If you're planning to renovate your home, there are a number of ways to do so sustainably. By making eco-friendly choices, you can help reduce your carbon footprint and save money on energy costs in the long run.
Here are some tips on how to make your home renovation as green as can be:
Purchase Eco-friendly Air Conditioners
Due to global warming, the weather we can see is constantly changing for the worse. So, opt for eco-friendly air conditioners if you want to keep yourself cool sustainably. Yes, there are sustainable air conditioners today! These appliances use natural ingredients, e.g., water or carbon dioxide, to work. These machines use these ingredients because they have a much lower impact on the environment than traditional ones.
An air conditioner takes up a lot of energy and costs in one’s home. It can also be harmful to the environment due to prolonged use. Did you know that the United States is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses? In 2020, it was estimated that the gas emissions in the United States equal 5,981 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. In China, it was estimated that their carbon levels in 2019 rose to 14.1 GtCO2e.
In Australia, the carbon emissions in December 2021 were estimated at 488.0 Mt CO₂-e. Thus demands for eco-friendly air conditioners or systems are growing. Many consumers look for companies that specialize and provide eco-friendly, cost-efficient air conditioning installing Newcastle, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, to name a few.
If you live in these countries, purchasing an eco-friendly air conditioner is a must to ensure that you don’t contribute further to these emissions.
Buy Reclaimed Items
When renovating a house, homeowners often think they need the shiniest and newest things. However, buying reclaimed items like wood is more environmentally sound and popular in home renovation projects.
What reclaimed items would look good in your home? Look for reclaimed wood for walls, flooring, and countertops since it would look good in these places. Using reclaimed wood is good for the environment; you can save time, energy, and money that would be used to produce a similar and new product.
Deconstruct, Don’t Demolish!
Are you planning on knocking down an entire room or tearing down walls? Before you do that, walk around your house first to see what you can salvage and reuse in your home renovation. Finding items that you can deconstruct is eco-friendly and can save you a ton of money when renovating.
Remember that you don’t have to fix it if it isn't broken. When renovating, it’s most likely that there will be a ton of materials in your home that you can reuse and salvage. It would be best to consider everything from the tile, light fixtures, cabinets, bricks, moldings, and flooring.
Are you thinking of replacing the chandelier in your living room? Instead of tossing it, which wouldn’t be a sustainable way of renovating your home, you should consider just using it in another room. You can reuse it in your bathroom, kitchen, or any bedroom!
Use Chemical-Free Products
When renovating a home, it’s almost natural that chemicals are all over the place, especially in the rooms you’re constructing. We use chemicals to remove overspills and wash brushes and other household products.
Heavy brick cleaners, wall strippers, and other building materials with formaldehyde can harm the environment and the skin. For the sake of your health and skin, it’s better to look for other alternatives, mainly products that don’t have any formaldehyde, when renovating your home. You can also save the environment this way.
Always Think Energy-efficient
In addition to looking around for eco-friendly air conditioners, you should also look for new energy-efficient appliances. These include your dishwashers, ovens, refrigerators, and many more.
You should know that these are the common items that eat the most energy, so ensuring that you’re looking for the most energy-efficient option can lessen your carbon footprint and energy consumption.
Reface, Don’t Replace!
Instead of replacing your cabinets or breaking down those walls, consider refacing them instead. The best and most cost-effective way to do this is by painting these cabinets or walls. There’s a high chance that your cabinets and walls are in good condition; you need to reface them to ensure it looks brand new.
If you don’t want to repaint it, you can also try changing the doors, drawers, or handles - doing this can give your tired cabinets a new life.
Consider Purchasing Pre-owned Materials
It would help if you also consider purchasing pre-owned items. Just like using reclaimed wood, you can also add more new items to your home by purchasing pre-owned materials instead. You can find many pre-owned materials that are on sale and are still in good condition, usually at various yard or garage sales or even at thrift stores. Utilizing pre-owned materials is a great way to ensure your expenses are cost-effective.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to renovate your house or any part of it in an eco-friendly way enables you to reduce your carbon footprint and help save the environment, and it also helps you give back to your community. You can get these benefits and also save serious money.