Kit Houses Kit Homes: Eco Friendly

Date Published:

10/07/2008

Northern Steel Cottages specialises in precision-crafted panelised steel building systems, for assembly anywhere in the world. All of its building systems are pre-cut, pre-drilled, & pre-marked for the do-it-yourself end user. Reassuringly for first time kit builders the cottages can be easily assembled with no special tools and no heavy equipment. Though quick to erect, Northern Steel Cottages promises their homes will ensure decades of maintenance-free, energy-efficient comfort and safety.

If the idea of a steel house doesn't meet with your aesthetic ideal, be reassured, your home can be finished with a stucco, shingle, or even a wood effect exterior to blend in with your surroundings.

Steel homes are also alleged to be good for allergy sufferers, utilising none of the resins, adhesives and chemicals used in other construction techniques.

Whether it be wood, metal or papier mache and spit, a self build home offers the opportunity to do right by your own dreams and also the environment

Eco measures it is worth considering when designing your home include:

* Orienting and designing your home to make the most of passive-solar heat gain, and to use materials like concrete or ceramics which store heat.
* Source timber from dealers using wood from sustainable sources.
* Comprehensively insulate, wherever possible with green materials. Use double or triple glazing to help insulate and cut fuel costs. Also think about using either natural roofing products like slate or tile or turfing your roof, to insulate and also create a small natural habitat for wildlife.
* Use paints and solvents approved by environmental experts.
* Recycle water.
* Use solar energy for long term energy gains or investigate the possibility of using geothermal energy.
* Seek out utilities providers with green credentials.

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