Construction

Whether you've bought a new house or just need a change, the most dramatic impact you can make is in the color of the walls. What are some important things to consider before you head out to purchase house paint?

By Jacob Clifton

Air Krete is a foamed cement used instead of fiberglass or other insulation to keep your house toasty warm in the winter and relatively cool in summer. But what are some other interesting facts about this product?

By Garth Sundem

If your kitchen countertops always look like you just cooked a Thanksgiving feast no matter how hard you try to clean them, then it's probably time to replace them. But with so many eco-friendly options available, which one is actually the greenest?

By Sarah Alban

Air Krete is a cement-based insulation product whose primary component is magnesium oxide. But what makes Air Krete different from other types of insulation?

By Garth Sundem

A prototype is like a model of an idea for a new product. Learn what prototypes are in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

There are many materials you can use to insulate your home. Learn what types of insulation can keep your house warm in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Green demolition is dismantling a building in such a way that its elements are reused or recycled instead of ending up in landfills. Find out what green demolition is in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You're building a new home and want to make it supremely green. Consider the LEED rating system as your guide to building an ultimately eco-friendly abode.

By Matt Sailor

Hemp as a building material might seem like a fairy tale, but it's not. One of the most common uses of industrial hemp is actually insulation, and it can help cut down your energy bills. So why is hemp so prohibitively expensive in the United States?

By John Perritano

Homeowners are now beginning to discover the color of home insulation isn't just pink. It can also be green -- as in eco-friendly. But does it cost an arm and a leg?

By John Perritano

Some homeowners are opting for eco-friendly tools to lower their electricity usage and stop stressing the power grid. Others vow to cut down on oil and gas. So what are some of the best green tools on the market?

By Denise Harrison

As housing prices rise and people become more concerned about their environmental footprints, green construction has been gaining popularity. So what are some unique, eco-friendly alternative housing ideas?

By Becky Striepe

With the increase in "green building," cool roofs are becoming popular. These are roofs that have been built or modified to maintain a lower temperature in bright sun. We'll examine some of the many ways you can cool your roof.

By Beth Brindle & Melanie Radzicki McManus

Building a new home is the perfect time to add green features that will help you lower your energy costs. But choosing the right ones isn't always easy. Here are 10 to help make the decision process a bit easier.

By Danielle Fisher

Recycled and reclaimed materials are becoming popular construction options as people look for greener ways to build. But could building a recycled home be as simple as stacking up the bottles from your recycling bin?

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

The drive for energy-efficient building comes down to a quest for the so-called tight envelope, which you can often achieve using renewable, recycled material. What are some of the latest energy-efficient building materials?

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

The first real line of defense against the heat is a building's roof. And some materials are better than others -- especially in hot climates. See which ones are best at keeping the heat at bay.

By Terri Briseno

When it comes to roofing, materials matter -- especially in a hot climate. So when it comes down to asphalt shingles or a metal roof, which really is better?

By Terri Briseno

Today's homeowners are more aware than ever of the demands their appliances, lawns and heating and cooling needs have on the planet's limited supply of fossil fuels. So what are some affordable eco-friendly home improvements?

By Matt Cunningham

Although tearing down a house and recycling the building materials is more expensive and time consuming than outright demolition, it is far better for the environment. While not every bit of it can -- or even should -- be recycled, read on to find out the top 10 things that can.

By John Perritano

More than two million homes were built at the height of the housing boom. That means that a lot of contractors had to construct a lot of homes -- and cut a few corners -- to fulfill an insatiable demand. Of course, some things went wrong. Here are five possible culprits.

By Dave Roos

Most of us know that a house must have a well-insulated building envelope to be structurally sound. But we may not know how important this shell really is. These are 10 types of insulation that can protect your home.

By Echo Surina

Shotgun houses are modestly built and constructed in very close proximity to one another. Despite their simplicity, they are ornately decorated -- and culturally significant.

By Josh Clark

You may be sitting in your house this very second, but do you have any idea what it took to build it? From foundation to framing, these home construction pictures will show you the stages of building a house.

Most of us are aware of the dangers of outside air pollution, but not many know that indoor air pollution levels can be as much as five times greater than outside. Ventilation can help combat the poor air quality, but how can we keep it quiet?

By Bambi Turner