It Ain't Easy Being Green

We used lots of salvaged materiels when we renovated our brownstone and are convinced we saved money and gained charm in the process. So did Ryan Temple of Portland, Oregon when he renovated his Craftsmen house last year. We probably saved $6,000 to $7,000 by using salvage, Mr. Temple said. Off course, the conventional wisdom is that green building in general costs 10-15% more in the short run–though advocates would argue this extra expense is more than made up for over time by savings on energy bills. One point that NY Times makes is that even if you are willing to spend a little extra on envirnmentally friendly building, you may not be able to find a contractor who’s up to the task. Or as the director of education for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry put it, The consumers are far ahead of the contractors. Have any readers found their green intentions stymied by a lack of knowledge and competence among contractors?
It’s Tough to Find a Green Builder [NY Times]
Photo by Stylin99