Home renovation can be a daunting task. However, with proper planning, you can achieve it with minimal hassles. There are also ways in which you can ensure your home renovation project turns out to be more eco-friendly and sustainable. Here are 8 such eco-friendly home renovation tips to reduce the impact your home places on the environment in the days to come.
Start with small changes
Rome was not built in a day. Similarly, don’t think you can make your house entirely green with one renovation itself. It takes time and effort for that. So start making small changes to your home on step at a time. Accordingly, some miniscule changes you can include in your home renovation in order to make it more eco-friendly include testing indoor air quality, removing mold from the home, installing programmable thermostats, installing energy efficient lighting, harvesting rainwater and installing low flow showerheads in the bathrooms, etc.
Don’t replace, instead repurpose or reface
Instead of throwing out all the old items from your home, consider repurposing them elsewhere inside your home. An unwanted wooden crate can be turned over to create a coffee table while an existing cupboard can be moved to the store room to store additional items.
Similarly, consider re-facing items instead of replacing them. For instance, your kitchen cabinets may look worn out. However, a fresh coat of paint can turn them around instantly. A few simple repairs and some painting is all that is needed to make them look striking again. Follow the same process with every other item in your house, throwing it out only if you cannot repurpose or reface it in any way.
Choose Reclaimed Items
The newest and shiniest is not necessarily always the eco-friendliest. Consider opting for reclaimed wood for the floors, walls and kitchen counter tops. In addition to being a comparatively eco-friendlier choice, this will help you save money on these items as well.
Choose Natural Materials for Furnishings
In addition to choosing eco-friendly furniture, you would also need to ensure that the furnishings and fittings you choose are eco-friendly as well. Natural furnishings made of cotton, hemp, linen, canvas, silk, wool, latex rubber, rayon and linoleum can be a great choice for your eco-friendly home renovation project. Stay away from anything that says synthetic or artificial as this would only add to the impact your home places on the environment.
Buy Energy Efficient Appliances
This tip applies only to those electronic appliances you plan to replace, not those that can be repurposed and reused.
Choose energy efficient appliances that come with an Energy Star logo providing you with the information of how efficient they are in saving energy. So even if you end up paying a little extra for an energy efficient appliance now, you can save plenty of money in the long run when it comes to energy related costs.
Opt for Natural Lighting Options
If you plan to rebuild entire walls or replace the doors, windows, etc., consider choosing provisions for natural lighting. Allowing more natural light to enter the home will make the latter look naturally bright and airy, thus reducing the need for lights. In addition to opting for large sized windows, consider opting for skylights as well. You can also install solar panels on the roof to absorb excess sunlight and transform it into electric energy used to light or heat the home.
Choose paints with low VOC
A home renovation project would most probably include a new paint job. If this is the case, then choose paints that contain low levels of VOC and other harmful toxins. Such paints can be odorless, self-priming and splatter free as well. In addition to making your home look new again, these paints will not harm the health of your loved ones in the long run.
Donate Unwanted Items
So you have finished your home renovation project. What do you plan to do with all the items you don’t want? Instead of throwing them away, donate them to charities that can give them off to the needy. You can also send off these items to stores that sell them off and use the proceeds to build homes for the needy.
If you are renovating your home, consider doing it in an eco-friendly manner. From installing durable installation, choosing energy efficient lighting and opting for natural lighting to choosing natural fabrics for household items, these tips would definitely set you on the right path to achieve an eco-friendly home.
