Get Your Local Tradesmen To Build You A Green House

By Author: Paul Monahan
Total Articles: 1
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Not so long ago the idea of building a green house was restricted to a certain group of people. Not only were the material and ideas hard to come by, but only specialist tradesmen could consider making an environmentally friendly home. Nowadays, advances in technology, greater knowledge and widespread acceptance by the public all make the task of building a green house, or at least adding green elements to a house, easier than it was ever was.
1) Foundations. The standard, concrete method is considered very environmentally unfriendly. This is because the production of one ton of concrete produces one ton of CO2. Also, if the area is surrounded by trees it is necessary to cut down more than would otherwise be lost. An old fashioned alternative is screwpiles. This method has been around for a long time and was first used in the Maplin Sand lighthouse on the Thames. It is recommended that you look into the pros and cons of this system before laying concrete foundations.
2) Locally produced, green materials. With a little bit of research you should be able to source a lot of your materials from local producers, which ...
... is one the simplest way to start your home on the right environmental footing. It is also well worth looking for local tradesmen and architects to do the work. As well as saving the energy used in their journeys to the site each day it will also make the job go much quicker.
3) Garden. A design which lets you store rainwater and which has hardy yet pretty plants and nice landscaping will reduce your water usage. Wooden decking, stone paving, bark chippings and gravel paths all look great, are low maintenance and won't need to use valuable water during drought periods. Solar powered lamps in the garden are also worth incorporating.
4) Energy use. There are lots of ideas around for improving your energy consumption, such as big skylights, energy saving bulbs, solar panels and smart systems which minimise your power usage. All of these are worth considering, as they will save you money in the long term as well as helping the planet.
Whichever designs you incorporate in your environmentally friendly house, a site which lets local builders bid for the job will let you achieve a great price and get a recommended tradesman. You should make sure that your job ad includes any specific requirements regarding things like green ideas, to ensure that you attract local tradesmen who are happy to do this work and who know just what the job entails.