Green home renovations- how to take the first steps

If you are renovating your home there are many decisions that need to be made. You may be wondering which contractor to use or which areas to renovate first. What many people should think about (but don’t) is how to make sure that the renovation process is as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are a few things that you need to consider.

Your home’s energy supply
You may want to consider how your home will be powered. A home renovation can be the perfect time to add a solar panel or to convert from burning fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas to using biomass boilers or a heat pump system. You may even want to use a combination of several different heating methods. For example, you may want to use a heat pump system in combination with a biomass system.

Environmentally friendly heating systems are those that are as close to carbon neutral as possible. A biomass system only releases as much carbon as was absorbed by the plants or trees during their lifespan.

Upgrade windows to energy efficient models
If you are renovating your home you should consider replacing your windows with ones that are more energy efficient. Good choices are double paned models that have a layer of gas in between the glass. This will help reduce or eliminate heat transfer in or out of your home. Different windows will have different R-ratings as some gasses are much better at preventing heat transference than others.

You may want to consider replacing any windows at ground level as well. A significant amount of treated air can be lost through basement windows and yet some individuals do not see the importance of changing windows that are not immediately visible to the outside world.

Use recycled materials whenever and wherever possible
It is important for you to use renovation materials that are made from recycled materials. They have several advantages. The first is that they have already released any toxic gasses when they were in use before and will not contaminate the air in your home. The second is that you are not compounding the problem when some materials are harvested from their natural environment.

Barn board flooring, for example, is a beautiful choice to use in a home or cottage. It can provide a rustic touch to your home or cottage and is good because it prevents landfills from being filled with materials that can easily be reused.