Green Construction

By employing the latest Green Construction methods, designs, and materials, G&C Builder Contractors can create a more healthy, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly home for you and your family to live in. Green construction involves the use of all natural or recycled materials and alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar energy. It also involves the efficient use of water and electricity in your home or building. Both businesses and homeowners can save money and help the environment with the use of the latest energy saving materials and devices.

Green Kitchens

Kitchens are the most energy-intensive area of your home. Kitchen appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and microwaves are the cause of a large amount energy waste. Poor lighting also wastes energy and poor ventilation may be the cause of harmful air pollutants in your home.

There are also many Green Material which can be used to remodel your kitchen. Green countertops may be made of stone, glass, wood, metal, Bio glass, and even paper products. G&C will help to guide you in the use of green products for your kitchen.

Green Bathrooms

Bathrooms are the part of the house in which the most water is used consuming upwards of 60% of a homes annual water use. Designing a bathroom to be green requires ample forethought to plan from the plumbing up. Toilets can use over of 20 to 30 gallons a day per person. Green toilets can cut the amount of water per flush in half. Simply purchasing a highly efficient toilet can save a lot of water and that will save you a lot of money.

Showers may use even more water than toilets depending on the number of showers taken each day. The average shower head uses 5 gallons per minute but a newer high efficiency shower head can reduce water consumption to half that. That is up to 25 gallons per 10 minute shower.

Green Energy

Energy usage in both home and buildings is a major concern. One of the highest bills for a buisness or homeowner is the electric bill. The use of high energy efficiency appliances, lights and air conditioning can easily cut a home or building's energy usage by 30% or more. Installing the right insulation or adding more can reduce a home or building's heat loss in the winter and keep it cooler in the hot summer months. This is especially important in the state of Florida where air conditioning is used almost all year round. Minimum insulation standards require R30 insulation in the ceilngs and R13 for the exterior walls. But for real energy savings an R45 or R60 is desirable.

Solar Energy

Every Florida business and homeowner should consider the use of solar energy. After all this is the Sunshine State. Sunlight can be converted into electricity using solar panels installed on the roof. It may be possible to totally eliminate your electric bill by using solar energy and solar energy is 100% green. There are also government incentive available to help defray the cost of solar panels.

Green Windows

Windows in a home or business are a major source of lost energy. In Florida, it's heat from the outside that is the culprit. You air conditioner must work overtime to keep your home cool if your windows are not energy efficient. Windows must be well designed to not leak air and they should be LOE rated with double paned glass to keep hot air out and cool air in. Energy saving from a typical single paned Aluminum window to a vinyl double paned window can be as high as 35%. This can greatly reduce your heating and cooling bill during the year. And with added government incentives to install energy saving windows, you can save even more.

There are many other ways to make your home or business more Green. The use of proper adhesives, drywall, insulation, carpeting, and non toxic paint are just some examples of other Green items to employ in any Green remodeling or new construction. Green flooring such as hardwood, stone, and ceramic floors must also be utilized.

G&C will work with you personally to guide you through every step of the construction process so that your home or business can be as environmentally friendly and energy efficient as possible.