Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies [Paperback]

Eric Corey Freed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

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

About the Author

Eric Corey Freed teaches sustainable design at the Academy of Art University and the University of Claifornia, Berkeley. He sits on the board of numerous environmentally focused nonprofits and museums.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470175591
• ISBN-13: 978-0470175590
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Home Improvement & Design > Home Decorating & Design > Energy Efficiency

More About the Author

Eric Corey Freed, LEED AP, Hon. FIGP, is Principal of organicARCHITECT, an architecture and consulting firm in California, with 20 years of experience in green building.

He is a regular contributor for Sustainable Industries Journal, Luxe, Natural Home, Metropolitan Home and dozens of other publications. Eric lectures around the country at 40+ conferences a year, and his work has been featured in Dwell, Metropolis, Town & Country, Natural Home and Newsweek. He has been seen on television on Fox News, HGTV, The Sundance Channel and PBS.

Eric is the author of four books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies", a bestseller with over 200,000 copies in print, and "Sustainable School Architecture." His latest, "Green$ense for your Home" won the 2011 Outstanding Book Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Eric is considered a leader in the field; named by San Francisco Magazine "Best Green Architect" in 2005; "Best Visionary" in 2007; and "Green Visionary" by 7x7 Magazine in 2008. In 2012, he was named one of the 25 "Best Green Architecture Firms" in the US, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects."

MORE INFO ON ERIC:
http://www.organicarchitect.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book March 26, 2008

By Norma Lehmeierhartie VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

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

Format:Paperback

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A brief comment June 20, 2008

By magellan HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

I have a number of the Dummies books on various topics, and had an interest in how one might "green" an existing home, or build a new one. One thing I learned recently is that 50% of the energy lost from a typical house is due to poor building insulation, and that's one area in which most houses, depending on where in the U.S. they're built, could be improved. Since we wanted to beef up our house's insulation, we had a type of insulation installed that was more green than the other choices, and that is equally effective. If you're building a house from scratch, this book has a lot more information on many other topics relating to green building, including materials, construction, design ideas, energy saving tips and ideas, and many more topics on the subject.