Green Remodeling Ideas

As conce
for the environment grows, more and more people are looking for ways to be greener in all aspects of their life. Having a more eco-friendly house is a great step in the right direction and can make a big impact. If you currently remodeling, you may be interested in ways to make your house more friendly to the environment and there are lots of ways to do that.

Employ Passive Solar Heating and Cooling

When you think of using solar energy for your home, the upfront expense may be a turn-off. There are more inexpensive ways to utilize solar energy, though, helping you go green without breaking the bank. Passive solar heating works by incorporating heat movement and heat retention. In a nutshell, you can make certain changes to your house that aid in reflecting and absorbing heat to manage the temperature. Working with a contractor experienced in this technique is a great way to maximize the benefits of this technique.

Use Special Insulating Paint

Properly insulating your home is one of the best ways to be more green and save money as well. One of the easiest, most cost-efficient ways to insulate your home is by using new paint products that are specially formulated to keep the house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. This type of paint is available for both the interior and exterior of your home. It has been shown to reduce heat loss by 20 percent in the winter and reduce heat by 20 percent in the summer. You can buy paint with the additive already mixed in or you can mix it in with regular paint.

Make Your Roof More Energy-Efficient

While metal roofing may not sound aesthetically pleasing, it can be made to look like any other type of roofing. It also requires less maintenance and lasts for at least 30 years. Up front, it costs more to purchase and install, but because metal roofing can be laid over old traditional roofing materials, you will not have to pay the cost of removing the old roof. Increased energy efficiency will help you recoup cost over time as you will save on your utility bills—during the summer, it reflects the sunlight and reduces heat gain substantially.

Install More Eco-Friendly Flooring

When it comes to flooring, you are typically looking for something durable and long-lasting—this is not usually not an aspect of home décor that we change frequently, like place settings or throw pillows.

Bamboo flooring is an excellent choice. It is considered a type of grass, which may make you think it is flimsy but the surface is just as hard as red oak and 25 percent stronger. It is also ideal for a range of weather conditions as it expands and contracts half as much as other types of flooring. Its environmentally friendly status is due to the fact that harvesting it does not require killing any plant. Like any other grass, it grows very quickly and cutting bamboo is the same as cutting the grass on your front lawn. It is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and it does not require any special process to cultivate that could other wise harm the environment.

Cork flooring is another green choice. The flooring material is harvested from the outer bark of the tree, which means no killing of any plants. It is highly resistant to liquid penetration, hypoallergenic and does not emit any substances into the air, making it a good choice for people with breathing difficulties.