Lead-containing paint has been banned for many years. Some older homes however can still have lead paint on trims and windows. You can take paint chip samples and have them tested for lead. When you paint trims and windows, it is important to remove the existing lead- paint in an environmentally safe way and dispose of it in accordance with your local laws and regulations.

These materials emit few or no toxins, carcinogens, or irritants, neither during production nor when they are installed. The material must be labeled as such.

Volatile Organic Compounds, VOCs, are present in hundreds of materials used in standard construction: paints, lacquers, particle boards, carpeting, etc. These VOCs can have considerable long or short term negative effects on occupants.

Green homes use materials that are labeled as containing no or low VOCs. It is also important to ensure that the glues used in the construction do not contain VOCs. Read more about VOCs at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) site on indoor air quality

Mold consists of spores that love to grow on just about anything damp or moist. Meldew is mold growing on fabric. Please read all about mold on the EPA’s Mold Section.

The architecture of green homes, and the high quality of green construction, help eliminate most situations where moisture can build up. One of the keys is to eliminate the infiltration of water and moisture in the first place. Sometimes, maybe during an unusually heavy rain storm, some wetness can form on basement walls. It is then critical to dry this area up as quickly as possible.

Consult a specialist if you have any concerns about mold in your home.

It would be counter-productive to have wonderful environmentally friendly finishes in your home and then be required to use cleaners containing toxins and VOCs. It wouldn’t be good either, if you had to purchase a special piece of equipment to clean your bamboo floors with.

Inform yourself before buying the materials for your house, that you will be able to clean them easily and in an eco-friendly way. And make sure you will not be tied to a particular manufacturer, as the cost can be high.

Labels on the materials should indicate how much, if any, of the components are made with recycled materials, and what percentage. The recycled materials can be post-industrial, which means they are made from industrial waste or substandard products. Post-consumer recycled materials are from products that have been used by consumers and have been returned into the cycle, such as plastic bottles or toys.

One great example of green building materials made with recycled products is engineered wood. Engineered wood panels or structural members are made from either wood chips, saw dust, or second grade new or recycled wood.

Green building materials must be of materials on of a composition that allows these materials to be recycled. It is estimated that over 25% of construction materials ends up as waste in a landfill.

A green builder will not only minimize waste, s/he will also know how and where to recycle the unavoidable construction waste materials.

And let’s not forget the shipping and packaging materials. These too, need to be made of recycled materials and need to be recyclable.

The manufacturing process for green building materials is optimized and uses highly efficient processes and maybe even renewable energy sources. If this is not stated on the label, check with the manufacturer.

If more and more people demand efficient and environmentally friendly product processes, manufacturers will start to listen. We, the consumers, can make a difference!

The manufacturing process is optimized. The plant has a greywater system in place. Rainwater is being collected, filtered and used for production processes, employee toilets and cleaning.

Shipping building materials half way around the globe is not green, nor is it sustainable. That might mean that the bamboo floor you were planning to install, is not an option, unless you find locally grown, sustainably harvested bamboo. Unless of course, the ship and trucks used for transportation used renewable energies.

Carefully check where the materials are produced, and if you have an option of obtaining locally made green products.

There is not much to say here. Check the label, and especially confirm that the materials have been sustainably harvested and transported. Look for wood products certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

There is no reason why the basic structure of a home cannot last 200 years or more. Many wooden farmhouses in Europe are over 200 years old. Yes, some components of a house will need to be replaced after 15, 20, 50 or so years.

Building materials for a green home have a long life expectancy. They are solid, well made and durable. These green building materials can easily be refinished in an eco-friendly way and made to look like new.

Salvaging building materials can be a great opportunity for incorporating unique features into a green home. And at a probably very reasonable cost. I am thinking about wood from an old barn, for example. Or stones from a patio. Kitchen cabinets can be refurbished and refinished. The list is endless.

Check the materials of salvaged particle boards, or any other composite material. They might contain formaldehyde glues, etc, which you do not want in your home!

The cost for some green finishing materials can be higher than for conventional materials. It is important however, to look at the benefits to your health, and life time cost. The comfort and the durability of the green building materials, compared to standard materials, must also be considered. I believe you will find that green building materials are affordable.

Sustainable green home renovations, especially of old homes, can range from replacing the flooring, installing replacement windows, upgrading the siding and adding insulation, to totally gutting the home. I highly recommend that you start with an energy audit. This will tell you where your home looses the most energy and has the highest infiltration. You can do an energy audit yourself or have an audit done professionally.

Once you have your answers from the energy audit, ask yourself the following questions:

Being clear about your goal will help you plan the project and will result in a smoother construction process. Each of the following goals have different requirements as far as cost, extent of disruption, and time frame for construction are concerned.

A complete green renovation, after which your home has all green and sustainable building materials, uses minimal water and energy, and is equipped with alternative energy sources. This could mean a total gut, with you living surrounded by construction for months, or living somewhere else for a while. And in the end you will be living in a green, healthy, low-energy, maybe zero-energy, home.

Minor green renovations, such as:

•  Painting the home with green, no-VOC paint

•  Removing all wall-to-wall carpeting and replacing it with green and sustainable flooring, such as recycled wood planks, cork flooring, carpeting made with recycled and green materials

•  Replacing all plumbing fixtures with low-flow fixtures and may be a composting toilet

These green home renovation projects could be accomplished one room at a time, with minimal disruption to your family life.

Build a family room addition and combine those two small bedrooms into one larger bedroom with a new bathroom with low-flow plumbing fixtures. Use only green and sustainable building materials, such as engineered wood for supporting beams in the addition and using the bricks from the house they are tearing down next door for your fireplace.

This project will probably not have much impact on how you live while the construction is on-going. You will have the sound of hammering and sawing for a while. And it will be important to install tight construction barriers between the areas of construction and the rest of your home.

Upgrade the insulation in walls, roof and basement and install high efficiency, low-e replacement windows. This is one of the most important green renovation projects you can do. A well-insulated, tight building envelope is a must for a green home. Once you have done that, it makes more sense to install a solar heating system for heat and domestic hot water, and or photovoltaic electrical system.

Adding insulation in the attic and the basement should be fairly straight forward. Upgrading insulation in the walls might mean replacing the siding. If that is the case, I would recommend adding 1-2 inches of rigid insulation and then installing siding made with recycled materials. Blown-in insulation could be another possibility.

The cost of a total green and sustainable renovation can approach the cost of building a new green home. If you have lived in your home for 20 or so years and you really love the location, then maybe it is a good time to take out a home equity loan to do a total green renovation of your home.

Some mortgage companies offer plans with lower interest rates for green homes, especially if you are reducing the energy requirements for heating, cooling and lighting. Mortgage green is one I have come across. Check with your mortgage holder if they have a green financing program.

Some local utility companies and your state, city, or town might also offer incentives, grants, low-interest loans. The Database Of State Incentives For Renewables & Efficiency is a great resource.