Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle

When looking to remodel, consider going green with environmentally friendly solutions.

Green Remodeling: 5 Tips For a Sustainable Home

Updating and remodeling your home can be an exciting project, especially if you are following green remodeling principles. If you have the itch to change a few things in your home and you are environmentally conscious, here are a few updates to consider that will make a big difference in your energy use and environmental footprint. Just a few small changes can make your home more sustainable.

Energy Efficient Window Treatments

Green remodeling for a sustainable homeIf your windows are bare or you have a cheap sheer curtain, it is time to update. Covering windows with dark curtains, roman shades or plantation shutters can dramatically decrease the amount of energy you use to heat and cool your home. In the summer window treatments can keep the heat from the sun out, and in the winter they keep cool air from entering. Window treatments are kind to our environment because they result in less energy usage, which will lower utility bills. While you are at it, install some weather stripping around the window.

Renewable Bamboo Flooring

If you are ready to kick your carpet, tile or laminate to the curb, bamboo flooring is the perfect option to keep your house up to date and is a very green product. The bamboo plant is truly amazing. Picking bamboo over wood floors saves our rainforests. Bamboo is renewable and does not have to be replanted after it is used. It grows back on its’ own. Bamboo is a much healthier environmental choice.

Watch your Water Usage

Though they often go unnoticed, one wasteful culprit that should be checked is leaky pipes. If pipes are leaking, fix them. If they are beyond fixing, replace them. You can save hundreds of gallons of water by correcting a leak. Another way to decrease your water usage is to install low-flow toilets and shower heads. You will need to invest in some new fixtures, but it will save money in the long run and save water immediately.

Spruce Up the Yard & Cut Energy Waste

You may think all updates are inside the walls of your house, but making a few changes outside can also make you home more sustainable. First, planting trees around the home, particularly around windows, is a great method to save energy. These trees can provide shade to keep the home cooler in the summer. The leaves fall off in the winter so the sun will find its way in to add some warmth.

Next, plant a garden. Begin your own composting in a small area of your yard and plant vegetables and herbs. By composting you are reusing items, such as egg shells and leaves that fall from the trees, to create a nutrient rich soil. Then, plant your own organic vegetables to be more self-sufficient and know that your produce is truly untreated organic.

Furniture Updates

If you want to change the look of your home and really update the style, you are going to want some new furniture. However; getting new furniture means adding your old furniture to the already overflowing landfills.

There are two options for solving this problem while still freshening the look of your home. First, upcycle your own furniture. Give furniture a new coat of paint. Reupholster with a new fabric. This way, you are reusing and still getting a new feel. Next, if you just have to get rid of old furniture, make sure old furniture is either recycled or taken to a thrift store for another person to love.

Author Bio: Bernadette Morrison is the Director of Internet Marketing at Ambient Bamboo Floors. Ambient Bamboo carries a variety of styles, offering you an inexpensive and stylish green flooring option. Bernadette loves giving tips about bamboo flooring and how to install it. Visit our website to buy bamboo flooring.


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