GREEN BUILDING

Energy & Atmosphere

Material Conservation

Sustainable Building

Water Conservation

Indoor Air Quality

Third-Party Raters

Waste Not Want Not

Another way to save a lot in materials is to make sure that carpenters don't waste wood. It is common practice to over-build structures and use much more lumber than is necessary for non load-bearing elements. This wastes resources twice - once for lumber that did not have to be used, and again in energy when that lumber represented an area of a house that cannot be adequately insulated and acts as a thermal bridge. An architect or a framer can use good load-bearing technique and tight craftsmanship to produce a home that uses much less lumber than what is typically used in a standard home and is every bit as strong.

Good job site planning is a third way to save material waste. Too frequently, builders will have piles of lumber that sit out in the elements and become unusable and are subsequently landfilled without ever being used. Ordering too much in materials can also be as wasteful as ordering too little, necessitating lots of trips in a large vehicle for a few boards. Good job site planning that includes the flow of materials around the job site is an important way a builder can save materials and money. It is a hard step to take when considering the thousands of materials that go into a house, and all of the other organizational work that must take place, but it can also save a great deal of materials, aggravation, and money.

A recycling plan for the construction phase is also helpful to the builder. Much of the waste that is generated is recyclable and should be separated on site. It is easy to think that it costs too much for this activity, but by cutting the number of dumpsters in half, the builder can save more money if the site is set up for easy recycling. A builder in the Ann Arbor area can even use split dumpsters, which cost much less, take up the same space on the site, and allow for separation of waste in one container.