Home Improvement Ideas That Are Better for the Planet
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Finding ways to reduce your carbon footprint by changing your home in various ways is smart. These changes will be permanent, and if you sell your home, you’ll be able to pass on your earth-friendly changes to another homeowner. The following are a few eco-friendly home improvement ideas to consider for the sake of the planet and future generations.
Energy Efficient Focus
One thing you can do right now is switch to energy-efficient products. If you want to start with a small home improvement, then consider replacing your lighting with energy-efficient lighting. While this home improvement is small, it can still help the planet and save you money by reducing the amount of energy you use a year. Bigger changes could involve replacing items like your washing machines or dishwasher with an energy-efficient option. These can be more costly, but they’re worth the trouble.
Solar Energy Revolution
Reducing the amount of energy you use helps reduce your reliance on electric companies. The traditional way of producing electricity hurts the planet. The less you use, the better for the planet. Buying energy-efficient products does some good, but you can take things to the next level by installing solar panels. This will help decrease your dependence on or replace your use of regular electricity. You can also retain more reliable energy if you look into solid state battery technology for your family home this year. With the right batteries, you can live off-grid, which is great for the planet and your wallet.
Repurposing Building Materials
Sometimes, home improvement is necessary. Maybe some of your doors need to be replaced, or maybe some floorboards need to be replaced. For whatever reason, you’re going to have to replace some parts of your home. Before you go and buy new building materials, consider repurposing older ones. Look at social media marketplaces and apps to find something near you. The materials may not be new, but they’ve got some life still in them. Sure, the hunt for these materials is going to be annoying, but you’ll save money, and you’ll be saving the environment.
Overlooked Eco-Friendly Repairs
Every so often, the best step to take requires a good evaluation of a house. There could be overlooked repairs or potential improvements hidden in plain sight that could be good for the environment. For example, your insulation material may need to be replaced. This could help keep you cool or trap heat inside, depending on the season. This could help your HVAC system do its job faster and with less energy. The fix could be simpler than that though. It could be that your house has a lot of cracks or holes that need to be fixed to ensure your HVAC system doesn’t work too hard. Have your home thoroughly inspected to see if there’s anything that needs fixing.
Green-Focused Changes
If there’s nothing wrong with a homeowner’s windows, then that homeowner probably doesn’t pay attention to them all that much. If this happens to you, then rethink your windows because they could be more eco friendly if you want them to be. All you need to do is look into eco-friendly windows, and see if you can afford them. These windows do a better job of insulating your home. These would save you a bundle during the winter months when you’re forced to turn up the heat. There are also smart windows that allow you to choose when to let more sunshine in and when to provide you with more shade.
A Moment for Water
It’s important to rethink the way water is used in your home. Several changes could be made so that you use water more efficiently. For example, you can rethink your home’s landscaping by having your landscaper install plants that use less water or that are self maintaining so that they can take care of themselves. You could also install a tankless water system that’ll heat water on demand, rather than continuously heat gallons of water you may not even use. You can also install showerheads that help reduce your water consumption.
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
If you are new to trying to be more environmentally-friendly, just start with the basics. This means recycling all of your papers and plastics. This is a fairly easy task especially if you invest in your own recycling bin which has separate sections for each part of your trash. You and your family will feel better knowing that you are contributing to a better planet for future generations to come.
Conclusion
These are some changes you can make to your home to make it more eco-friendly, but there are many more. For example, you can install smart technology, like a smart thermostat that’ll stop wasting energy when you’re away or when you’re asleep.
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