More companies and people are finding ways to do an efficient, green, and sustainable home renovation. With eco-friendly living becoming a new standard among people, by engaging in green improvements, you can increase your home’s value, as well as reducing your carbon footprint and lowering your energy bills. Follow along in this guide to see how you can renovate your living quarters to be better for both yourself and the planet:
1. Seek out better building materials
When looking for building materials to construct an addition to your home or replace an area, look for post-consumer or post-industrial recycled material, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. FSC wood is sustainably sourced and can be purchased at many wood suppliers, including Home Depot and Lowe’s. You should also source your building materials from what’s locally available so that you’re saving energy and resources when it comes to transporting material to the project site. Ask around in your community to see if there are salvageable or refurbished building material not being used that’s available for purchase.
2. Find green flooring and cabinetry
While you’re looking at building materials, you should also consider replacing your flooring as well. Cork, linoleum, and bamboo are all good options for flooring and can provide you with a clean, contemporary look while enduring all the daily stress a floor puts up with. These materials are also natural and toxin-free. You can also use these materials to remodel your porch or deck.
Similarly, switching to bamboo and wheatboard cabinets, durable and inexpensive materials, helps you reduce the significant toll that traditional wood puts on the environment and gives you bragging rights when you’re throwing a dinner party, and people are drawn to your beautiful cabinets.
3. Natural light is a natural ally
The Sun isn’t just a major source of light; it’s a major, renewable, free, and natural source of energy, making it a natural ally in your renovation project. Make use of this energy source by installing solar panels on your roof and strategically building in windows and skylights into your home. If you’re interested in replacing your windows, FSC wood, fiberglass, or aluminum frames paired with an insulated glass panel would trap heat in during the winter and keep heat out during the summer. The same is true for doors.
Solar panels, placed appropriately, convert solar rays into energy to power your home, while natural light coming into your windows and skylight will greatly reduce your need for artificial lights during the day, and even trap heat, further reducing the need to turn up the thermostat.
While you’re looking into lights, switch out your incandescent bulbs with LED lights and use solar or motion-sensitive lights for your walkway and entrances. You might also be interested in smart-home lightning solutions connected to your phone or tablet and controlled through Internet access.
4. Don’t overlook appliances
When it comes to home renovations, many people overlook replacing appliances. Dishwashers and refrigerators can be big energy-hogs, especially if they’re over a decade old. By investing in new ones, you can save plenty of money, water, and energy over time. Look for ENERGY STAR rated appliances. While you’re at it, unhooking your ice dispenser cuts your freezer’s energy consumption.
Beyond that, envision how you’ll be using energy in your home once the remodel is complete. Do you cook often? If you pour greasy oil down the drain, it will solidify and eventually block your pipes or cause damage to your city’s sanitation pipes, so start thinking about used cooking oil pickup services. If you take long showers, install an energy-efficient showerhead to curb your water usage.
If you’re in a relatively temperate climate and have a balcony or yard, you might also want to consider stringing up a clothesline and drying your clothes the old-fashioned way. Not only do you save yourself from the noise, expense, and possible fire hazards of a clothes dryer, but your clothes may end up smelling fresher too.
5. To go green, go blue
Home renovations aren’t just about the interior looks. If you have a house with a yard or leaky pipes, you might be spending hundreds of dollars wasting water as well as putting your family in the eyesight of mold. Check for signs of excess or inconsistent water use and then install timed sprinklers, use a drip irrigation system, and collect rainwater with a rain barrel to reduce your water bill and consumption of water. To further your water savings, consider having a landscaper come look at your yard and make suggestions to minimize water use, create nutrient-rich soil, and achieve better yard drainage. There are also renovations that you can do inside to save money: install a water aerator for your kitchen sink, replace your current toilet with a low-flow toilet, and buy a low-flow shower head, so you’re not wasting gallons of water with an older model.
Let us do your next renovation project. David Shoultz, and his team at Beachfront Builders located in Delray Beach, do all kinds of construction from remodels, flips, renovations, and new construction. Furthermore, his wife Ivana Shoultz and her company Beachfront Properties handle all of the design and real estate portions for each project. They work together to help you find any home, and make it your very own. This is our passion, we live here locally and would love to help you. So, Contact us if you’re interested in finding that perfect #beachfront winter getaway and we’ll help make that dream a reality.
Beachfront Builders. We are local, Licensed and Insured Contractors that offer a unique style of building. Uniquely, we do this by focusing on luxury, sustainability and using the latest technology to build your dream home. Not to mention, we work with the best Architects and Interior Designers to design your dream home and build them exactly the way you want. Therefore, we pride ourselves on all of the various small details and try our hardest to make this process, an enjoyable and great experience for everybody.
Lastly, we look forward to getting your feedback and potentially working together in the future!