Is your home in dire need of some renovation? Well, it’s good to know that you can renovate your home and create a new and improved space for you and your family without doing too much harm to our beloved planet. Here are a few tips and ideas for a sustainable home renovation project that will bring you green and beautiful results:
Reuse and reclaim materials
Do you need to perform any demolition during your construction? Make sure to be extra careful when taking things apart because many of those things and materials can be saved from the landfill and reused in your projects. If you can’t save anything, you can still be sustainable and buy or simply take materials from salvage yards and collection points. You can often find things from old bricks and planks to high-end materials and heritage elements for a very affordable price.
Choose natural materials
Every sustainable renovation aims to create a home free of toxins and harmful chemicals, especially indoors, in flooring and walls. The best thing you can do for the environment is to use natural materials like lime and clay plaster to seal the house and leave it looking beautiful and breathable. Most people love natural flooring like wood, but when choosing your hardwood floors, opt for sustainable sources (look for the FSC logo). If you want to be more revolutionary than regular wood, you can opt for 100% renewable cork. Materials like marmoleum, cork and rubber can be 100% natural, as long as you check the supplier’s practices.
Think about safety
Do you think green renovations can’t cause harm to you? You can always find a way to hurt yourself when performing renovations, sustainable or not, so make sure to put safety at the first place on your to-do list. Firstly, make sure to invest in quality work boots that you can use for many, many years to come for all your DIY and renovation works, as well as outdoor work, and keep your feet safe in the process. Next, opt for recyclable or bio-degradable masks and filters. And lastly, use plant-based tarps and masking tape for your painting projects and dust protection.
Boost your insulation
You can add as many renewable items as you wish to your home, but you will still have a wasteful space unless you invest in good insulation. Every sustainable renovation needs to include insulation because your home can lose as much as 40% of its energy through thin walls and gaps in the elements. Pay special attention to loft insulation. Natural materials like sheep’s wool can offer many insulation benefits and keep your energy bill low.
Find a way to recycle water
Did you know that on average, every roof gets thousands of liters of water on it throughout the year? While much of this water is necessary for the ground and plants around your house, some places get much more water than the surrounding environment can support. So why not collect that access rain? A good water harvesting system can provide your home with plenty of usable water that can be used in toilets, washing stations, watering stations, etc.
Opt for eco-friendly finishes
If you’re planning to add some new decoration to your home, paint is probably the first thing you’ll reach for. Luckily, you can opt for green paint products that will leave your home toxin-free. Eco-friendly paints are water-soluble thanks to plant oils and resin, and the pigments come from plant dyes and minerals. Today’s market also supports eco-friendly wood finishes and waxes so you can treat your old wooden elements in a green way and give them a whole new life. When it comes to wall coverings, you can even find hessian, cotton and wool sustainable wallpapers!
Improve your thermostat functions
Space heating is necessary, but it consumes the majority of the energy in the household (often up to 60% of all energy consumed). What you can do during your renovation efforts is to invest in smart HVAC management systems. These are easy to control, easy to install and can save more than 30% of energy. Thanks to these smart thermostats, you can create different temperature zones and reduce energy waste even more, while simultaneously boosting comfort at home.
With these green renovation projects, your home will be more beautiful, comfortable, and sustainable than ever, so do your best to be eco-friendly during your next home remodel.
