Renovating a property can be time, money and energy consuming. If when you are done with that, you don’t have some results that will compensate for the three, other than aesthetic, it is almost like you’ve wasted them. Green renovation is not just a fad that is trending this year and disappearing the following. It is an investment in the future, resulting in low bills and low carbon-footprint, so there are no reasons not to green up your home today. If you want to know more about what can you do to make your home more energy-efficient, here are a few tips.
Use Eco-Friendly Materials
First and foremost, when remodeling the house that should be energy-efficient in the future, it would be ironic to use materials that harm our planet. Reduce the impact of the construction on the environment by opting for materials such as recycled plastic, reclaimed wood, recycled glass, bamboo, linoleum and cork. As you see, the accent here is either on reusing old materials or using natural renewable materials.
Insulate the House
Moving on to more concrete matters, insulating the house can save you hundreds of dollars per year by simply preventing the heat or the cold from leaving your house depending on the season. If your home already has an old layer of insulation, check its amount and efficiency and, if needed, remove it entirely or add another layer. One part of the house that is often overlooked for insulation is the roof (and the attic). This is not good since a large amount of heat can leave the house through the roof.
Upgrade the Kitchen and the Bathroom
With so many appliances and fixtures, these two rooms are the biggest spenders in your house, and therefore, they leave the biggest carbon footprint and waste the most energy. Improve their efficiency by switching all the old appliances for new Energy Star rated ones. The bathroom could benefit from installing a low flush toilet and showerhead. You can green up your kitchen even more by installing a living wall, and not only your kitchen. Installing green walls throughout the house is beneficial for absorbing toxins, acting as a climate control, and making your home naturally cooler.
Improve Your Exterior Door and Windows
Windows and exterior doors are the gate keepers that are keeping the heat or the cool air inside the house, or letting them out, depending on their quality and energy ratings. Their energy score lets you know just how well they’re doing in keeping the gates. Double glazed or triple glazed windows are usually the best at their job, so you shouldn’t hesitate to install them. If that is not the option, consider getting storm windows and choosing the best window treatments.
Harness the Power of the Sun
The sun is a powerful element, and people have been searching for a way to use that power for their benefits for centuries. Solar panels are, today, completely normal (yet still too rare) tools for obtaining the energy for the house. Still, although they eventually pay their price by saving you energy, the initial investment can be rather costly. If you can’t afford large panels, you can combine the power of the sun with using some electricity by buying efficient small solar panel kits, which can keep you powered up for phone calls, laptop using, outdoor electrical barbecue, and other things you’re wasting too much energy on.
Green Lighting Options
Switching the incandescent light bulbs, which are true electricity vampires, for energy-efficient LED alternatives can save you a lot of money in the future. If you have some rooms that are not being used often and you don’t want to waste an efficient light bulb, you can also use fluorescent lamps, which are not so easy on the eye, but they do the trick. Another neat way to cast some “green” light on the dark corners of your house is to install skylights.
There are plenty more solutions which can make your house more eco-friendly, but you don’t have to use them all at once. Gradual greening up will eventually produce the same results.
September 20, 2016