Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden)) (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: natural building methods, manufactured building methods, green building methods, United States, Paying Attention, Forest Stewardship Council (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Want to build responsibly, reduce waste, and help preserve the environment? Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your friendly, step-by-step guide to every facet of this Earth-friendly method of construction. Building a home—even a green home—uses plenty of resources and energy. This practical, hands-on book shows you how to build or remodel conscientiously, whether your dream home is a simple remodel or a brand-new multimillion-dollar mansion.

You’ll start by identifying green materials and sizing up potential systems and construction sites. You’ll weigh the pros and cons of popular green building methods and identify opportunities for saving money in the long run. Need to find some green professionals to assist you in your venture? We’ll help you do that, too. This book will also help you discover how to:

• Understand the lifecycle of building materials
• Choose the right system for your green building project
• Put together a green team
• Work within your budget
• Use green building methods and sustainable systems
• Speed construction and reduce energy use and waste
• Refinish old fixtures and materials
• Beware of asbestos and lead-paint hazards
• Avoid costly mistakes

Complete with lists of ten green things to do on every project and ten things you can do right now in your home in order to go green, Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies is your one-stop guide to planning and building the home you’ve always wanted.

From the Back Cover

Reduce waste, speed construction, and save money

The fun and easy way® to plan and build your dream green home

Want to build responsibly and help preserve the environment? This friendly, step-by-step guide introduces you to every facet of green building and remodeling, from sizing up construction sites and selecting materials to working with green professionals, reducing energy and water use, and weighing the pros and cons of popular green building methods.

Discover how to:

• Identify green materials

• Put together a team of green professionals

• Work within your budget

• Use green building methods and sustainable systems

• Avoid costly mistakes

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470175591
• ISBN-13: 978-0470175590
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,208 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Construction > Materials
  #3 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Energy Efficient Design
  #7 in	Books > Home & Garden > Sustainable Living > Energy Efficiency

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!, December 18, 2007

By	L. Schaffer "green newbie" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am truly a dummy when it comes to green building, I've never bought a dummies book before - but wanted to remodel my kitchen and needed some expert green advice. The book is broken down into these really helpful sections like finishes, water and energy. It even includes helpful checklists to remodel your kitchen in a green way. The advice I learned from this book will probably save me thousands in construction costs and will continue to save me $$$ on my water and energy bills. The author presents the info in a very fun and logical way. Anyone building or remodeling their home should do it green - and definitely needs this book to guide them every step of the way. The reason I bought this book is that I heard the author speak at a local green conference, and the way he presented the information just made sense to me.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, March 26, 2008

By	Norma Lehmeierhartie (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Green architect Eric Corey Freed knows his stuff and it shows in Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies.

Freed makes green building and remodeling approachable and very doable.

I like the checklists throughout the book and the perfect green rooms, both of which make understanding the big picture easy.

Freed does an excellent job in explaining the advantages of building green for the health of the occupants and the environment.

If you've ever wondered what the true environmental cost of a particular product is, Freed does a great job of explaining it in "the life cycle of materials from cradle to grave." If you didn't "get" greeen before, this section will show you how important it is to look at the entire life cycle of a product to determine how green--or not--a particular product is.

I also liked the handy list of green material substitutes which make purchasing very easy.

The book was very readable and concise and even fun to read. I highly recommend it.

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Myth busting through and through, December 12, 2007

By	James Simon "Jim Simon" (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Green Building & Remodeling for DUMMIES is the right information at the right time. This book answers every specific question I have come up with. It dispells many old myths about green building, and teaches that green is not only accessible, but it's enjoyable. You can't calculate the $$ payback of a more comfortable home. You can't put a $$ value on the improved respiuratory health that improved indoor air quality provides. But you can take those monthly energy and water savings to the bank every month. Thanks to Mr. Freed for his passion and his pragmatism.