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Jonathan Katar of Sage Builders in Newton, Mass., agrees that now is the time for reform, whether required by law or not. But he thinks the emphasis should be on the building science of green remodeling--for example, insulation, on-demand heating and cooling systems, and water-saving plumbing. The...
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At Neil Kelly Construction, green remodeling starts with designers planning sustainable, green spaces. Then, once it begins a project, the company opts to use green materials--for example, FSC-certified wood, low-VOC paints, and formaldehyde-free cabinets, which they manufacture themselves.
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The worthy goal of diverting construction materials from the landfill is fraught with obstacles, but recycling opportunities are growing.
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It's one thing to sell green remodeling to clients, and quite another to get buy-in from field employees.
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Once you've challenged yourself to be the greenest remodeler you can be, the next challenge is: How do you sell efficient, sustainable projects to customers? To remodelers making a foray into this niche, we advise leaving the green-wash mentality at the door.
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As This Old House producer Deborah Hood says, people no longer need view green as experimental or expensive. "We're learning that green is basically just good planning and smart building." And green remodelers echo that sentiment. They're as likely to use words such as "high-performance" when...