Green Services Direct

Read our top tips for a greener build

Most of us have heard of the 3 Rs: ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.’ These days separating our household trash from recyclables just isn’t enough when it comes to saving the planet. But there are more ways we can help the environment and committing to a more sustainable building project is one of them. To help get you started, here our 10 tips.

 Bigger isn’t always better

 Carefully consider exactly how much extra space you need as opposed to how much you can afford or squeeze onto your plot. Remember for every extra square metre in your design you will need more raw materials to construct it, more products to finish and decorate it and more energy to heat it. If your budget is tight, decide if your top priority is sustainability or size?  Do you want a smaller, ultra-energy efficient build or a bigger, lower specification scheme? If a greener build is on your wish list, the former is a no-brainer.

 Minimising waste is important, too. When ordering materials, it’s common to over order so you don’t run out and to allow for mistakes. But the nearer you can bring what you order to what you use, the less wastage there will be and the more money you will save. For bigger projects, hiring a quantity surveyor can help you get the most accurate estimate of the materials needed. Check with builders’ merchants if you can return unused materials like pallets of bricks.

 Reuse materials

 If you are building on a replacement plot, look to salvage materials like bricks, roof tiles, broken concrete and wood from the demolition of the previous house. This means you can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill which is better for the planet and your pocket. Perhaps you could incorporate the cleaned-up bricks or tiles into your new design. Alternatively, bricks, tiles and concrete can be crushed for hardcore. Other architectural elements that can be saved rather than dumped in a skip to be buried in landfill, include clay tiles, timber beams, wooden flooring, interior doors and windows. Reusing timber to build a new garden shed is still saving resources. Construction and demolition waste represents nearly a third of all waste generated in Europe. Tell your builder you want to save as much as possible.

 Buy pre-loved items

 Buying (and selling) second hand is another way of extending the life of products. Every little thing that we use and throw away in our lives leaves a footprint on the planet, say green campaigners. Bricks, tiles, reclaimed timber, masonry, windows and doors, cabinetry, sinks, fireplaces, sanitaryware and taps can often be safely used second-hand. Consider visiting your local salvage yard for inspiration. Freecycle is an easy-to-use website for people who want to trade things locally. Other useful websites include Gumtree and eBay. Salvaged materials, including recycled steel, typically have a much lower carbon footprint than newly manufactured materials as the carbon to make them has already been spent.

Reduce your carbon footprint

 Every product you choose for your project will have an embodied carbon cost. That’s the energy used for the extraction, processing, manufacture and transport of the building material over its lifecycle.  It’s an important factor to consider when assessing the sustainability of a construction project. A material that is relatively unprocessed and locally sourced will have a low level of embodied energy. House building typically uses a large volume of materials with relatively low embodied energy, for example bricks and timber, and smaller amounts of materials with high embodied energy, such as metals, plastic and concrete.

 Ways to reduce the embodied carbon of your project, include reusing building materials (as already mentioned), specifying low-carbon concrete mixes and limiting products with a high carbon footprint. For example, aluminium might enhance the aesthetics of your project, but it’s important to be aware of its big carbon footprint. Other ways to cut carbon include fewer finishes. Polished concrete slabs as finished flooring saves the carbon cost of carpets or vinyl flooring. Exposed timber beams and unfinished ceilings are another potential source of carbon saving.

Use local materials

Sourcing materials locally reduces the distance – carbon miles -  they must be transported. Natural materials, like limestone, become a lot less sustainable if they have been shipped across the globe to reach your building site. Rarely does the price tag reflect the true environmental cost. Traditionally, homes were built from materials that were readily available in the local area. While it’s still relatively easy to find subsoil and straw for cob walls, for example, other materials are harder to source locally as brickworks and stone quarries have closed across the UK. Structural timber, such as oak and Douglas Fir, is usually imported from Europe or Canada. Local architects and builders are likely to know where to source local materials at good rates.

 Use natural materials

 Natural materials can be specified throughout your project to boost its eco-credentials. This could include FSC-certified or reclaimed timber for structural joinery or flooring or opting for sheep’s wool or recycled newspaper when it comes to choosing your insulation. Straw bales also have high insulating properties. As a renewable material, straw can be harvested and replanted with minimal environmental impact. Clay brick and tiles are also natural materials made from water and clay from the earth. They are easily recyclable and don’t release any toxic chemicals in landfill. Hempcrete is a mixture of sand, hemp fibres and lime. While it’s not as strong as concrete, it is a good insulator, fire and pest resistant.

Consider a fabric first approach

Passivhaus is the gold standard that raised the bar for low energy homes. These homes are so effectively built they need little or no heating, protecting occupants from rising gas and electricity bills. If you want to follow this methodology look for an architect who is a certified Passivhaus designer. It means you will need to upgrade your building’s fabric. Passivhaus methodology far exceeds UK Building Regulations which set minimum standards across a range of areas, including crucial energy efficiency. Aim for the highest level of insulation and airtightness your budget will stretch to (it doesn’t have to be stringent Passivhaus standard) and only invest in renewables, like heat pumps, once you know your home is efficient enough to maximise its potential. 

Future proof your home

 If you are extending or renovating your home, chances are you would like to stay put for the foreseeable future. This means making sure your home can meet your changing needs. Check out the Lifetime Homes Standard, a series of 16 design criteria aimed to make homes more adaptable for lifetime use at minimum cost. With good design, you can create something that is inclusive and adaptable. For instance, front doors with a clear opening of at least 800mm to allow baby buggies and wheelchairs to have easy access. Walk-in showers are inclusive and stylish and can be adapted with grab bars and seats, if required.

Reduce water usage

Using drinking quality water to flush the toilet is not a legal requirement and is hugely wasteful. Harvested rainwater can be used for toilets, washing laundry (with a washing machine), watering garden plants and cleaning the exterior of buildings – all reducing demand for an increasingly scarce resource. Rainwater harvesting kits are relatively cheap and simple to install. Water is collected off the roof via guttering and downpipes, filtered and typically stored in a tank, usually underground though above ground models are also available.  Of course, you can also save rainwater in water barrels and butts.

Don’t forget your outside space

When building a sustainable home or extension, don’t forget to pay attention to your outside space. There are multiple ways to reduce the impact of your building project on the environment. Green roofs need careful planning but can help to replace some of the habitat lost when building an extension or new home. Plant trees. Include space for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers in your landscape design. Garden soils and perennial plants (trees, shrubs and herbaceous) play an important role in storing carbon. Pull up pavers and other hard surfaces, such as concrete, if practical.

Use reclaimed, old materials when building raised borders and other garden structures. And, finally, get composting to make your own fertilizer as opposed to buying bagged retail compost.