job-Site Waste 167 --
Recycling Job-Site Waste 169 --
Proper Disposal of Wastes that Cannot Be Recycled 171 --
Chapter 12 Landscaping and Plantings 173 --
Protection of Soils and Vegetation During Site Work 173 --
Landscaping for Energy Conservation 174 --
Landscaping for Biodiversity 177 --
Water-Conserving Landscaping 181 --
Edible Landscaping 182 --
Chapter 13 Costs of Building Green 185 --
Controlling Construction Costs 185 --
Construction Costs vs. Operating Costs 187 --
Cost of Good Design 190 --
Paying for a Green Home 190 --
Benefitting When You Sell a Green Home 193 --
Chapter 14 Living in Your Green Home 195 --
Understanding How Your House Works - The Homeowner's Manual 195 --
Selection of Furnishings 201 --
Dealing With Waste 203 --
Composting Organic Waste 205 --
Involve the Whole Family in Waste Management 207 --