Green Building:
Environmentally Friendly Home Design

Green building does not have to be a hassle!

With all the hype about green building, we understand that the process of building green can be a daunting task. Which products actually work? What procedures are more marketing that actual efficiency? Where do I even begin? These are just a few of the questions you may be asking yourself.

Carroll Construction takes all the guess work out!

We have studied green building for years so that you don't have to. We have tried and true methods that really work and they don't have to break your bank.

Did you know that we built the first home in East Baton Rouge Parish and the 10th in the state of Louisiana to ever be certified as a Silver Level green home according to the National Green Building Standard? We are actually doing it and not simply talking about it. Here are some of the things that we do different.

Were you raised in a barn? Close the door!

Sound familiar? Well it turns out that our mothers were all on the path to green building. One of the most cost efficient methods of reducing your heating and cooling costs is to control the loss of the air that you are paying to condition. These losses can occur at a variety of points in your home such as around windows and doors, through your attic door, and even under the baseboards. Our homes perform better because we gasket, foam, and caulk at key leakage points to help you keep a hold on to your conditioned air.

All heating and air equipment is not created equal!

It turns out that you really do get what you pay for when it comes to your heating and cooling. The efficiency rating of your heating and air conditioning unit is another key to obtaining low electricity bills. By investing in a higher efficiency system, you can see instant returns. According to the Energy Star web site, the difference can mean up to $200 in energy savings per year!

As an additional incentive, we install a digital programmable thermostat in each of our homes as a standard feature. This means that you can set the temperature to automatically adjust itself every day to cool and heat when you need it to. While you are at work each day the need for the cooling/heating of your home is reduced. Your thermostat can be set to automatically change to the temperature of your choosing to save you the maximum money and readjust 30 minutes before you return home.

My toilet uses how much water!?

The standard toilet uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush and the standard shower head uses 5 to 8 gallons per minute! Now let us compare that to water conserving fixtures. A low flow toilet uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush. That is .96 gallons of savings per flush in a three bathroom home! Using low flow shower heads can save you even more since they can operate at only 1.5 gallons per minute without sacrificing pressure. This means that you could save on average 50 gallons of water during the course of a 10 minute shower. Multiply that times the number of shower heads in your home and it is easy to see how conserving water can really pay off!

Conserving water is a "Tankless" job!

For those of you who want to go the extra mile, you can combine these methods with a tankless water heater to begin reaping energy savings on your water heating costs. Why spend the money to heat your water when you are sleeping or at work or on vacation? With a tankless water heater, your water is heated instantly in the moment you need it.

Carroll Construction, Building Contractors, Zachary, LA

Tell us a bit about yourself and your construction plans to download this FREE resource!


CLOSE

Tell us a bit about yourself and your construction plans to download this FREE resource!

[wpforms id=”9943″ title=”false” description=”false”]

CLOSE

IMPORTANT LOAN CONSIDERATIONS

Your budget is the foundation for every other decision you will make while preparing to build a home because it provides context for what is possible. Most people attempt to answer the question of “What is my budget?” by simply deciding how much they would be comfortable spending. Unfortunately, while this is a crucial part of the process, it ignores the rest of the picture. We advise our clients to answer the following questions in the order below. However, if you are self-financing the project, skip to question #3.

1. How much will a financial institution lend me?

This sets what we refer to as your Maximum Loan Amount.

2. What type of loan will I need?

This is where many people get confused because if you ask the wrong questions when interviewing lenders, you’ll get vastly different answers. We recommend reviewing the information in this article on the loan type you will need before meeting with your lending candidates.

3. How much am I willing to spend?

Just because a lender is will to lend up to your Maximum Loan Amount, this does not mean you will be willing to borrow and spend that amount. Consider the monthly payments as a starting point and adjust your Budget amount from there. Your chosen lender can help you with this.

4. What can I reasonably expect to build for what I am willing to spend?

This answer will come from a qualified builder during your preliminary meeting. Be prepared to discuss your budget so that the builder can help you get a better idea of what size home to design to meet your goals.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY

7 things You Must Know Before Designing a New Home


100% Privacy Guaranteed!

CLOSE

Download the Feasibility Review Checklist


CLOSE