From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplan: Green Seam — How to Make Home Renovations Eco-Friendly
(The woman pictured here is using organic paint, which presumably explains her broad smile. – Ed.)
When attempting to renovate your home, it is best to do so in as eco-friendly of a way as possible. It is also important to have good builders on board with your project who understand how to maximize your eco-friendly renovation efforts and make their efforts more sustainable. In most situations, green home renovations in Edmonton will save you and others a lot of money while having far less of an impact on the environment. The following are a few green renovation tips that will help you carry out your home renovation project.
Reducing Your Environmental Impact
Part of carrying out a green renovation project on your home is reducing the amount of materials you are taking away from the environment. For example, it is not necessary to completely demolish and totally replace the cabinets in your kitchen. If the wood framing of your cabinets is still in good condition, it may only be necessary to give your cabinets a face-lift with replacement doors or hardware. Alternatively, if you want to save even more money and still opt for a green solution, you can try sanding and restaining the old cabinet doors to reduce the need to take more wood from the environment.
Energy Efficiency Concerns
If you are going green, then your home renovations should take into account the various factors for improving the energy efficiency of your home. Asking around to get the latest information on which insulation is eco-friendly and will help to improve the energy efficiency of your home is a start. Upgrading old appliances to those with a higher energy star rating to conserve more energy is another way to ensure better energy efficiency with your green home renovation efforts. Make sure you do your research on each different part.
Salvage and Recycle
Instead of demolishing the materials you pull out of your home during your renovation project, it is a better idea to salvage these materials and recycle them. Many organizations will appreciate, and be able to help recycle your old materials. For example, organizations like Habitat For Humanity will take materials and items from your home renovation projects to use in their own home rebuilding efforts. In contributing your home’s old materials to others who recycle, you are lowering the impact you have on the environment.
Renovating your old home to give it a new look is a wonderful idea when you make the effort to do so in an environmentally friendly way. Green methods will not only help the environment, but potentially help to contribute to the efforts of others who are also working hard to not increase their impact on the environment. By reusing and recycling old items and materials from your home, you are contributing to a system that will ensure a healthier and stronger environment for future generations.
