Renovating your home can help you to create a new atmosphere in your house and make it more functional for your family. But renovation could have an unpleasant effect on the environment if it is poorly managed. Demolition and waste disposal need to be handled with care. However, with proper planning, you can execute your remodelling project in a way that will preserve your environment and your health, and even save some cash. Here are some vital tips to create an eco friendly house.
Use Reclaimed Materials
Reclaimed materials like wood are not only environmentally friendly, they can also be treated and made to look more beautiful and attractive. Reclaimed materials are good for flooring, walls, counter tops and kitchen cabinets. Cabinets could be one of the most expensive aspect of a kitchen renovation. But by visiting a salvage shop dedicated to preserving re-usable materials, you can get high quality cabinets in good condition.
Plan Carefully Before Demolition
Before you carry out any demolition of walls or removal of fixtures and fittings, think deeply about what you can do with them. Consult a professional for advice where necessary. You will be able to salvage many items and save a lot of money in the process. For instance, doors and windows may be reinstalled in other parts of the home while lighting fixtures could be fitted in other rooms. Even bricks that you remove from internal walls or from your fireplace may be used to create a beautiful siding in your garden.
Focus on Energy-efficiency
Install new or used appliances that are certified as energy efficient. When you are looking for ovens, dishwashers or refrigerators, you should look for the Energy Star logo and assess their power consumption and other features that will affect their impact on the environment. Remember that deep freezers, heaters, and air conditioners consume a lot of electricity. So you should ensure that you only install them where needed, and select a brand that is known to be energy-efficient.
Use Paints With Low VOC
When you are choosing paints for the interior and exterior parts of your house, it is very important to select paints that have little or no volatile organic compounds (VOC). These compounds are harmful when they are released into the atmosphere and they can cause long term damage to your health. Paints with low VOC are not very expensive and they are readily available in the market. In fact, you can get paints that do not give off any odour. Some of them are even self-priming and splatter-resistant.
Take Advantage of the Sun
You can create an eco friendly house by harnessing the power of the sun. Using solar energy brings the benefits of renewable energy into your home. For instance, instead of depending solely on gas or electricity that is produced by burning fossil fuels which damage the ozone layer, you can install solar hot water collectors to heat water in your home. You may also generate electricity with the aid of solar panels and cut down your electricity bills. This is one of the best ways to make use of one of nature’s greatest endowments.
When you choose to renovate your home in an environmentally friendly way, you are preserving your environment for yourself, your community and the unborn generation. Eco-friendly renovations will also save you a substantial amount of money, improve your health, and make you feel fulfilled.