5 Renovations to Make Your House Greener (Without Green Paint)
5 Renovations to Make Your House Greener (Without Green Paint)
These days it seems that everyone trying to be greener. As people become more and more aware of their impact on the environment, the demand for more environmentally friendly products has risen. This is certainly the case in regards to home construction and renovation. Here are five renovations that can help make your home a bit more efficient and green, none of which involve painting your house green!
Insulation
A good place to start when considering making renovations to make your house greener is with the insulation. Typically, the most energy that is used in a house is the energy we use to heat it. This is where a great opportunity for energy savings exists. The key is to try to pack in as much insulation as possible. Quite simply; the more insulation you can fit, the more efficient your house will be in terms of energy. This renovation can be taken a step further, in regards to being green, if you can find some insulation that is made from recycled and/or eco-friendly materials.
Increase Water Efficiency
Another place where renovations can be made to reduce energy usage is with your home’s water efficiency. Houses use tons of gallons of water each year and there are some steps you can take to reduce this aside from simply taking shorter showers. The first, and easiest, thing you can do is install aerators on all faucets and sinks. These aerators are inexpensive and will help greatly on saving water. As for taking shorter showers; this is a good practice, but you can maximize water savings by also installing low-flow showerheads in all the showers in your home.
Implementing Alternative Wood Products
Most types of renovations that you do will include some need for wood. This will provide you with a great opportunity to make your house greener. When doing such renovations or remodels, it is important to consider what type of wood you are using and where it is coming from. One option is to use recycled wood from the deconstruction of the area being remodeled. Of course, this is only plausible if you are actually deconstructing a part of the house. If this is not the case, you can still apply green wood by using wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. These types of woods come from rapidly renewable sources such as palm or bamboo. When thinking green about wood choices it is also important to keep in mind that you can reduce environmental impact by purchasing local, as there is less transportation involved.
Use Products with Low Volatile Air Compounds
Using products and materials with low volatile air compounds (VOCs) is not only greener, but it is also safer regarding your health. When thinking about low-VOC products we are usually thinking about paint. So to contradict myself, you could actually make your house greener using green paint…so long as that green paint is organic and has low-VOCs. Another area where you can lower VOCs is with your counter-tops where low-VOC materials can be used in place of other options which have a higher content of harmful VOCs.
Install Efficient Appliances
All of the previously mentioned topics can go a long way in making your home greener and can be even more effective when paired with energy efficient appliances. For example, water efficiency can be enhanced by adding a dual flush toilet which uses less water. For most appliances you can simply look for the blue Energy Star label. This label means that the appliance is certified as meeting the high level of energy efficiency standards required by the U.S. Department of Energy. There are a variety of Energy Star products and appliances available and when you’re doing a green renovation, you can go the extra mile by installing them.
When undertaking a remodel or renovation with hopes of making your house greener, the five categories mentioned here should be kept in mind. These green improvements are not only better for the environment, but also your wallet as you will save on energy. Hiring a green building company to perform the renovation is a good way to ensure that all these green procedures are implemented.
Wade Myer grew up under the watchful eye his father, a contractor, who taught him the tools of the trade. Even though he can swing a hammer with the best of them, he’s always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Currently he writes on behalf of Schererville Home Builders.
