Going Green on your home (Chicago, Downers Grove: insurance, appliances, house)

[knat_2]

This past weekend I visited the "green home" at MSI. It kind of inspired me and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience greening there home?

I am interested specifically in catching rain water for reuse and/or installing a live roof instead of the current dead one.

Any thoughts on what something like that would cost? 5k? 10k? 20k? 100k? Would it add value or detract value from a home?

Are there any tax benefits for doing this?

Thanks,
Nate

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by knat_2

This past weekend I visited the "green home" at MSI. It kind of inspired me and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience greening there home?

I am interested specifically in catching rain water for reuse and/or installing a live roof instead of the current dead one.

Any thoughts on what something like that would cost? 5k? 10k? 20k? 100k? Would it add value or detract value from a home?

Are there any tax benefits for doing this?

Thanks,
Nate

Wouldn't you be limiting your future options selling your home? I'm sure your trying to be noble and all----but if I was house hunting and I pulled up with my realtor and saw grass on the roof with squirels and rabbits living up there and the water faucets running on rain water I would high tale it out of there asap.

[aiwei]

I also visited the MSI's Green Home and I understand how you would be inspired. I do know there are folks using 50gal containers to collect rain water for gardening, design and install rain garden around the house, and use blown foam insulation for the walls. In Oswego, along the Fox River on Rt 34, there is an old house with a garden on its roof. You could not see it well from the road, but it is in full view from the river. I also heard there is/are homes in Downers Grove that have roof gardens.
I think a green home done right could be quite expensive. If not, it would be like what lakecountylifer said, turning future home buyers away.

[purplesky]

I'm all for energy conservation and reusable materials, but I think a lot of it isn't what it's cracked up to be. I installed a lot of those expensive flourouscent light bulbs and have since took most of them out. The light is harder on my eyes for some reason. Also, the ones I installed in the kitchen light over the table started flickering. And lastly, how could they be "green", when you can't dispose of them in the regular garbage because of the hazardous material risk?

I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of the "old" light bulbs before they're made illegal.

[knat_2]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Wouldn't you be limiting your future options selling your home? I'm sure your trying to be noble and all----but if I was house hunting and I pulled up with my realtor and saw grass on the roof with squirels and rabbits living up there and the water faucets running on rain water I would high tale it out of there asap.

Actually I think the opposite would be true. My water bills would be loads cheaper (I pay $140 a month right now) and the roofs last 3-4 times longer then a standard roof. And being "green" is the new thing, so it might excite people to buy it. But it is a good point. This house is a short term thing for me (5 years). Maybe I should just install some solar panels or something.

[aiwei]

Originally Posted by purplesky

... The light is harder on my eyes for some reason...

Do you remember if you bought "bright white" or "warm white" type??

A year ago I did just the same thing and went CFL, however the 1st batch I bought were all bright white and were terrible. My house felt like a interrogation room! I returned them all and got warm white the next day and it was all good. (Warm white gives a softer and yellow-ish glow.)

[almost3am]

Kind of related, I thought of this thread when I read this...

Green roof at MillerCoors - JSOnline

[bicycleguy]

You might want to check out the Chicago Center for Green Technology.

www.cityofchicago.org/Environment/GreenTech/

[chet everett]

I am all for the energy savings of "green" technology -- from lighting to HVAC to appliances to insulation and even some of the solar stuff I think that is slam dunk stuff if you can afford it.
The use of no-VOC finishes /floor/furnishings is also perfectly fine.

I have major doubts about "green roofs" -- there is just too much that can go wrong and when it does it'll make for crazy expensive situations. If there is some sort insurance backed certification it would go a long way to quashing those concerns.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by knat_2

Actually I think the opposite would be true. My water bills would be loads cheaper (I pay $140 a month right now) and the roofs last 3-4 times longer then a standard roof. And being "green" is the new thing, so it might excite people to buy it. But it is a good point. This house is a short term thing for me (5 years). Maybe I should just install some solar panels or something.

Family of 4 here in Gurnee who shower every day and kinda-sorta water the lawn: water bill is $115 every 3 months in the summer--- $90 every 3 months in the winter.

$140 per month? Maybe you have a leak ?