WEBBING continued

I checked out the website greenbuildingadvisor.com and learned a lot about wall systems.  Exterior walls need to support the floors, walls, and roof, but they also protect the inside of your home.  Wood frame walls are the most used form of exterior wall and according to the Green Building Advisor masonry walls are way behind in the choice of home builders (my guess is because of the $). Even though we can't see inside our walls the products we choose will be a part of the house as long as its there and a part of our lives as long as we live there.
I keep seeing the acronym LEED. What does LEED mean?  It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  This is a residential green building program.
I decide to do a little more research so I can understand all these acronyms that are floating around.  I go to the website USGBC.org which stands for U.S. Green Building Council.  This nonprofit organization offers certification, workshops, reference guides, green building research, and newsletters.  LEED certifications shows that the building was built in a way that follows the sustainable green building practices required to be LEED certified.
LEED has certification fro neighborhood development, commercial interiors, core and shell, new construction, schools, health care, and retail.  Pretty cool huh?  USGBC offers a book this a LEED for homes reference guide.  This book is $100.00.  I don't think I'm going to buy this now.  There is a FAQ for homeowners--http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3912.  Oh by the way don't think all this certification stuff is free!  $300 for non-members and $225 for members to have their home LEED certified.  This website also has a checklist, but I can't open it on my computer.  All of this information is great, but I want to read about products and prices.  There is a lot of information, but to me its a little haphazard.  I guess that is why most people use an experienced contractor.

Webbing

Exterior walls are my first webbing task.  I don't know if any of you remember but I really like the idea of having stone exterior walls.  Well, unfortunately they aren't very common.  I have seen lots of homes with stone accents, but not many newer homes with the entire exterior walls constructed of stone.  To give you an idea of what I'm talking about consider the buildings located in Indian Springs (Jackson, Ga).  These stones were quarried from the Stone Mountain area.  Monticello even has several building built from those same type granite stones.  I am going to try to get a picture of this great house that I have always loved.  This house actually looks a lot like what I want in my home one day.  Anyway, it has been a challenge to figure out about the stone so I think I am just going to assume that the exterior wall system needs to be able to support stone because that is really what I want.  My contractor friend assures me that the stone veneer will look great! 

Wondering

There are so many questions associated with green home building!  Its overwhelming because there are many different opinions on what is best, but one criteria I MUST meet is affordability.  Green can be very expensive!  Take solar panels for example, we live in a great region for solar energy, but because of the price tag there are very few solar powered homes. 
This list covers the areas I plan on researching, but who knows what new questions I will have during the process.

• exterior walls
• insulation
• heat
• air conditioning
• solar panels

Exterior walls:  Should I use a stone exterior wall because of its ability to hold in heat and cool?  Is it affordable?  I definitely love the look of stone exterior, and it is low maintenance which is great.  I spoke with a contractor who suggested using real stone veneer.  This product is real stone but its only about an inch thick instead of being a regular rock.  This sounds interesting and may even be something my husband and I could do ourselves to save money on labor.  One question I forgot to ask the contractor, What type of trim would I use on the exterior and how would I connect it to the stone?  I have a feeling my contractor friend may get tired of me during my inquiry. : )
Insulation: There are lots of different choices for insulation.  I definitely want insulation in the exterior and interior walls.  What kind of insulation should I use?  I want it to be a green natural product so it won't emit any harmful gas.
Heat and A/C: I watched an interesting show on geothermal heating and cooling.  This type installation is not very common around here yet, but I did find some online in Atlanta.  The tv show made it sound very expensive, but that has been a couple of years ago so maybe there is more information and lower prices.
Solar Panels: To live on the grid or off the grid.  Hummm, I think it would be really cool to be self sufficient and get a check from the power company each month, but is the initial price and the price of upkeep less than the savings.  I really want to find out how solar panels work and what the day to day upkeep involves.  There is a solar power company in Mansfield, Ga  that I am planning on visiting, I'm sure they can answer all my questions.

I have a lot of questions so far and very few answers!

Inquiry Project

I am very interested in "green" home building.  I hope to one day build a home that is built from "green" and energy efficient products.  This blog is my opportunity to research and record my findings in the green home building market.  Hopefully, this information will help me and my husband make good choices when we finally get to build our dream home.