Encouraging others
is half the work, very rewarding. Influencing, NOT indoctrinating! Employing other people to build your house is of great importance.
We would all love two or three shots at designing and building a house, because we always find things we would have done differently. Because of that we need to have others participate in the project. It's of essential importance that everyone is on the same track. For instance: You don't have all the cash required to finance the project yourself, so you need a bank loan.
Banks may perceive that financing a green house would be an unacceptable risk for them. They may just operate from established rules. You need to seek out a forward-looking bank that is open to new ideas. A little neighborhood research will help you find those businesses. You need to be prepared to educate lenders (and neighbors, too) about the wisdom of going green. They may have no idea that your sheep wool insulation is a whole lot warmer, and better for your health than styrofoam. In doing so, you want to point out that:
- reductions in the use of fossils fuels to provide heating and electricity will reduce CO2!
- this may also reduce other pollution making you less dependent on supplies from unstable parts of the world!
- a reduction in water use. We are already under stress about the water supply!
- higher quality buildings that last longer, instead of the houses built with a lot of Styrofoam around the windows!
Let's talk about styrofoam. Our experience in the Netherlands was of homes built with no styrofoam at all. Instead, solid surroundings of the windows allowed for all possibilities for window protection against heating up or absorbing the cold.
Speaking of possibilities, closing the mini blinds is by no means a solution because the heat or cold is only concentrating between the window and mini blind. On top of that, your view is blocked!
By having a solid surrounding built around your windows you are able to utilize the optimum window protection: a solar window screen, solar screen, solar shade fabric, or solar shade. You will really feel the difference!
This is also another way to decrease your utility bill!
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