10 Tips for Earth-Friendly Home Renovation

10 Tips for Earth-Friendly Home Renovation

Join us this week as we look at 10 simple ways to incorporate earth-friendly techniques and materials into your renovation. Whether you are simply swapping out your counter tops or backsplash or tackling a whole-house renovation, there’s guaranteed to be an idea for you to take away here. Let us begin.

Case Design/Remodeling, Inc..

1. Harvest your own rainwater. Look closely in the home in the picture. Notice that barrel positioned beneath the rain gutter? It’s a rainwater harvesting system built to securely collect and store rainwater that could otherwise go to waste. A hose at the base of the barrel enables the owners to wash the garden with saved rainwater. See your tank fill up along with the water bill go down!

Browse rain barrels

Natalie DeNormandie

Another rainwater harvesting method, this one fed by means of a rain chain and made to blend seamlessly with all the plantings surrounding the home for a natural appearance.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

2. Add a green roof. A green roof, which is essentially a giant raised-bed garden placed atop a roof, can help cool the atmosphere, insulate the inside of your home, and even offer extra room to backyard in urban areas where space is at a premium. Sound like a Great Deal of trouble? You can install one in the roof of your garage. You may enjoy lots of the same advantages, with lower cost and less effort.

9 Cooling Rooftop Gardens

Conscious Construction Inc..

3. Build smarter, much larger. If you are thinking about a major home renovation, then look closely in the available space before adding to the footprint of your home. Can there be a loft inserted above the room? Could an unused additional half-bath make way for this sunroom you truly want? Staying within the current footprint of your home will keep energy consumption to a minimum and likely save you some money too.

How to Enhance the House You Have

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

4. Increase natural lighting and air flow. Properly placed skylights and windows allow more natural light to stream into houses, reducing reliance on artificial lighting in addition to enabling us to control the temperature without the aid of air conditioning. Prior to making any adjustments, consider the total amount of light each room now gets too as the length of day you usually utilize the room. A skylight might prove to be too much in an already warm south-facing living room, but could be just the thing to light up the reading nook at the top of your stairs.

Tubular Daylighting Devices Bring the Sun In

Chr DAUER Architects

5. Go for recycled paper counters. Richlite is a eco friendly material made in part from recycled paper. Available in a broad selection of beautiful colours and finishes, this flexible substance works well with a range of decorating styles.

Fireclay Tile

Fireclay Tile’s Newest’Crush’ – Ranked Made 100% Recycled Glass Tile

6. Explore recycled glass tile. Why buy”new” tile once you can choose recycled glass tile in such a luscious range of colors? Fireclay Tile is created in California from recycled materials that could otherwise wind up in a landfill, and all of products emit low or no VOCs.

RoehrSchmitt Architecture

7. Go natural with cork flooring. Cork is tender, hot, reduces noise vibration, and looks fresh and modern. Additionally, cork flooring is chosen from the bark of the cork oak tree, meaning no trees are cut down to create these beautiful floors.

FLOR

Cut Flowers Carpet Tile at Geranium – $13.99

8. Get a fresh look with carpet tiles. Many types of carpet tiles are produced from recycled materials, and all carpet tiles are recyclable. Additionally, if you blot one tile that you can simply replace it rather than needing to purchase a whole new carpet — a major plus for houses with pets and kids.

Sutton Suzuki Architects

9. Look for reclaimed timber. Before beginning a major renovation project, it may be worth some time to explore sources in your region — or even in your property — for example timber. Old beams and planks have a patina that fresh timber simply can’t match, and you can feel good knowing you’ve saved several trees in the lumberyard.

ZeroEnergy Design

10. Invest in solar panels. If you are looking to produce a change that will have a large effect, consider installing solar panels. The initial investment could be steep, it’s accurate, but the payoff in energy savings could be well worth it, especially if you plan to reside in your home for many years to come. Some countries also offer rebate programs for homeowners who move solar, which can help offset the cost.

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High Design With Solar Panels
Easy Green: Weekend Detox to Your House

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