|
If you’re thinking about building or
renovating your home, you might want to consider some green options. No
– I don’t meant having a green color scheme (although you certainly can
if it suits you), I’m talking about making eco friendly choices for your
new design.
Green Home
Remodeling Products
Certainly one of the first
things that comes to mind is using “green” products. Low VOC carpets and
floors and cabinetry made from sustainable materials like cork and
bamboo should be high on your choice list. In the kitchen and bathrooms,
you could opt for recycled glass countertops that add a unique touch to
the kitchen and are a great way to put old glass to use. These
countertops come in many color combinations and resemble artful mosaics
which lend a classy air to your room.
Green Home Remodeling Recycling Ideas
Another thing to consider is
recycling your old items or, using items from someone else’s home. These
days, wood floors are very popular and if you are considering them for
your home you might look around at older homes that are being torn down
to see if you can salvage the flooring. Every item that you reuse from
your old design or from someone else’s home is one less item that will
end up in the landfill.
Green Home Remodeling to Heat & Cool Your Home
If you are redoing your
heating, then look into solar or wind power. Wind power might not be
practical for all homes since you need to have quite a bit of land and a
high area for the turbine. Solar power, on the other hand, can be
adapted to almost anywhere. If putting in a solar system is not within
your reach, you should at least make sure that you insulate properly and
use triple pane windows and tight fitting seals on your doors to
minimize loss of energy from your home.
Green Home Remodeling vs. The
Environment
Avoiding use of paints and
glues that produce air pollution is another consideration. This is not
only important for the environment, but for your health as well. Toxic
fumes can build up in your home and are bad for your health. In fact,
the EPA estimates that the pollution inside your home can be up to 100
times worse than that outside the home! In order to have cleaner air
inside, use water based paints instead of oil based and avoid products
that have a lot of adhesives. When you do need to use adhesive, try to
make sure they are as “green” as possible.
Luckily, there are plenty of
exciting options in eco-friendly materials and you don’t have to
sacrifice beauty or function to go green. When choosing the new
materials and items for your home, be sure you do your homework and look
for eco-friendly options – I think you will find plenty of items that
fit in your new design!
|
Green
Home Living