wning a lake home that doesn’t face the lake is like climbing to a mountain top without taking a panoramic view. Who would consider anything other than a lake-facing home when planning to build or remodel? Consider this, though: a home oriented on the lot so that the long dimension faces within 30 degrees of south increases passive solar gain and the potential for solar retrofit. Plus, protecting mature trees on uncleared lots will shade the home in the summer, which keeps it cooler and more comfortable.

If trees are on the north and west sides, they provide a windscreen to keep the home warmer in winter.

These benefits highlight a challenge lakeshore homeowners face: “How can my personal needs and those of the environment be met at the same time?”

Fortunately, it isn’t always either/or. Many lakeshore owners choose home builders who can deliver both. David Johnston, in his new book, Building Green in a Black and White World, details ways that homeowners and the contractors who build for them can make the most of our limited resources.

Although it’s written for a building industry audience, it touches on issues that affect every homeowner: thoughtful placement on the land, wise use of water, incorporating natural energy and building healthy environments to ensure a flourishing planet for our children.

Here are ways to start minimizing the environmental impact of your lakeshore home now:

Inside your home
Water conservation- Conserving water saves energy and reduces the need for water and waste treatment. Look at your faucets and showerheads. Are they efficient? A typical showerhead uses 3.5 to 6 gal/min. Water efficient showerheads use less than 2.5 gal/min without sacrificing water pressure. Installing efficient faucets can save a typical family $60-120 per year, roughly 17,000 gallons. Forty water-efficient homes would save enough water to fill an Olympic-sized pool each year.

Building materials – When building a new home or adding on, insist on insulated concrete forms (ICF’s) such as Arxx, which are used for poured concrete walls above and below grade. Used by Europeans since the 1940’s and now becoming popular here in the States, ICF’s offer significant insulating value and basic moisture protection, in addition to installing faster. Faster installation means money savings during construction.

Did you realize the average house requires harvesting an acre of trees? Many require felling up to 300 old-growth trees. Ask your builder where your home’s lumber comes from and if old-growth trees are being used. An old-growth forest is one in which at least some trees are more than 200 years old. According to the World Resources Institute, America has harvested over 95% of its old-growth forests, which has increased pressure on the forest products industry to develop substitutes for conventional lumber. Since the building industry accounts for almost 50% of the world’s demand for wood, requesting lumber that doesn’t come from old-growth forests, where appropriate, can reverse the decline in quality of our world’s forests.

Ideas include using double-glazed windows with a sealed air space to reduce heat loss, installing Low-E windows for better R- values, and avoiding volatile organic compounds in paints and finishes which can off-gas chemicals in your home for months.

Energy Use – Insist on a programmable thermostat and then set it to save energy when no one is home or everyone is asleep. Invest in higher quality air exchangers. Insulate hot water pipes and add an insulating blanket to your water heater. Use light colored walls, ceiling and carpet. It not only makes people happier, the need for daytime electric lighting is reduced. Use compact fluorescent bulbs which last 10- times as long and are four times more efficient than conventional bulbs.

Outside your home
For new homes, be selective of how the home is oriented. Get the lake view you want, but keep an eye on minimizing wind exposure and maximizing passive solar gain. Make mature tree preservation part of the construction process, save topsoil to prevent bringing it in post-construction, and leave the shoreline as natural as possible to minimize adversely impacting the lake’s delicate ecological balance.

Lakescaping – Use native plants and natural landscaping between smaller grass areas, and preserve existing trees. If retaining is needed, consider rock or other natural products to create shorelines that blend with natural surroundings.

Groundwater – Request efforts to control water runoff during construction. Maintain water quality my minimizing grass areas that need fertilizers. If fertilizing is necessary, consider organic rather than chemical fertilizers.

Legislation for change
For builders who haven’t been as inclined to use practices that improve air quality, provide greater comfort, and create more durable/less maintenance homes, the Minnesota Legislature is helping with that decision. The Legislature recently passed Energy Code requirements, called Category I, that mandates 1) better indoor/outdoor air exchange systems and 2) better air sealing ventilation, both designed to improve indoor air quality, and 3) more stringent wind wash measures to prevent wind and wind-driven rain entry for single family and two family dwellings.

the environmental impact of your lakeshore home as you are, without compromising quality. Building Green in a Black and White World is available through the National Association of Home Builders, 800-223-2665, http://www.nahb.com/builderbooks .

Brent Gunsbury is Bercher Design and Construction’s Vice President of Operations and Client Services.