Green Building Plans

When the Christmas season came to an end and Martin and I returned to the tire house, we were ready to move. The little flame that has been burning inside us burst into something so large, something so uncontainable. All of our being is pouring into the creation of our home. We’re addicted to the idea of a warm space of our own. In fact, it’s so consuming that I almost forget to pause and write to you about the decisions that we are making (or anything else, for that matter!).

(Love seeing a wall go in! We’ll call it a little sneak peek for ya.)

We’re trying to make the greenest choices that we can afford. To us, that word – afford – means two things. How much money does it cost? How much driving and use of our time does it cost? Every day that we pay rent at the drafty tire house and the mortgage on the hangar costs us more, and we’re just so burned out on paying for both.

Deep in our hearts, you know Mother Earth is a good pal of ours. Somehow, we just want to do the best we can; it’s not perfect, but we’re trying. Here are some of the green choices we’re making at the moment:

1. We’ve reused all the old 2x4s that were a part of the old pilot training room. Pulling the nails out of those guys gave me awful blisters, and the lumber twisted just a little while waiting to be framed again. But all in all? Awesome.

2. In places where we need new insulation, it’s all an eco-brand that a local hardware store sells (and delivers!).

3. We’re shopping at locally owned stores as much as possible. I’m calling this a “green move” because the local environment and local economy go hand-in-hand for us. The big box stores several communities over don’t provide our community with nearly so much as small businesses. And quite often, small businesses are more open to improving their green efforts if you ask.

4. We have most of our building supplies delivered. Several local businesses make weekly deliveries in our rural area. It’s more fuel efficient to have a big truck go to multiple job sites along the same road than having everyone go back and forth to town. I don’t even want to think of how many trips it would have taken to get all this drywall out to the airport. Sometimes, being green means getting lazy.

5. Martin’s plugging away at the geothermal heating system every night after Pete the Carpenter, his funny little poochie, and I have gone home. (Evenings are when I start making soups to take us through the week and building all your handmade journals.)

Look at all those geothermal plans Martin has taped on the wall! I tell ya. We’re on fire over here.

6. Our house is gonna be pretty darn small, which if you ask us is pretty much the greenest thing anyone could do. If I start going into that again after living in a 480 square foot apartment in Germany, you’re all going to roll your eyes and call me a broken record. “Small…. smart… super…” I just can’t help it. We love the coziness (and affordability) of a small home! This one will be 720 square feet.

7. We’re just starting to think about greener finishing details. Paint. Flooring. Locally made countertops. Local wood cabinetry (made by us?)… Here’s where we’re starting to see the potential for paying the big bucks, which makes us slow down and really think about what matters most to us. Luckily, if we pick a few green details that really matter to us, we can afford them thanks to our small square footage.

8. Here’s where you come in. Have any green construction tips we should be aware of? Anything you think we should implement? Or better yet: what would you do in your dream home?