Tinkerbell (Saint Bernard), Cutie Pie and Buddy (Pekingese), and Jingle Bells (Maine Coon) were escorted in and presented with the house. They were not as impressed as we had hoped. In fact they looked to us as if they’d missed something, but were perfectly happy to be with us once again. Oh well.

That evening, with much left to be unpacked and my wife and daughter in their beds, I made one last check of the windows and doors before going to sleep. Three dogs and a cat looked to me expectantly.

I realized they probably were not thrilled about sleeping on the tile floors, so I found towels to cushion their slumber until their beds were found. I made sure they had bowls full of food and water, noticing they seemed misplaced and liable to be tripped over there in the kitchen. The cat had nothing to climb. It occurred to me:

Shouldn’t all homes be built with pets in mind?

Over fifty percent of homes in the US have pets and that number is growing. Only a slightly smaller number own multiple pets. Americans spend more than 36 billion dollars every year on their canine and feline family members, and very often a design concept is pet, human, and environmentally friendly all at once.

Pets are one of the fastest growing positive factors in human households and possibly our best method of home protection as well.

I thought of a famous quote:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.” – Gandhi

Would pet-friendly homes in the US and Canada be moral progress?

The new environment of our new home suddenly seemed unnatural for my pets. I realized home builders generally ignore the fact that there will likely be pets involved, other than an occasional fence, which may have other purposes like security anyway. I thought about what a pet-friendly design for a dog or cat might consider:

Overall

• Resilience
• Ease of cleaning
• Economic friendliness
• Style and comfort
• Affordability
• Customization
• Family and pet-conscious design
• Environmental friendliness

Interior; for comfort, versatility, and durability

• Allergen/odor reducing air filtration
• Durable, eco-friendly flooring
• Pet friendly fabrics and furnishings
• Easy clean surfaces
• Pet friendly mudroom
• Cat friendly windowsills
• Professional series central vacuum

Exterior

• Easy lawn care and landscaping
• Pet containment / fencing
• Pet exterior access doors
• Energy efficient windows and siding
• Low VOC paint (volatile organic compounds, solvents that get released into the air and cause headaches and dizziness)

There were interesting, perhaps even exciting ideas here that would not be hard to implement. But why?

What positive impact could come from a more general acceptance of pet-friendly homes?

Well with less hassles involved in pet ownership the quality of life for pets and their owners rise, and there would be fewer spilling over into shelters of pets that became unmanageable. The movement would at once educate people about joys of pet ownership and simplify owning pets at the same time.

I was inspired. With all the known positive effects of pet ownership I felt I was on to a perhaps new and worthy cause, for both man and animal.

My pet-friendly home would have:

• Dedicated spaces for my pets, perhaps a pet room?
• Their own furnishings, whether built in or added, and incorporated into the design
• Dog couch/beds
• Cat tree/scratching/shelves
• Flooring that is resistant to fleas, dirt and smells
• A central vacuum system for easy hair removal
• Space fitted for/accommodating grooming
• Permanent location for food dispensing
• Dedicated food storage
• Fenced or otherwise contained yard
• Ingress/egress doorways
• Dedicated space for bathing
• A mud room buffer between interior and outdoor play areas
• Easy access for a dog bathroom and cat box
• Great air filtration

Also while I’m at it let’s add

• Green building materials
• Solar electric and hot water
• Efficient insulation
• An electric charging stations for automobiles
• Water purification
• Trash disposal systems that lessen environmental impact and encourage recycling

Some places are already hip to this. Many condominium and townhome developments and redevelopments of the earlier 2000’s included dog-walk paths with doody-bag dispensers and an off-leash fenced area for dogs alongside the tennis or volleyball.

For a veterinarian-owned hotel in Desert Hot Springs, California, pet-friendly means her hotel not only allows dogs but encourages them, provides dogs with freedom to roam (including the pool and breakfast area), and doesn’t relegate guests with pets to only certain rooms are areas.

But it seems all the homes I’ve lived in ignored the fact that the occupants were likely to own pets. Any pet-friendly modifications have always been made by me. Just as homeowners are likely to need a dining area, they are more and more likely to own pets. There could at least be some design elements that make later modifications easier.

I have more than once been stumped by wanting a dog-door in a certain place, only to be thwarted by the presence of a concrete wall. Builders could leave a channel if not an actual pet door.

My musings now sought company! This was too good an idea to sit on, and probably a concept that will emerge alongside the growing number of households with pets and the astronomical amounts already being spent on pets. It seems the only thing missing now is your voice added to the conversation, for ideas and support! Chime in!

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Planks made from vinyl

This type of flooring is manufactured in strips, unlike vinyl sheeting that comes in a roll or vinyl tiles that are stuck on individually. This makes it look much more realistic than the other types of flat vinyl flooring. Better still, there are numerous different options from pale ash to dark teak. Specific product examples include:

Luxe Plank, a “luxury” vinyl product from Armstrong (www.armstrong.com). These vinyl planks are manufactured in a variety of hardwood lookalike colors and textures. They are also made in the same widths and lengths of wooden planks, namely 48 in x 4.5 in, 48 in x 6 in and 36 in x 6 in. The product is made with three layers that are topped with a fourth protective layer of urethane for durability. They even have beveled ends and edges for authenticity. There are 33 wood look-alike products in various hues that imitate birch, hickory, maple, oak, pine, walnut, several exotic woods and bamboo.

Congoleum (www.congoleum.com) manufactures a glueless plank and what they call an endurance plank, both from vinyl. Available wood patterns in the no-glue design include bamboo, classic oak, merbau (a tropical wood found in mangrove forests), rustic maple and weathered pine (that has a grayness to it rather than the distinctive golden hues normally associated with pine). All these planks are 6 in x 48 in size. The endurance plank is made in two sizes, 4 in x 36 in and 6 in x 36 in, and in four finishes: cherry, maple, oak and a nebulous “rustic” wood.

Earthwerks (www.earthwerks.com) offers a range of luxury vinyl planks which, apart from bamboo, have nebulous names that don’t indicate the type of wood they imitate. Each of the products is available in anything from three to seventeen colors. Sizes vary and include 4 in x 36 in, 6 in x 36 in, 5 in x 48 in, and 7.24 in x 37.4 in. Some products have square edges while others have beveled edges, and thickness also vary: .080 in, .098 in, 1/6 in, and 1/8 in.

Konecto (www.konectousa.com) has ten wood plank styles, some of which carry wood names, namely ash, chestnut, rosewood and walnut. Konecto planks are designed to be installed over existing floors including real wood, concrete, old vinyl or linoleum, and even ceramic tiles. They simply clip together to form a new “free floating” surface. The planks are 6 in x 36 in size and to cut them, all you do is score with a utility knife and snap.

Nafco vinyl planks (www.nafco.com) are manufactured by the international Tarkett Group that produces flooring throughout the world, including Europe and North America. Their vinyl glue-on planks represent a wide range of wood types including bleached ash, dark pine, maple, beech, mahogany, medium and light oak, pecan, as well as a whole lot of more nebulous types.

Installing plank flooring that has been made from vinyl

Most types are easy to install yourself.

The original plank flooring from vinyl was made with adhesive on one side, and was often called “peel and stick”. Providing your floor surface was clean and dry, all you did was peel off the backing and lay it on the floor. To make sure the flooring stuck, you would simply smooth it out, firmly using a mop, sponge or even just your hand. While these glue-strip products are still available – and often at highly discounted prices – “click” vinyl flooring is rapidly taking its place alongside flooring that requires an adhesive. So-called click plank flooring from vinyl is very similar to more expensive laminate flooring, and superior to the original vinyl planks that received a fairly mixed response in the marketplace.

Either way, each consecutive plank must be laid plumb and level. If your floor isn’t level, you will need to install wooden shims along the walls. And if the floor surface is less than perfect, you will need to level the floor using a good quality cement compound. If the house was well built and the floors were correctly topped with mortar applied and smoothed with a trowel, then you won’t have a problem.

Tarkett has a free online residential installation manual on their Nafco web site that is very useful irrespective of the brand of vinyl plank flooring you decide to install. For instance there is invaluable technical information about subfloors and the surfaces that you can lay vinyl flooring on, including both concrete and wood suspended floors, concrete floors on ground level, and concrete slabs in basements areas. It really doesn’t matter what sort of flooring you are laying, proper site preparation is absolutely essential. Even if a flooring contractor is going to do the work for you, the manual is worth a read so that you can assess the contractor’s responsibilities, particularly in terms of testing concrete substrates.

The installation guide also shows step-by-step how to lay out and install vinyl planks using adhesive.

Konecto also has free online installation manuals that explain how their product is installed without adhesive. They, too, are worth a read.

Advantages of floors constructed using planks made from vinyl

• Relatively inexpensive.
• Easy to lay.
• Most can be laid over existing tiled floors if required.
• Easy to clean and maintain. A good quality product shouldn’t scratch or scuff.

Disadvantages of floors constructed using planks made from vinyl

• If an adhesive of any kind is used, it isn’t a good idea on heated concrete floors because the seams may come loose.
• While it is fundamentally easy to lay, if floors and walls aren’t level and plumb, it isn’t that easy to lay! They cannot be laid on uneven surfaces.
• Vinyl planks should not be laid on previously painted or varnished surfaces.

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Some people contract professional building companies to do the work for them; some do most of the work themselves; others “owner build” but utilize the services of many professionals to ensure the final product is a success. Some people take time off to oversee what is going on during the building operation; they may even become the project manager. Some have a structural shell built by professionals and finish the house off themselves over time, possibly even once they have moved in, adding finishes as finances become available. There are many different options, none of which is beyond risk. The fact is that within all these categories of building, it is possible to make “mistakes” when you build. And unfortunately, the most common mistakes when building a house relate directly to money.

How to Avoid Making Some of the Most Common Mistakes

If you plan the construction of your new home thoroughly and in a sequential manner, you will avoid a great many of the problems that potential face those building a house.

From day one you are going to have to make important, if not vital, decisions, primarily based on cost, time and quality. If you focus on these three elements, and are clear in your own mind just how much time and money you have to build, and what quality factors are important to you, you will start the project on the right (or rather correct) foot.

Going over budget is one of the most common mistakes people make, and not deliberately either. This is why proper planning is so important.

Commercial and industrial construction projects are normally quantified to the last letter, and usually by a qualified professional who has been trained to estimate the costs of everything involved. This includes design costs, management costs, as well as the costs of labor, materials, hire of tools …

Aside from anything else, make sure from the start that whoever draws up your house plans, specifies materials, fixtures and finishes that suit both your requirements and your budget.

Quantifying and Costing a Construction Project

One mistake inexperienced home builders make when budgeting for their own home is to base their estimates on what the industry deems to be a cost per square foot or meter. Be warned, there is no such thing. Your cost per square foot will depend entirely on the construction method you choose and the fixtures, fittings and finishes that you opt for. As a rule of thumb, you need to base it on a wide variation, perhaps depending on what people you know have spent building homes similar to the one you want to build. But never fall into the trap of thinking that you can do it cheaper. If you do, chances are you’ll run out of bucks and find you aren’t able to finish your home the way you envisaged.

Before you or anybody else can quantify and cost your house project, you need a schedule of finishes. This is simply a detailed list of the materials that you and/or your builder are going to need for the construction process. It is essential that this schedule contains absolutely everything, from bricks and mortar or the timber requirements (depending of course on the method of construction to be used) to doors, windows, roofing materials, and all the finishes – tiles, paint, ironmongery, sanitary ware, and appliances like eye level ovens that are to be built in. All plumbing and electrical fixtures and fittings, including pipes, drains, and electrical conduits, as well as lights, air conditioning, and absolutely anything else you plan to include, must be included in the schedule.

Cost Control

You could liken cost control to the will-power you need when going on a diet! It is ever so easy, for example, to change your mind and buy a slightly more expensive type of tile for your en suite bathroom than one that meets your quantified and pre-costed budget. This idea translates to everything from basic materials to one-of-a-kind fixtures and fittings.

One of the most common mistakes – or problems – faced by home builders is efficient cost control. Once you have a budget, you need to stick to it. If you don’t, you’re going to have to find the extra finances elsewhere, or cut down on something else. In reality what often happens is that the house itself ends up costing more, so other less essential features are included. This could mean that you end up without the swimming pool or spa you have been dreaming about, or even without a garage, deck or patio that has been drawn on the plans.

If you have ready cash, one way to avoid these types of problems is to buy items for cash if you can get a discount. These savings can be quite substantial, but you need some forethought to take this route.

Apart from the costs quantified according to a schedule of finishes, there are also labor costs and so-called “hidden” costs (including water and electricity connection fees) to take into account. Never forget these.

Another important factor to keep in mind is that cost control also means keeping track of the building project. As work progresses, check regularly to ensure that you are on budget, and if construction is costing more, assess by how much. Even if you have hired a project manager, or are using a professional building contractor, this is a process that you should never ignore.

Be Aware of Potential Pitfalls

There are numerous other pitfalls that people encounter when building their own homes. These range from choosing materials that they later decide they don’t like, to ordering materials that don’t fit – including doors and windows. Normally attention to detail will sort these problems out, but you need to be mindful of the possibilities.

One quite specific potential pitfall to watch out for if you want to avoid the most common mistakes when building a house, is to be wary when trying to cut your costs. For example, while buying bargains can certainly help you cut your budget, you need to be sure what is offered really is a bargain. Make sure you aren’t buying damaged items, or building materials that are not going to last.

If you are aware that there are possible pitfalls that come in many different guises, you are certainly going to be more likely to avoid them, and ultimately have a more successful building experience.

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Cool roofs save property owners money by reducing energy bills, make homes more comfortable by helping regulate temperature, and also help protect the environment. Ultimately, they are also likely to last longer. Furthermore, while a cool roof will keep the interior cool in hot weather, it will also keep the interior warm when conditions are cold.

Basics of Cool Roofs

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) defines a cool roof in terms of its ability to meet or exceed minimum solar reflectance and thermal emittance values or its ability to meet or exceed minimum SRI (Solar Reflectance Index) requirements.

Solar Reflectance refers to the amount (measured in fractions on a scale of 0 to 1) of sunlight that a surface reflects.

Thermal Emittance refers to the ability of a surface to cool by emitting thermal radiation. For example, aluminum foil has a low thermal emittance, while potato skin has a high thermal emittance.

SRI (Solar Reflectance Index) is used to compare how cool roof surfaces are in relation to solar reflectance and thermal emittance. A higher SRI is preferable, as it indicates the roof will be cooler when exposed to sunlight.

Most cool roofs cost about the same to install as those that are not specifically energy-efficient, but their efficiency will depend on several factors, including:

• Localized climate
• Insulation in your roof structure
• How the building is used
• Energy prices
• The type and efficiency of cooling and heating systems used within the building

In essence, a cool roof will reflect sunlight and transmit heat more effectively than a conventional roof.

Color plays a significant role. Dark-colored roofs can absorb up to 90% or more of solar energy and can reach temperatures higher than 150°F (66°C) on hot, sunny days. It’s easy to understand that higher roof temperatures will lead to an increase in heat inside the building. This, in turn, means you’ll need more air conditioning, consuming more energy to stay cool. Light-colored roofs, on the other hand, absorb less than half the solar energy, resulting in lower roof temperatures and reduced air conditioning needs.

While light-colored roof coverings are generally better, it doesn’t end there. As the United States DOE’s Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs (published in July 2010) state, “not all cool roofs are white.”

Colors of Cool Roofs

While white and other light-colored roofing materials tend to be good solar reflectors, there are also cool materials with high solar reflectance that come in dark colors. Many of these look nearly identical to traditional “hot dark colors” to the human eye.

According to the DOE, a conventional dark surface reflects about 20% of sunlight, while a light-colored surface reflects four times as much. However, a cool, dark surface can reflect up to 40%.

Various types of cool roofs, ironically, often involve the use of dark-colored materials.

Types of Cool Roofs

First, it’s important to understand that the uppermost surface of the roof determines whether your roof is cool or not. You may even be able to add a surface to your existing roof to make it cooler. For example, you could coat an existing roof surface with special paint containing pigments that reflect sunlight.

The design of your roof will also affect the materials and methods you can use to create a cool roof.

Low Sloping Roofs

For low-sloping roofs, there are several options, including pre-fabricated (usually white) membranes attached with adhesives and fasteners, which are held in place with gravel, pavers, or stones. Ironically, some black membranes work similarly but are coated to make the surface reflective.

Roofs can also be built up with layers of fabric reinforcement and a protective surface layer (often dark in color) made of gravel, asphalt, and other materials, including light-colored marble chips. Alternatively, layers of suitable rubber or plastic materials may be used, as well as modified bitumen that is factory-coated to make the surface “cool.”

Another option is spray polyurethane foam, which reacts and expands to form a solid roof surface with a reflective protective coating.

Steep Sloping Roofs

Most shingles can be coated either at the factory or on the roof to make them more reflective. Asphalt shingles should only be factory-coated.

Roof tiles, made of materials like natural clay and slate, vary in reflectivity, but all can be glazed to enhance reflectivity.

Metal roofing can be used for both low and steep-sloping roofs, either as sheeting or shingles. While unpainted metal is reflective, it has poor thermal emittance. Special coatings can be applied to make metal roofing more energy-efficient.

Coatings to Make Roofs Cool

Roof coatings can be sprayed, brushed, or rolled onto most roof surfaces. However, these are not the same as exterior roof paint. There are three effective types of coatings:

1. Acrylic water-based coatings, which are easy to use, cure by evaporation, and are reasonably strong. These are the least expensive and most commonly used type.
2. Silicone solvent-based coatings, which have weaker tensile strength but are highly water-resistant and weather well.
3. Urethane solvent-based coatings, which are stronger and more energy-efficient but are expensive and difficult to work with.

ENERGY STAR Roof Products

When selecting materials for a new roof, look for the ENERGY STAR label. These products can reduce the temperature of your roof surface by as much as 100°F (37.8°C). While the energy-efficiency criteria don’t specify insulation requirements, these products can reduce the peak cooling demand for air conditioning by 10% to 15%.

ENERGY STAR-qualified roof products, based on their solar reflectance capabilities, include:

• Roof tiles
• Metal roofing products
• Asphalt shingles
• Single-ply membranes
• Modified bitumen
• Spray polyurethane foam roof systems
• Roof coating products
• Built-up roofs

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Since most wood components are exposed, they must be treated to resist weather, insects, and rot. Treated lumber is critical for framing, but not all treatments are equal. Effectiveness, longevity, and toxicity must be considered. National standards and building codes in many countries regulate treated wood use, mandating preservation standards and specifying where treated lumber is required.

Why Lumber Is Treated

Treated lumber lasts longer and ensures structural safety. Treatments primarily prevent:

• Fungal attacks causing staining and rot,
• Insect damage from carpenter ants, termites, beetles, and borers, which accelerate decay,
• Water and mold damage.

Some woods, like heart-grade Canadian redwood, red and white cedar, and cypress, naturally resist rot and insects but are costly. Treated lumber offers a more affordable option for timber-frame homes.

Traditional and Modern Treatment Methods

Traditional treatments include vacuum and pressure methods, with pressure-treated lumber preferred for timber-frame structures. Historically, three main preservatives, all containing inorganic arsenicals (pesticides), were used:

1. Chromate copper arsenate (CCA),
2. Ammoniacal copper arsenate (ACA),
3. Ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA).

These impart a green tint due to waterborne salt preservatives. However, they contain toxic arsenic, a known carcinogen, and CCA includes chromium, listed among the U.S. government’s 20 most hazardous substances. A 1980s EPA study concluded that CCA’s benefits outweighed its risks, making it a global standard. Properly treated CCA lumber fixes chemicals to wood fibers, becoming insoluble with no odor, and can be stained or painted. However, Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) advises wearing masks and gloves when handling CCA-treated lumber, washing exposed skin and clothes afterward, and disposing of waste per local regulations. Burning CCA-treated wood or exposing it to drinking water poses serious risks. By 2002, producers voluntarily phased out CCA for non-industrial use, though it remains in some applications. ACZA, considered more eco-friendly, is marketed as Chemonite by Arch Chemicals (www.archchemicals.com).

Pressure-Treated Lumber Today

Modern pressure treatments prioritize environmental safety. Alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), using copper instead of arsenic, is a newer preservative. Great Southern Wood Preserving (www.greatsouthernwood.com) uses ACQ-treated lumber with preservatives from Osmose Inc. (www.osmose.com), offering a lifetime warranty against fungal decay and termite damage for residential and agricultural use. ACQ-treated lumber starts dark green, fading to light brown or gray if unsealed. It can corrode metal fasteners like screws or nails if wet, so hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners are recommended. ACQ is registered as a non-restricted use pesticide by the EPA.

Eco-Friendly Wood Preservatives

Some, like Wood Preservation Canada (www.woodpreservation.ca), argue CCA is eco-friendly, as its components—copper, chromium, and arsenate—occur naturally. They emphasize using less toxic inorganic pentavalent arsenic. However, alternatives exist. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and adopted in Canada, rates products from certified (40–49 points) to platinum (80+ points). When choosing lumber, ensure compliance with building codes, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, and LEED standards. Columbia Forest Products, with its “keep it green” motto, exemplifies such compliance.

Non-toxic options like BluWood and NexGen (www.nexgenprotection.com/) use a two-part coating that prevents chemical leaching, suitable for green or kiln-dried wood. Applied in factories, it’s non-corrosive, non-hazardous, and guaranteed for a home’s lifetime. Featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2010, BluWood’s bright blue hue draws attention, while NexGen offers a clear or tinted finish, earning LEED points. Ironically, blue may be “greener” than green, making it an appealing choice for eco-conscious framing.

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Today, many of the most significant trends in home insulation focus on sustainability and the urgent need to conserve energy. Effective insulation is no longer just about keeping homes warm in winter or cool in summer; it’s about maximizing energy efficiency across all aspects of a home’s design.

Insulation goes beyond filling air spaces in the roof, insulating water heaters, or sealing walls and floors. It’s not solely about ensuring windows—primary sources of energy loss—retain heat effectively. Instead, it’s about the holistic ability of skilled home designers to optimize the energy available and maintain robust insulation efforts.

Without proper insulation, homes inevitably waste precious energy. Regardless of the climate or available resources, it’s critical to make homes as energy-efficient as possible to reduce waste and enhance comfort.

Understanding Insulation and Its Impact

The Role of Insulation Materials
Insulation materials are used in buildings, including homes, to prevent the transfer of electricity, heat, cold, or sound. This not only saves money by reducing electricity consumption but also enhances comfort by maintaining ideal temperatures and reducing external noise. By stabilizing the indoor environment—keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in summer—insulation creates a more pleasant living space.

While insulation efforts often focus on a home’s structure (floors, walls, and roofs), vacuum-insulated windows have become a key factor in sustainable design. However, this piece will focus on the materials added to a home’s structure to improve insulation.

Commonly Used Insulation Materials
A variety of insulation materials have been used for decades, with ongoing improvements making some options more popular and sustainable. Different materials are suited for specific applications, such as ceilings, walls, floors, plumbing pipes, or hot water cylinders. Understanding these options is essential for choosing the best insulation for your home.

Types of Insulation Materials

• Boards, blankets, and precut batts: Versatile for flat and large cylindrical surfaces, such as hot water cylinders used for bathing, showering, and cleaning.
• Expanded or extruded slabs: Suitable for nearly any surface, these range from fiberglass to natural hemp, a top trend in sustainable insulation.
• Reflective foil: Backed with materials like paper or board to reflect heat and prevent condensation.
• Felt: Flexible and ideal for wrapping around large components like boilers.
• Flexible wired mattresses: Secured with wire mesh, often filled with loose or granulated material to fill voids.
• Spray foam: Commonly used for large, regular surfaces like cavity walls and roof spaces.
• Spray fiber: Popular for insulating irregular shapes, such as turbines, or for fireproofing applications.
• Fibrous tape or rope: Wrapped around pipework for insulation.
• Pre-manufactured pipe and cylindrical sections: Designed to fit snugly over pipes and cylinders.

Choosing the Right Insulation
The choice of insulation depends on climatic conditions, building construction methods, and heating or cooling systems. Some materials outperform others, and older products can sometimes be just as effective as newer ones. Before deciding, evaluate the pros and cons of each option, considering not only cost and installation but also long-term performance and sustainability.

Insulation Categories

• Reflective foil insulation: Prevents radiant heat transfer and condensation.
• Bulk insulation: Blocks heat transfer through conduction and convection. Options include glass fiber, rock fiber, cellulose fiber, polyester fiber, and hemp, each with unique properties but similar insulating effects.

Eco-Friendly Insulation Options
For those prioritizing sustainability, hemp is an excellent choice due to its superior insulation qualities and eco-friendly nature. It’s commonly used in dry walls and ceilings as an alternative to traditional materials.

Straw bale construction, though not a new concept, is another natural option that appeals to eco-conscious homeowners. Soy-based insulation, which expands significantly when sprayed, offers a sustainable alternative derived from a renewable resource. Recycled cotton, made from cleaned and treated old fabrics like jeans, is gaining popularity for its mold and insect resistance. Finally, all-natural sheep wool provides a cozy, sustainable insulation option, much like a favorite wool sweater.

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If you’ve ever climbed onto a roof on a sunny midsummer day or stood beneath one that lacks proper insulation, you know how intensely hot it can get. Insulation and air conditioning help keep homes and buildings cool, but these methods alone don’t make roofs energy-efficient.

For a roofing system to be energy-efficient, it must be designed and built with materials that significantly reduce energy consumption while lowering harmful greenhouse gas emissions. This leads to reduced utility bills, cooler homes in summer, warmer homes in winter, and overall greater comfort.

Energy-efficient roofing systems include:

• Cool roofs
• Green roofs

Cool Roofs and Urban Heat Solutions

Cool Roofs

Cool roofs are engineered to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than traditional roofs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a well-designed cool roof can lower roof temperatures by up to 50°F. A California study, factoring in both heating and cooling, found that cool roofs can save approximately $0.50 per square foot annually.

Cool roofs can be created using highly reflective tiles, shingles, or specialized paint applied to existing roofs. Materials that meet ENERGY STAR criteria for solar reflectance are typically recommended. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE actively guide consumers toward the most energy-efficient roofing products.

Both low-sloped and steep-sloped roofs can be transformed into cool roofs, improving indoor comfort. Beyond indoor benefits, cool roofs also reduce outdoor air temperatures, mitigating urban “heat islands.”

Heat islands form in cities due to extensive construction and development, replacing natural landscapes with impermeable concrete surfaces. Roads and sidewalks can become so hot they could “fry an egg,” artificially raising air temperatures and impacting the environment, quality of life, and water resources.

According to the EPA, heat islands:

• Increase energy demand for air conditioning.
• Elevate air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions due to higher power plant output.
• Compromise comfort and health due to excessive heat and pollution.
• Raise water temperatures as runoff flows into streams, rivers, and lakes, affecting water quality.

Cool roofs are a highly effective solution for reducing the impact of heat islands.

Green Roofs

Also known as eco-roofs or living roofs, green roofs often take the form of rooftop gardens. Like cool roofs, they reduce urban heat islands and minimize the need for indoor heating and cooling due to their excellent insulating properties. While best suited for flat or shallow-pitched roofs, early Scandinavian “green roofs” used turf and moss on steeply pitched roofs for insulation, as other materials were scarce.

Modern green roofs incorporate a waterproof membrane and multiple drainage layers, categorized into two types:

1. Extensive green roofs: Low-maintenance roofs with a shallow growing medium, planted with succulents, moss, or similar plants, typically sloped between 9.5 and 30 degrees.
2. Intensive green roofs: Heavier, more complex roofs requiring deeper soil and regular maintenance, often flat and used for herb gardens, vegetable plots, or outdoor living spaces.

Intensive green roofs, while more expensive, add functional outdoor spaces to buildings, commonly seen in hotels but increasingly in private homes. According to Jamie Cutlip, author of Green Roofs: A Sustainable Technology (2006), green roofs can double a roof’s lifespan from 15 to 30 years by regulating internal temperatures and reducing energy use.

Green roofs also excel in stormwater management. They lower water temperatures, slow runoff rates, and reduce the volume of water entering drainage systems. Their plant-based nature removes pollutants from stormwater, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

The DOE advises consulting a professional to assess and guide the installation of green roofs due to their complexity and cost.

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Fundamental Reasons to go Green

One assumes that all sensible, well educated people living on the planet acknowledge that one of the most important reasons to build a green built home is to help protect the environment and conserve natural resources. After all, living in an eco-friendly home will be your easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint and help to stop global warming and climate change.

But a green-built home is also one that is energy efficient and has healthy air inside.  So it will also be a more comfortable home to live in. Because it is energy efficient and utility services are lower, it will save you money too.

Admittedly you may expect to pay more for a green-built home, although the cost factor has become less significant in recent years. In any case, properly designed and built, a truly green house will be worth any additional expense.

How Going Green Helps to Protect the Environment

The environment is not only the spaces that surround us, it is also:

• the air we breathe,
• the water we drink,
• the plants that grow in the earth,
• the condition of the soil plants and trees have to grow in,
• the state of the oceans and rivers we so often take for granted,
• and all the external surrounding and conditions in which people, animals, fish, insects and plants live.

But how does building a green home help to protect the environment?

Researchers have proven that homes in areas where there is lots of open space and established trees sell more quickly and for considerably more money than those in newly developed areas where there aren’t trees. This isn’t necessarily because of a belief in conservation. Rather, it’s because trees create a comfortable outdoor environment for us to enjoy.

It’s when you consider trees and forests in relation to building materials that conservation comes into play. So by going green and using lumber and prepared wood from sustainable FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council (https://fsc.org/en) forests you are doing just a little bit towards reducing your carbon footprint.

Of course other materials should also be sustainable, both in terms of where they come from (we really do need to stop plundering non-sustainable natural resources) and where they go when we need to dispose of them. Unless materials can be recycled in some kind of way, they will simply become landfill. This goes hand-in-hand with the durability of materials. For a house to be genuinely sustainable and green, it should be reasonably low maintenance and as long-lasting as possible.

One county in the state of California has discovered that more than 21% of the materials in their current landfills come from building construction debris and demolished buildings. And that is just one example, and in an area where the people are highly sensitive to the issue. In some parts of the world this percentage is probably more than double.

Carpets are but one example of a home product that often ends of in landfill, particularly cheaper types that can’t be recycled and won’t biodegrade. Happily an increasing number of companies are now sourcing natural, renewable products, including Earth Weave Carpet Mills, Inc (www.earthweave.com) and Merida (www.meridameridian.com). The California-based Interface (www.interfaceglobal.com) is an international leader in the field of carpeting that can be recycled.

Building a House that is Energy Efficient and Healthy

You don’t have to be a “green” construction expert to understand the concept. Really all it means is that you focus your efforts on ensuring that materials used for building as well as methods used for heating, cooling, insulating and so on are both eco-friendly and do the job efficiently.

While you can ensure you include solar panels for heating and buy Energy Star rated appliances, you also need to be sure that your house performs in an energy-efficient manner. This relates to what professionals call “the building envelope”, as well as systems within the house, air sealing, the use of natural light, and of course insulation.

Another vital issue in all our homes is the quality of air inside. Well built, a green home will provide you with excellent indoor air quality. While it’s normally best to have natural ventilation, many energy efficient buildings today are “built tight”. This means that there is no natural ventilation. Instead designers make use of high tech ventilation techniques including heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERV). This will ensure that your home remains well-ventilated, comfortable and healthy all year round.

In addition to using sustainable materials, green homes are also built with materials that aren’t treated or painted with toxic products, and aren’t manufactured using toxic adhesives. Since toxic products directly affect our health, this is another of the vital reasons to build a green built home. Benjamin Moore (www.benjaminmoore.com) produce eco-friendly non-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint products.

For decades we’ve been building our homes using timber treated with arsenic. This type of wood preservation is now banned in many parts of the world and new technology timber is taking its place. One exciting example is BluWood which contains no harmful VOCs and carries a lifetime guarantee.

How to Prove Your Home Really is Green

Assuming you choose a good designer and builder, they’ll make sure your home is eco-friendly and energy efficient. But what happens when you decide to sell your green-built house? Having possibly spent more money than you wanted to – simply to be green – you are suddenly transferred to another state. Now you’re wondering if it really was a good idea to build green.

If you build using an acknowledged and well known green home program, this will go a long way towards a profitable resale. However, while you may have a perfectly “green” home, without recognized certifications and ratings, you won’t have proof.

Essentially any green building rating tool will set standards and establish benchmarks for so-called green building. These tools are drawn up such a way to allow objective assessment of designs, materials and building methods. The building is then rated according to a points system, according to what is green and what isn’t. While most are aimed at public buildings, there is much merit in utilizing green building tools for home building.

There are various rating systems in different parts of the world; the leading certification system in North America is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

At the end of the day, you have a choice between a new home that is going to be healthy and efficient and one that is not. As global energy costs continue to soar, healthy efficiency must surely be top of the list of reasons to build a green built home.

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There is no doubt that the best way to squander money when building your own home is not to cost the project accurately in advance. Another is to try and build something that you can’t afford. Since a wide variety of circumstances can affect costs during the building process, it is also vital to control the impact of changes to original cost estimates.

Sometimes people talk about costs of building per square meter. But the variations of choice are so vast this is an impossibly simplified idea. In a word: useless. A more reliable method is to base estimates on a percentage of what each aspect of the building process should cost. But even this is potentially flawed because it depends on so many variable factors from the building site and construction methods used, to the wide range of fixtures, fittings and finishes chosen.

So how do you work out a reliable cost breakdown of building a house?

Establish what you want and what you can afford

The choice of building types is remarkably vast and varied, ranging from timber-frame to rough stone construction, and from cottage to castle. A wide variety of building techniques have been developed over the centuries, many of which vary from country to country, depending on climate, natural resources, socio-economic needs, available products, and also trends and fashions. Happily there is an increasing choice of eco-friendly products that we can use.

First you need to know what it is you are going to build (or want to build), in terms of size and style. Then you need to know what basic materials you are going to work with, timber or bricks and mortar being the two most obvious generalizations. But even within these two building methods, there is enormous choice in terms of both material and method. For example, brick walls may be solid, or they might be built with a cavity between two brick skins. The outside of the walls might be built using facing bricks or they may be built common building bricks and then rendered with a plaster mix and painted. Alternatively they may be stuccoed using a finish that does not have to be painted.

Timber homes often have a brick or simulated stone exterior or veneer. This is really no more than a cladding material although the veneer wall must be constructed on the foundation of the house. Walls of timber homes may otherwise be built with a timber exterior, or with some other type of cladding.

The building method you choose will also determine the type of foundations and footings you will need to construct.

Once you have a good idea of what you want to build, you need to get very specific and compile:

a) a detailed schedule of finishes, which must include all the exterior and interior materials and finishes you need, and

b) a detailed bill of quantities that how much or how many of each item on the schedule of finishes you need.

Only then can you accurately establish what the house is going to cost to build.

Of course, if you are employing an architect or similarly trained technologist to draw plans for you, you will need to ensure that he or she knows the type and style of house you prefer as well as desired building method you want to use. You should discuss your needs in terms of specific material choices and the fixtures, fittings and finishes required, as well as your budget constraints before even sketch plans are prepared.

Schedule of finishes

Specifying materials and compiling a good schedule of finishes can be difficult if you don’t have any real knowledge of the building industry. In this instance it makes sense to seek professional help. However if you know what you want, and enjoy shopping around, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to compile your own schedules.

Ideally you should have your house plans before you make a final decision on your materials and finishes. However if you are inexperienced, but determined to do your own cost breakdowns, then it is best to use a sample floor plan that is similar to what you have in mind. These are reasonably easily sourced from home plan web sites.

Today there are many computer-generated software packages that you can use to do specify as well as quantify and cost building projects (see below, Software that produces the cost breakdown of building a house). These usually include guidelines and lists in generic categories, for example:

• Preliminary and general (which would include permits, plant and so on as well as water and sewer tap-in fees) which will account for an initial 1.5% or more of your budget, depending on what is required, plus 4% for the tap-in fees,
• Utilities (electricity, gas, telephone and so on, if not included in general) which will take up at least 1% of your budget, largely depending where exactly you are located,
• Earthworks and excavation which will take up approximately 2% of your budget, more if it is a steep, difficult site,
• Concrete work (which would include foundations and footings as well as other concrete slabs or flatwork) which usually accounts for as much as 9% of budget,
• Brickwork (even if the house is timber frame, foundation walls might be built with bricks or blocks and there might be a brick or prefabricated concrete fireplace) and/or siding will take at least 7% of your budget. If built using bricks it could be as high as 14%,
• Door and window frames plus doors and windows, which will total about 5% depending on your choice,
• Timber and trusses (for a timber frame house these categories might be separated); at least 10% to get the house to the dry-in stage of building, where the shell is complete and waterproof, plus labor that will also account for about 10% of the budget,
• Dry walling, which presuming this is the building method used throughout the house will account for about 5% including labor and materials,
• Roof covering, which will account for at least 5% of your budget and as much as 11% if expensive shingles or tiles are chosen,
• Plaster and screeds, no more than 2% if the house is timber frame, but if it is built with bricks, as much as 8%,
• Ceilings, about 3%,
• Glazing, no more than 1%, unless of course the design of the house incorporates lots of glass or triple glazing is used throughout,
• Carpentry and ironmongery (including timber doors, skirting, and door hardware) around 4%,
• Tiling and floor covering (which would include both wall and floor tiles), around 6% depending on quality,
• Plumbing (from gutters to geysers and of course all the sanitary ware and sinks for bathrooms and kitchens) will take about 6% of your budget,
• Electrical and gas (including light fixtures), 5%, 1% of which accounts for the fixtures and fittings,
• Heating and insulation, both of which are essential in North America and other cold-winter countries, 5.5%,
• Paintwork, 4% for a professional job, including labor,
• Appliances (some of which you may already have) shouldn’t take up more than 2% of budget,
• External site work (which would include any patios and paving, and possibly landscaping of the garden), about 4%,
• Other provisional amounts (for example built-in cupboards or decks), about 67% including interior trim and the labor to undertake the work.

While this is a pretty simple list, within each category come numerous sub-categories. If you are likely to spend more than the percentage shown in our list, you will need to adjust another category’s allocated percentage otherwise you will be over budget before you even begin.

More detailed considerations within the cost breakdown of building a house

It is vital to be aware of the vast variations of quality and cost in the building industry.

Doors & Windows

For example if you consider door and window frames, these may be wooden or metal (some of which are hollow) and produced in a wide variety of sizes and styles – and of course prices. Some are hinged and some slide, including the ingenious Kristrack Multi Sliding System for Doors and Windows (www.kristrack.com). The company, which has a manufacturing plant in Burnaby, Canada also supplies pocket door hardware systems which a great when saving space is an issue. Even though they are more expensive than the average hinged frame, your ability to use them to save space will in itself save money.

When it comes to doors, there are so many possibilities it is mind boggling. Just go to Lowes to get some idea of the range of styles and materials used for exterior doors. The Lowes has doors made from wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglass and even vinyl, again in a wide range of prices. They’ve got double doors and single doors, solid doors and doors with glass panels – all suitable for a front door. They also stock a wide selection of patio doors which may also be hinged or sliding and made from the same materials as their front doors, as well as some that are clad with wood.  While you may prefer to try and minimize costs by buying doors and windows directly from a manufacturer, this type of outlet is great for getting a really good idea of what is available on the market. Also, not all manufacturers will sell direct, so you might have to buy from a building store like this one.

Then there’s the issue of saving energy. By choosing energy efficient door and window products, you can quickly cut down on your energy bills (even if it means you have to spend a little more on good quality, well insulated windows that incorporated recycled materials) – and you can ease your conscious knowing that you have done your bit to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

All Weather Windows (www.allweatherwindows.com) is a North American company that has a positive and very effective recycling program and conservation initiative. For example they recycle more than 2,000 lbs of PVC at their Edmonton factory every single day. They are also recovering 100% of the PVC waste that is created during the manufacture of PVC door and window products. Cut-outs from all polyurethane insulated door panels are also recycled, and so is the cardboard used in production of cellulose fiber insulation.

Cascadia – www.cascadiawindows.com– specializes in fiberglass doors and windows that are fitted with high performance glazing. These are highly energy efficient, so you can be sure that your energy bills will be minimized even if you spend a little more than your allocated budget.

Flooring:

Flooring is an area where there is loads of choice from tiles or carpet fitted on a concrete slab to suspended timber floors. It is also an area where there are some exciting “green” options that are not only sustainable but incredibly good looking as well. Instead of cutting down trees to make wooden flooring, a growing number of manufacturers have turned to materials like bamboo and sustainable palm trees. Many of those who still produce solid wood products make sure that they source their lumber from sustainable forests where trees are grown specifically for the building and related industries.

Smith & Fong Co – www.plyboo.com – was the first North American company to import bamboo plywood and flooring. Bamboo is, of course, one of the most rapidly renewable materials available. Today the company offers more than 25 SKUs (stock taking units) with a variety of grains, and more than 50 SKUs of bamboo plywood products. The visual effects are immensely different and quite unlike conventional flooring products, many of which are not made from sustainable materials. Like their bamboo flooring products, Smith & Fong Co’s palm flooring is recognized as “leading-edge” in the green building industry and is rapidly gaining popularity in the home building market.

Shaw Floors – www.shawfloors.com – also focuses on “green” products, for example top quality carpeting that will reduce your energy bills because they provide natural insulation that is up to 17 times more effective than other flooring. So even if their carpets are more expensive than another company’s, you can adjust your percentages in the bill of costs by reducing the insulation budget and slightly increasing the budget for flooring. This same company also offers environmentally friendly tile and stone products, including some that contain as much as 40% recycled materials. And they produce eco-friendly hardwood products including one that uses less harvested wood and incorporates an inner layer made from recycled wood fiber.

Roofing:

Roof covering is yet another category where there is loads of choice, but it is essential to remember that whatever you choose will determine the structure of the roof itself. For example, roof trusses are spaced a lot further apart for sheeting of all kinds than they are for tiles, relatively lightweight coated metal pressed tiles being the exception. So even before you consider the actual cost of the roof covering you should take the cost of your trusses into account. Having said that, the cost of trusses must be seen in conjunction with the cost of whatever roof covering you decide to use. If you are using tiles or shingles, a good rule of thumb is that lighter material is usually cheaper, needs less support (which is where your roof trusses and purlins or battens come in), and is cheaper to lay than heavier tiles or shingles. The steeper the pitch of the roof is, the more expensive the tiles or shingles will be. But this factor can even out. For example, concrete tiles must be laid at a fairly steep pitch (26° compared to a minimal 5° pitch for sheeting), which means labor costs will be a little higher than they will for sheeting. But they are considerably cheaper than other tiles. In fact Unicrete roofing tiles are said to last as long as cedar shingles, which we all know keep going for generations.

Whichever material you are choosing and costing, have a look at all the possible options. We are all gravitating towards houses that are more sustainable than in the past, and there are some fascinating options that may be considered. One that is grabbing people’s attention right now is shingles made from recycled rubber tires. They look much the same as slate and cedar slates and shingles, but they have a whole lot of other advantages, not least of which is that they aren’t damaged by hail or by major extremes of temperature. They are also maintenance free and so far have stood the test of both wind and time, however short.  Several companies make these shingles, including the US Minnesota-based Hi Tek Rubber Inc., and Canadian-based Euroshield (www.euroshieldroofing.com) which has been manufacturing rubber roofing systems for more than a decade.

Lumber:

The allocated budget for timber and trusses is relatively high (10%) and it really does pay to use quality lumber. An amazing energy efficient and environmentally friendly product that has been developed for conditions in Canada comes in the form of new age BluWood. A trademarke,  two-part wood treatment product that is applied in the factory, it comes with a lifetime warranty and provides protection against mould, fungus and insects (including termites) for all timber components in the structure above the ground.

In all instances labor will have to be factored into the calculations. Sometimes items are supplied and fitted by the supplier – glazing and aluminum window and door frames for example. In other instances, specialist contractors or skilled laborers will be required. Generally it is best to avoid paying sub-contractors by the hour or by the day because it precludes you from making an accurate costing in the planning phases. If you are employing laborers and overseeing work yourself, you may be forced to pay according to time worked.

Paint:

Painting is one job that often attracts an hourly or daily rate – that is if you don’t employ a sub-contractor who charges for the job. Whether you are doing the job yourself or hiring an outsider, make sure that the best quality paint is used, and preferably one that is “green” or environmentally friendly. Benjamin Moore (www.benjaminmoore.com) and General Paint (www.generalpaint.com) are both quality brands that Canadians know and appreciate. While Benjamin Moore has a relatively new eco-friendly zero-VOC paint product, Green Paint specializes in health, eco-friendly paints for homes. The company also supplies bamboo flooring. Compare products and prices before you make a final choice.

Where specialist companies are to be used – for instance to design and fit the kitchen or to do all the landscaping – obtain firm quotations before finalizing contracts. These figures would usually be inclusive and simply added to your own costing estimates. In any case have a look at what reliable, well known companies produce, like Huntwood (www.huntwood.com), which produces eco-friendly solid wood kitchen cabinets, or Kingwood Cabinets (www.kingwoodcabinets.com), which only uses wood from sustainable forests.

Once you have your schedule of finishes, and detailed information about all items in it, you can use it to prepare a reasonably reliable costing estimate for the house.

Quantifying and costing building projects

There are many different ways to owner-build a house. Some people love the challenge of a hands-on approach where they get involved and do the work – or some of it – themselves. Others prefer to employ others and supervise the construction process. Many owner-builders opt to employ a project manager to handle the day-to-day site work, but still keep a hand in the project to check both quality of workmanship and cost control.

It is no secret that efficient cost control is one of the biggest issues people have when they build houses or even when they have them built by building companies. It is absolutely vital to know what quantities are required, how much these will cost, and where money has been spent at any one stage.

One thing you must always remember is that a lack of cash flow can quickly create problems with a building project (particularly a private home that is being built by the owner). If you don’t have the cash to continue building – be it your own or money supplied from a bank or another lender – you might put the entire project at risk. A horrifying number of home builders have found they have been unable to complete their homes because of cash flow problems. What this means is you absolutely must monitor what you are paying for materials and construction and compare these figures regularly with the figures in your budget. This is basically the cost breakdown of building a house that you should have prepared.

A competent and accurate running estimate will not only help you keep on track, it will also be information that you can (and will probably be required to) supply to your lender, if you have one.

There are many different ways to cost projects, but what is undeniable is that the more detailed it is, the more accurate it is likely to be.

The idea of relying on a cost per square feet is not accurate. The easiest way to illustrate this is to shows two houses that have a common area of say 400 square feet and to compare two different configurations. A square building will have four exterior walls that are 20 feet long, so the walls will total 80 feet in length. A longer rectangular building (10 feet x 40 feet and so also 400 square feet in size) will have longer walls in total – specifically 100 feet in all. Also it isn’t just floor area that determines what building is going to cost, as you have seen.

When quantifying and costing, it is important to be methodical. Approach the costings in a logical order, similar to that shown in this list above. Get quotations and bids for materials and any parts of the project you are going to sub-contract out. Shop around for the best prices but don’t choose the lowest price unless you are sure quality is acceptable and comparable.

Once you have prepared a detailed summary of costs, with subtotals for each section of work to be completed, you will find that it is reasonably easy to keep track of whether you are on budget or whether you are overspending.

While there is nothing to stop you keeping track manually – simply by writing everything down and noting expenditure, computer software simplifies this task and is considerably more accurate than most people’s maths!

Software that produces the cost breakdown of building a house

Long ago, before the age of computers, quantity surveyors had an enormous amount of paperwork to do to ensure accurate bills of quantities and cost estimates. Today there is a profusion of excellent software that they can use for every possible type of building project. Many packages are simple enough for owner builders to use. Even if you plan to employ abuilding company to construct your home, you might like to do your own cost breakdown to see what you are going to have to spend to get your dream home.

If you have never used any type of accounting or costing software, it is probably a good idea to experiment with free software first. If you take a bit of time to search the Internet you will probably be amazed at just what is available.

Here are just a handful of examples:

American home builder and author Carl Heldmann (whose book Be Your Own House Contractor was first published three decades ago) offers a free cost estimate spreadsheet package on his web site www.byoh.com. He has categorized the entire building process, starting with permits, fees and surveys, and specifies a recommended percentage of the entire project that should be spent on each category. It is similar but not the same as the percentages we have recommended.

Another great free product is the on-line calculator at www.building-cost.net. This tool will enable you to cost your building within 34 construction categories. It does, however, work on fairly broad “quality classes” of materials, and a per square meter cost, which is not very reliable. However it is based on a very reputable publication, the National Building Cost Manual which is produced annually by Craftsman Book Company. The 2011 edition (the 35th published by this company) costs $39.75 to download and $53.00 for the download plus the hardcopy version and a CD. It calculates cost estimates based on job sites in the United States.

Then there’s free bill of quantities software called PriMus-DCF which was developed by ACCA, an Italian software company that specializes in the building industry. Even though it has the Euro as its default currency, you can change this. You will however have to input all the prices yourself – which in the long run should make your estimates totally reliable.

Of course there are numerous cost estimating software packages that you can buy. Shop around and see if there are free trial options for those that appeal to you. That way you can make sure that this really is the best option to enable you to get a realistic and accurate cost breakdown of building a house before you spend money on the software.

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One excellent option for an eco-friendly floor is to use salvaged wood – in other words old wood that has been used before. If you opt for new hardwood, make sure it is certified and that no toxic glues or sealants have been used for laminates. Another possibility is to use products that look like hardwood, but that are considerably more sustainable and renewable than wood that relies on cutting down forests. These include bamboo, palm and cork.

Recycled hardwood flooring

There is something wonderfully appealing about wooden floors that are made from secondhand timber. Not only does it mean that you are avoiding using chopped down trees, but old wood can add a unique character to your home.

The most common source of recycled hardwood flooring is from old homes that have been demolished. While old wood used for building or old railroad ties are also available, these are more commonly used for making furniture.

It might be possible for you to salvage old wood yourself, but there are several companies that specialize in the supply of reclaimed hardwood. These include Canadian Heritage Timber, Logs End, NADURRA Wood Corporation, Nostalgic Wood and Second Wind Timber.

• Canadian Heritage Timber rescues wood from abandoned buildings including mills, warehouses and even trestle bridges. The company remills the timber for various uses, including sustainable plank flooring which may be sanded to a new, smooth finish, or left so that it has a weathered, textured look, together with nail holes and even characteristic insect tracks.
• Logs End (www.logsend.com) supplies wide plank flooring made from hardwood that has been reclaimed from the Ottawa River where it has been lying since it was logged in the 19th century. The company also supplies environmentally-friendly new hardwood floors.
• NADURRA Wood Corporation reclaims Douglas Fir timber from historic Toronto building sites and use it to mill wide plank flooring.
• Nostalgic Wood, Inc (nostalgicwood.com) also rescues wood from barns and other old buildings. They manufacture tongue and groove flooring, leaving distinctive marks including nail holes, checks and seasoned knots, and the patterns left by burrowing insects to add to the “antique” appeal of the flooring.
• Second Wind Timber manufactures recycled wide plank flooring and decking from antique timber that they salvage from old buildings including sawmills, grain storage buildings, canneries and so on.

New environmentally friendly hardwood flooring

For hardwood flooring to be genuinely “environmentally friendly” it must be harvested from sustainable forests. There are several organizations that certify wood and provide guidelines for sustainable forestry. The Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification Systems (PEFC) – www.pefc.org, established in 1993 in an attempt to prevent continued global deforestation, and now nationally represented in more than 50 countries worldwide, certifies forests. The Toronto-based Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – ca.fsc.org – also certifies forests in an endeavor to ensure that people like you and me don’t get conned into using wood that comes from environmentally unacceptable sources. The FSC has members from 70 countries around the world.

Another organization that has certification standards for forests is the US-based Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). It is, however, a rather controversial organization since it does not appear to actively discourage logging or buying of lumber from biologically diverse and sensitive areas. It also permits the conversion of natural, native forests to single species, fast-growing pine plantations.

Another way that North American homebuilders can check eco-friendly standards of lumber is to contact the Ontario-based Canadian Standards Association (CSA) – www.csa-international.org. The CSA certification is dependent on conformance with the international PEFC Council’s Chain of Custody (CoC) requirements. The CSA Group has its European headquarters in Germany, so a number of other countries, including the United Kingdom, also rely on the CSA Standards. In addition, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) scheme is accepted as assurance of legally logged lumber in Europe.

Another issue to consider is the way the wooden flooring is manufactured or finished. It’s all very well using wood from eco-friendly, sustainable forests, but if it is sealed with products that are even vaguely toxic, what’s the point? Some hardwood products, including laminates, are made using glues; these too should be non-toxic.

Shaw Floors (www.shawfloors.com) promotes laminating flooring because it uses a lot less newly harvested lumber than conventional hardwood flooring. Their product is installed using their patented “locking technology” which means that it’s quick to do, and no adhesive is required. The company also produces eco-friendly hardwood floor products that incorporate an inner layer that comprises recycled wood fiber. They also only use legally sourced and delivered material.

Alternative options for eco-friendly floors

Bamboo and bamboo plywood flooring tops the list of alternative options because it is such a rapidly renewable material. Its popularity as a flooring material has also grown incredibly rapidly. North America’s leading producer is the San Francisco-based Smith & Fong (www.plyboo.com). They offer an amazing choice including 25 SKUs (stock taking units) bamboo flooring products that include flat, edge, strand (that is woven) and end-grain styles. They were also the first company to introduce bamboo plywood products to the US market in 1996, and they now have 50 SKUs in this range.

The Toronto-based NADURRA Wood Corporation produce a composite bamboo flooring product which they state is 180% harder than maple.

There is some criticism of bamboo as an environmentally friendly hardwood flooring type since it is often transported thousands of miles, adding to emissions. However bamboo is easy to grow in many parts of the world and it appears that local production is increasing in many areas. Like hardwood, bamboo flooring has FSC certification to ensure it comes from bamboo plantations.

Palm flooring hasn’t taken off quite as quickly as bamboo flooring, but it is another option offered by Smith & Fong. Flooring products are made from sugar palms and coconut palms that no longer produce coconuts. When the palms are not longer productive, they are normally removed. This means that the material the company uses for this type of flooring is potentially waste with no use at all. Smith & Fong cut the palm logs using a special process and then slice and kiln dry the material prior to a lamination process that uses only non –toxic adhesives. Like bamboo it has to be transported from wherever it is grown, in Southeast Asia for example. It is currently quite an expensive flooring product.

Then there is cork that has a similar color to that of wood – not surprising since it is made from the bark of mature cork trees. Trees aren’t cut down, but it does take about 10 years for the bark to regenerate. In the past it was not uncommon for cork flooring to be made with glues containing formaldehyde – a pungent gas that is believed to trigger asthma and other allergies, and possibly even increase the risk of cancer. Today eco-friendly products are made with non-toxic glue.

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