A green home pays dividends

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Sustainable is the word to remember when choosing materials to build your new home. High performance, sustainable components deliver a return on investment that compounds year after year -- a welcome reprieve when the world's finances are in such turmoil. Simply ask your builder to aim for green.

The building industry is, in fact, a leader in sustainable technology. Take a look at Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an organization that encourages and accelerates global adoption of green building and development practices. LEED has set up a third-party certification program providing an international benchmark for the construction and operation of high performance sustainable buildings.

"A green home uses less energy and natural resources," says Todd Blyth at Nudura, the manufacturer of insulated concrete forms. "It creates less waste and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Equally important benefits include lower energy bills, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. As a result, the net cost of owning a sustainable home is comparable to the cost of a conventional one."

Take concrete, for example. As compared to wood, concrete walls are far stronger, more efficient, and healthier.

"The Nudura system," says Blyth, "uses Lego-like blocks of reinforced concrete sandwiched between two layers of polystyrene. This system cuts down construction time significantly, creates less waste material, and it virtually eliminates mold, mildew and other toxic emissions produced by buildings structured with wood.

Hailed as an award-winning Canadian contribution to 'green' construction technology, Nudura (nudura.com) is now used for the construction of better homes, schools, hospitals, condominiums, hotels, and offices throughout the country and in the United States. Homeowners save money due to durability and energy efficiency -- and the resulting structure is reported to be up to nine times stronger, with far more fire protection, far more sound insulation, and with a potential to reduce energy costs of up to 70 percent.