Going green. You hear it everywhere these days. It’s become the catchphrase of the moment. And while the sentiment behind the movement is a vitally important one, going green is not a quick fix, “strap-on” kind of strategy, as many homeowners and some contractors think it is. We integrate green into everything we do as we run a small business and work on people’s homes.
It’s not about gadgets, which lots of men seem to be interested in. Seems like Big TVS, audio equip, solar arrays … men go nuts for these gadgets. And most people, in general, have a fragmented approach to green and what green even means.
Because we work on unique older homes and have done so for decades, we had to develop this “holistic approach.” Our customers have to be able to afford green. We have to stage greening improvements in for their homes in the same way we stage in bathrooms, kitchens, additions. We try to take a 10-30 year (or more) look ahead when we make any improvements, including green. What will bring the best bang for the customer’s buck? What system or process will be able to be repaired or maintained over that time period? What’s a lasting solution? That’s what we prioritize for them.
Too many options available are non-permanent, non-lasting. When we work on older homes, we usually spend some time taking apart something that someone back in the home’s history thought was a great idea. We get a lot of information and perspective about what works from this. Asbestos, lead paint, lead pipes, exterior details or features that cause leaks, insulation styles and HVAC systems of the past when energy was cheap and it was ‘American’ to use a lot of it, materials that were supposed to last forever and didn’t … We see all that on a daily basis.
It is this type of big-picture approach to going green that will make it last — a sustainable movement that really makes a difference for the future.