With all the media coverage of building green, it sometimes can be very confusing as to what it actually means. If fact, they invented the term “green washing” to describe the hype that some vendors are using to sell their products as green.

When it comes to green houses though, there are some pretty simple concepts of how to become greener in your building or remodeling projects. Here’s a ten step primer of low cost, low hanging green house choices that will help our environment AND save you money.

1) Seal the envelope - One of the most frequently overlooked details in houses is the importance of air leakage in and out of the house. The tighter the seal around the house, the less cold air that has to be heated. Use house-wrap, tape the seams, seal around plumbing and electrical boxes and insulate duct work in the attics. Pay attention to doors and windows and seal them tight. A 1/8” gap below an exterior door is equivalent to a 4” hole in the wall.

2) Make it last - Use materials that have long life spans. Hardwood flooring can last a lifetime, while carpet typically lasts 10 years. Specify extended life and recyclable asphalt roofing. Side your house with fiber cement, cedar or brick veneer.

3) Upgrade heating and air conditioning - With a well sealed insulated house, high efficiency systems are a no-brainer. Air conditioning units are a big user of electricity and, in our area, heating our houses can be very costly with low efficiency units. Also use programmable thermostats to increase your savings.

4) Reuse, reduce or recycle - Reduce or reuse waste from the job site. Have the trees cut off the property and have them processed into wood flooring or wood trim. Use products that have been processed from reclaimed materials.

5) Upgrade windows - Windows account for up to 25% of the exterior wall of new homes and a major source of heat loss. Invest in high efficiency glass and frames.

6) Look at the foundation - Insulated foundations delivers major savings for the buck. At an extra cost of $1,500 for a median sized home, they reduce heating and air conditioning costs by up to 50%. Use external rigid foam or insulating concrete forms.

7) Slow the flow - Water conservation is a growing concern and should be a major factor in any green project. This is one area where simple product selections can make the difference. Install low water use toilets and low flow faucets and fixtures.

8) Upgrade your insulation - This one is pretty self-explanatory. What some people miss though is that installation has to be perfect with no gaps and minimal compression. Gaps can reduce R-value from R-19 to R-17.

9) Appliances and lighting - While light bulbs that reduce energy cost are always a good idea, your water heater, dehumidifier, refrigerators, freezers and dryers are the big users of electricity. Upgrade to more efficient models.

10) Reduce the footprint of your house - The larger the home, the more space there is to heat, cool and light. Of all the items listed, this is the most effective means to reduce your total energy cost. Doubling the size of the home triples the annual energy use over the life of the home.

Always think reduce, recycle and reuse and green becomes easy!