7 Tips for Eco-Friendly Home Renovation

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When renovating your home, it’s important to complete the project without causing harm to the environment. Today more and more homeowners are interested in upgrading their homes with sustainability features that reduce the environmental impact of their living in the long run.

Use VOC-free paints and furniture

furniture

Short for volatile organic compounds, VOCs produce harmful gaseous molecules with long-term health effects. When choosing paints for your renovation, make sure to ask for no-VOC or low-VOC products. One of the most famous VOCs is formaldehyde, which is one of the 20 most produced chemicals in the world. It’s found in plastic, particleboard, plywood, fibreboard, and other materials that are widely used in modern-day furniture-making. Luckily, many stores today offer cabinetry and furniture options that are formaldehyde and VOC-free.

Test for lead

If your house is more than 40 years old, there’s a good chance that it contains lead paint. If you plan to tear into walls which potentially contain lead, test your home first. Lead testing kits are nowadays available in many hardware stores. If the test turns positive, you better move out during the renovation and let professionals do the dirty work. They have personal protection and equipment that makes it safe for their operators to handle materials containing lead.

Install low-water plumbing

plumbing

Toilets are often accused of being the biggest wasters of water in a household. Although water is an essential part of bathroom hygiene, traditional flush systems tend to waste much more water than necessary. A dual flush toilet gives short flush and full flush options, while the whole system is optimised to use less water even on full flush. You can apply the same philosophy to other water fixtures and look for low-flow faucets and showerheads.

Insulate your home

home

Insulated spaces between your home’s inner and outer walls are often overlooked in the remodelling process. Even if there is some insulation, it might not be sufficient by today’s standards. The best way to upgrade it without tearing everything apart is to blow cellulose insulation, as it can go directly over the existing fibreglass insulation. For a completely insulated home, install the outside insulation yourself using portable scaffolding for hire. These scaffolds are perfect for above-ground-level jobs around your home, like cleaning gutters, replacing shutters, and roof repairs.

Get a smart home thermostat

thermostat

Unlike thermostats with timer settings, smart home thermostats offer a much higher degree of control, even remotely by using your phone. Instead of regulating temperature based on pre-set time values, these thermostats can detect when there’s no one in the house and crank down the heating automatically. These smart gadgets are an excellent way to cut done your energy bill and increase your home’s efficiency.

Choose bamboo flooring

bamboo flooring

Often comparing it to other sustainable wood materials, people often miss the fact that bamboo is not wood at all, but grass. It’s durable, moisture-resistant, grows back faster than wood, and needs almost no pesticides. Besides, bamboo can be harvested without destroying its roots, which is, from an environmental standpoint, an ideal sustainable material. Using bamboo for your floors and furniture allows us to save other trees and protect old-growth forests.

Increase natural light

natural light

Steadily gaining popularity all over the world, glass curtains are a great way to allow more natural light and bring you closer to the outdoors. These curtains are made of frameless tempered glass panels which are fully retractable so you have a lot of flexibility. For example, you can use them for the balcony to let the outside in, while keeping rain, wind, dust, and haze at bay. They are easy to maintain while they provide great views of your garden landscaping or the city skyline.

Renovating your home while helping the environment needn’t be difficult at all, especially if you follow these low-impact tips. Apart from trying them at home, you can apply them to your office, workspace, rental, or any other space you want to make more sustainable.

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DianaSmith

Diana smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in latest startup and IT topics. In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.
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DianaSmith

Diana smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in latest startup and IT topics. In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.

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