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 Green building and remodeling is an approach to home improvement with the goal of not only making your home look better, but making it work better – for both you and the environment. Want a healthier home? Lower utility bills? Reduced maintenance? A cleaner planet? With careful planning, you can create a home that combines beauty, efficiency, comfort, and convenience with health and conservation. 
How Can Green Building and Remodeling Help? COST SAVINGS Energy efficient and water wise designs and products reduce monthly utility bills. Installing a high-efficiency washing machine can save up to $90 on energy bills and 6,000 gallons of water, every year. The most efficient new appliances typically use 50% less energy than the most wasteful models. Efficient and durable features can last longer and cost less to maintain in the long run. HEALTH A green remodel can be good for you, physically and emotionally. Health-focused designs maximize fresh air and natural light, while reducing the risk of injury and asthma. The US EPA includes poor indoor air quality on the list of the top five most urgent public health risks. Levels of air pollution inside a home can be 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels. Using low-toxic materials and good ventilation techniques can help to prevent problems like molds, allergens and poor air quality. BEAUTY & COMFORT Inviting and attractive rooms reinforce the comforts of home. Natural materials, high quality lighting, and good design details make for pleasing spaces. Your home can be a refuge from the hectic—and sometimes polluted— world outside. ADDED VALUE Classic, well thought-out designs keep things from looking dated and hold their value over time. Homes designed to welcome various ages and abilities are marketable to a larger population (a key benefit for resale). And green elements also represent value: 80% of homebuyers say new homes don’t meet their environmental expectations, and 96% said they are willing to pay more for a home with green features. ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT Remodeling is an opportunity to create a home that enhances the environment, instead of depleting it. With your green remodel project, you can be more resource efficient, minimize waste, and recycle what’s left over to reduce the amount of materials ending up in landfills. Recycling 60% or more of construction waste is easily attainable in Portland. By choosing environmentally responsible products, you can protect forests, wildlife, and air and water quality. And, for every gallon of water or kilowatt-hour of electricity you save, you reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas) entering the atmosphere. What Can R3 Do For You? >Learn More  |
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