List of green ideas for every project

Many projects can be a Passive Solar design, orienting to the sun and incorporating passive cooling.

1. Double the minimum amount of insulation required. Use only non-toxic or recycled content insulation.
2. Use low/no-VOC and formaldehyde-free paint. Use solvent-free adhesives.
3. Use low VOC, water-based wood finishes.
4. Use certified wood or finger-jointed wood for all finish trim.
5. Expose the structure to avoid the need for additional finishes.
6. Avoid wall to wall carpet, or use carpet tiles with a company with a take back program.
7. If you must use drywall, use recycled content drywall. Try other natural wall finishes.
8. Use composite lumber for all exterior decks.
9. Replace up to 35 percent of the Portland Cement in the concrete with fly ash.
10. Avoid vinyl products. Alternatives include rubber, turned up carpet, linoleum, etc. As an alternative to vinyl flooring consider linoleum, made from wood flour, resins and linseed oil. It's available in a variety of colors and can be cut and pieced in to any pattern you can dream up.
11. Specify a light color roof in warm regions; a non asphalt roof allows for future water catchment.
12. Avoid standard particle board cabinets and use formaldehyde-free medium density fiberboard, plywood or wheat board for cabinet boxes.
13. Consider bamboo, reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood, and wheatboard for cabinet doors and drawers, and sealed with a no- or low-volatile organic compound clear finish.
14. On-demand hot water pumping system rather than a whole house re-circulating hot water loop, which has proven to be inefficient for delivering hot water quickly.
15. Any new toilets should be dual flush type. For $20, EcoFlush makes a kit to retrofit existing toilets to dual flush.
16. Recycle job site construction and demolition waste. Change your general demolition notes to salvage all removed doors and windows for possible salvage or reuse.
17. Use treated wood that does not contain chromium, CCA or arsenic for decking and sill plates.
18. Landscaping uses drip irrigation system to save water and indigenous xeriscaping plants that require little water.
19. Incorporate permeable paving at all driveways and exterior surfaces.
20. Reuse concrete form boards, or reusable slip forms.
21. Insulate foundation before backfill.
22. Substitute solid sawn lumber with engineered lumber.
23. Use OSB for subfloor and sheathing
24. If you are going to use stucco siding, use integrally colored stucco.
25. Install a whole house water filter.
26. Provide conduit for future solar addition.
27. Provide dimmers on all light switches.
28. South and west facing walls to have a high thermal mass material (concrete, or earthen).
29. All appliances to be high level Energy Star models.
30. Pre-plumb for solar water heating.
31. On demand, tankless water heaters.
32. Provide heat reclamation GFX exchangers at all high use showers.