From Guest Blogger Anita Ginsberg: How To Stay Green While Doing A Home Renovation Project

Home renovations can be exciting and demanding, but with the right steps, it can be done exactly the way you envisioned. No matter what the size of your dream project, you may want it to be an environmentally-conscious one. Here are some tips to ensure that your endeavor is friendly to our earth and its inhabitants.

Do a Green Evaluation

Before you begin to transform your living space, have an energy audit. A professional technician will look for leaks, check out insulation, the furnace and ductwork, and test doors. Making the audit’s conclusions a part of the project will save you money, allow for ease of household maintenance, and limit the carbon footprint of your home.

Find a Green Builder

An environmentally-conscious builder or contractor will ensure that your project meets your standards. He or she is a source of information about practices, materials, and products that are renewable, recycled, and otherwise eco-friendly. If the size of your renovation does not require an exclusively green builder, consulting with one can yield names of ecologically-concerned contractors where you live.

Lighten Up Your Space

Surfaces that reflect light spread illumination throughout any space, resulting in an abundance of natural light. Where you place windows and what goes next to them maximize brightness while reducing the need for artificial lighting. It’s as simple as installing a window next to an adjacent wall, putting overhangs above windows, and affixing a built-in bookshelf next to a source of natural light. As sunlight reflects off these surfaces, it scatters around the room and makes it a brighter, lovelier living space.

Stay Focused

It’s tempting to think big when contemplating a renovation project. As attractive as a huge kitchen or extra guest room might sound, such “improvements” in reality are not only impractical (unless you have a small house whose property value may rise with the addition of more floor space), they are a needless expense and a drain on energy resources. Think quality rather than quantity. If your renovations result in a comfortable living area without an unnecessary accumulation of space, furnishings, and decorative items, your home will be more comfortable, aesthetic, and energy-efficient.

Green Up Your Landscape

Eco-friendly indoor and outdoor landscaping is simple, cost-effective, and easy to maintain. Living walls, constructed of “green” wall blocks or a frame attached to an existing structure, are vertical gardens supporting a variety of flora, even vegetables and fruits. A combination of grass and wild- and nectar-rich flowers that attract winged creatures transforms your yard into a wildlife habitat. And don’t forget to include air-purifying plants in your interior decor.
Use Green Materials

Not everything used in renovations need be newly-created materials. Incorporating recycled insulation, drywall, marble, and wood is a wise move. Bamboo is an aesthetic renewable choice for flooring and more environmentally-friendly than stone or wood. Choosing paints low in volatile organic compounds will boost your home’s air quality.

By following these simple guidelines, you can make your home a more beautiful, inviting, and eco-friendly place for you and your family. Consider renting a bin for all of the waste from your renovation from a company that will separate trash from recycling for you. This way, you can spend more time on the important parts of the project.

Informational credit to King Recycling & Waste Disposal Inc.