Green Remodeling Tips: Eco-Friendly Ideas for Your Home
General Remodeling
The “Why” of Green Remodeling
Before delving into the practical steps of making your remodel more sustainable, it’s essential to understand the ‘why’ behind green remodeling. While the environmental benefits are the most obvious, there are also many less apparent advantages to choosing sustainable remodeling. When done right, green remodeling should be considered an investment, not an expense. Another advantage is the health benefit of using clean materials in construction. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the potential for savings and improving your overall health through sustainable remodeling.
“Green” and “Sustainable” are words used very often despite having many meanings. There are endless ways to make your project more sustainable, from relatively minor to significant. Without changing a single material or upgrading to a sustainable appliance, you can begin your sustainable project during demolition.
What Can I Recycle?
Wood is the most commonly upcycled material, often reused in art and other applications, but there are so many more options. One of the most important things to remember when you’re recycling is your local guidelines. Although anything you can recycle is beneficial to the planet, if your local recycling center won’t accept it, there are better places to spend your time.
Recycling is a great option, but it’s not the only one. Re-usable materials have a market if you just know where to look. Materials like appliances, doors, windows, countertops, cabinetry, and things as small as paint have potential uses. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity will often pick up these materials but only service certain areas. Facebook marketplace can be another great avenue to get rid of materials that don’t have value to you but may have a lot of value to somebody else.
The standard full sustainable remodeling project can have an up-front cost of up to $20,000 more than a non-sustainable one but will likely recoup these costs over time. These are just a few examples of ways to make your project more sustainable at any scale.
Small-Scale Green Remodeling Changes
- Adding a low-flush toilet. This can cost as little as $100 and is already mandatory in Massachusetts remodels.
- Refurbished materials
- Low-flow faucets in sinks and showers
- Choosing natural stones over synthetic stones
Larger-Scale Green Remodeling Changes
- Ecologically safe insulation usage for better effects on the environment and better heat conservation in the home.
- Replace old windows
- Install Solar Panels
- Update to energy-efficient utilities like a cold water washer and dryer.
An Investment That Makes a Difference
In a quote from John Shipman from Build It Green, “You don’t have to do a lot to make a big difference.” Improving your efficiency by any amount can help you save on your electric and heating bills, but there are also many options that significantly increase your resale value as well. Solar panels and sustainable insulation are two great examples of items that offer long-term savings. That’s why, when considering a sustainable remodel, it should be considered an investment more than an expense.
