Renovating your home doesn’t have to harm the environment. There are plenty of eco-friendly home improvements that can also save you money.
Use Reclaimed Materials
This is a great idea because you are making the most of someone's discarded items, and that can add some character to the room you are renovating. Reclaimed wood is particularly popular and can be used for everything from floors and wall treatments to kitchen islands and furniture.
Use Sustainable (and old) Materials
Rammed earth is the perfect example, made of chalk, lime, or gravel, was a method used to build the great walls of china!
Straw-bale was used to build the first homes for the British settlers in North America, it comes from the waste of the agricultural industry. It is a substitute for lumber and still sequesters carbon, also it keeps everything warm in the winter and fresh in the summer!
Bamboo, cork and natural wool are just a few examples of remodelling green that can make your home more sustainable and help to reduce your carbon footprint.
Salvage What You Can
Anytime you can safely avoid dumping things in the landfill, it’s a good thing. For instance, kitchen cabinets that are mouldy or in disrepair often have to be scrapped, but if the boxes are sturdy and strong you can keep them and simply replace the doors. Hanging onto things that simply require a little upcycling is a great way to save money and lessen your environmental impact.
Enhance Natural Lighting With Sun Tunnels
Nothing beats natural light and while you can enhance it using techniques like placing mirrors across from windows, the best option is a sun tunnel, It will always make you feel as if the lights in the room were on!
Low-Flow Bathroom Fixtures
If you’re replacing your toilet or shower there’s no reason not to go with low-flow options. They’re a top environmentally-friendly renovation because they save water, but they can also save you quite a bit of money over time.
Focus on Energy Efficiency
Anything you can do to increase energy efficiency is a good thing – both ecologically and financially. Go around the house and look from where the air can leak. Windows and doors are common culprits so, as one of the easier eco-friendly home improvements you can do, make sure you’ve caulked or used weather stripping where appropriate.
Start the Thermostat
Pre-program the temperature to keep it low when you are not home or when you are asleep and have it warm up just as you get home or wake up. And the ability to control it via smartphone is a game-changer. It really helps you reduce the amount of energy that you use.
Buy Local
Not only helps support businesses, but you help reduce the environmental impact caused by shipping. While it’s not always possible, it’s worth trying to find local alternatives to any items you’re thinking of having shipped. Even if at first glance it seems more expensive, you may find that when you eliminate the shipping, you reduce the price.
Insulate
The better insulated your home is, the more it will stand up to the elements and the less heating and cooling you’ll require. Stone wool insulation is recommended since it protects against fire and noise.
Solar Energy
Solar is a renewable energy source that can also save – and even make – you money.
