Are you planning to renovate your home but want to do it sustainably? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
In this post, we’ll showcase seven things you can do to ensure your home makeover is as eco-friendly as possible.
1. Use Environmentally Friendly Building Materials
One of the most obvious ways to make your home renovation environmentally friendly is to incorporate as many organic, natural, and sustainable materials as possible.
These types of materials include everything from cob and recycled steel to sheep’s wool and cork, and contrary to what you might think, they can be sourced cheaply. (Many of these materials can be found at salvage yards).
By utilising them, you will not only contribute towards saving energy and the earth but also be able to fashion some eye-catching design elements that will really make your home stand out.
2. Embrace Renewable Energy Sources
With the cost of energy prices constantly on the rise and the demand for power grids growing to unprecedented levels, homeowners are increasingly looking to harness the power of renewable energy sources.
Installing solar panels is a good start, as this can significantly reduce the amount of energy your home consumes from the grid. By transforming sunlight into energy, these panels allow you to power your electrical devices, heating systems and even your electric vehicle in a way that won’t cost you a cent. You can even sell power back to the grid and make a bit of money on your investment!
The good thing about solar panels is that they work all year round – even on the cloudiest or rainiest of days. Once set up, they also require very little in the way of maintenance.
3. Invest in Appliances that are Energy-Efficient
Appliances account for about 30% of the energy consumed in your home. So, as well as the solar panels, you should also invest in energy-efficient appliances to reduce your carbon emissions.
These can take many different forms including rainwater toilets, water-saving showerheads and appliances such as a fridge, TV, oven and washing machine that has a good energy efficiency rating. If you’re looking to renovate your bathroom or laundry, consider incorporating a Sanibest Pro grinder pump. This system allows for the installation of a full bathroom or laundry room in places where traditional plumbing would be challenging, making it a perfect solution for eco-friendly renovations. It’s designed to handle waste efficiently, ensuring that even in spaces far from the main sewer line, water use remains low and effective.
Ultimately, the more energy efficient appliances you can incorporate within your home the better as it will significantly reduce the impact it has on the environment.
4. Insulation
A good way to reduce your cost and the amount of energy used to heat or cool your home is to install proper insulation.
Eco-friendly materials like recycled denim, cellulose or sheep’s wool offer fantastic thermal qualities without negatively impacting the environment. They can also provide you with very good long-term savings and enhance your home’s overall energy efficiency.
5. Choose Eco-Friendly Paints
Should you want to spruce up your home with a fresh coat of paint try to use eco-friendly paints like limewash that are either VOC-free or low in VOCs.
VOCs are volatile organic compounds which can release toxic chemicals into the air. They are often found in traditional paints and can pose health risks by creating poor indoor air quality.
Environmentally friendly paints come in a wide selection of colours and can be found in quality hardware and paint stores.
6. Responsibly Dispose of Your Construction Waste
Renovations can be messy affairs which often will create lots of waste, such as plastics, timber, paints, pipes, cardboard and wires.
In keeping with the eco-friendly ethos of your home renovation, it is important to dispose of this waste ethically and responsibly.
To do this, you will need to ensure that specific items are recycled appropriately and do not just end up in landfill.
While this is something you can do yourself, it can be a labour-intensive task. Therefore, you might want to employ the services of an eco-conscious rubbish removal service like 1300 Rubbish who will dispose of your renovation waste for you in a responsible manner.
7. Hire an Eco-Friendly Renovation Company
If you need to hire a building company for your home renovations, try to find one with impressive eco-friendly credentials.
Many companies have built their business on employing environmentally friendly renovation practices that focus on making the best choices for both their clients and the planet.
They can advise on how to introduce the best eco-friendly features into your home, including how to bring in more natural light and increase energy efficiency.
The best way to find them is to read their customer reviews on Google or seek referrals from forums focusing on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices.
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