Design a house with building-material dimensions in mind
Reduce construction waste by planning around standard dimensions
Panel goods used in walls and floors, for example, are available in 4-ft. by 8-ft. sheets, so sizing the building with those dimensions in mind minimizes waste by reducing the number of oddly sized cutoffs. Room dimensions, ceiling heights and roof pitches all can be planned in 2-ft. increments to take accommodate standard lengths of dimensional lumber. The practice saves time, materials and disposal costs. Some building components can be ordered in panelized form to eliminate all job site waste.
Green Points
LEED for HomesLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED for Homes is the residential green building program from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). While this program is primarily designed for and applicable to new home projects, major gut rehabs can qualify.
: Limiting overall framing waste to 10% or less is a prerequisite. A 1-point credit is available for detailed framing documents and another 1 point for a detailed cut list and lumber order. In addition, up to 3 points are available for specified framing efficiencies or up to 4 points for off-site fabrication of building components.
NGBSNational Green Building Standard Based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and passed through ANSI. This standard can be applied to both new homes, remodeling projects, and additions.
/ICC-700: Up to 9 points for using structural systems or advanced framingHouse-framing techniques in which lumber use is optimized, saving material and improving the energy performance of the building envelope. techniques to optimize materials use (601.2); 13 points for using building dimensions and layouts to reduce material cuts and waste (601.3); 4 points for detailed framing plans (601.4); and up to 13 points for using prefabricated components (601.5).
Learn more in the Green Building Encyclopedia
