As the world becomes more focused on sustainability and environmental awareness, architecture and design are paving the way for more eco friendly lifestyles. Remodelling and redesigning is always an exciting experience, especially when watching your vision come to life.
If you’ve been pondering on enhancing the atmosphere of your abode, here are some eco friendly home renovation tips that will help you make your mark at home, and on the environment.
Flooring
The floor of a home is a game changer, it can brighten or dull your space and completely change the feel of a room. Nowadays, people are opting for hardwood flooring as it creates an open feel and is easier to maintain. However, this comes at the cost of destroying our valuable forests. To fix this issue and still achieve a sleek finish, you can use a more sustainable and durable material. Bamboo!
The greatest thing about bamboo is that it’s not timber, surprisingly, it belongs to the grass family. Bamboo is strong, moisture-resistant and needs almost zero pesticides for the upkeep. Bamboo can be harvested without damaging any of the roots, allowing more shoots to be produced making it a renewable resource that can replace the demand on our hardwood forests. It is a great way to add style to your eco friendly home renovations adventures.
Glass & Natural Light
Another one of our favourite eco friendly home renovation tips is recycled glass and the use of natural light. The sun can be an amazing way to brighten every room in your home, and not only does it create warmth and an open feel, but it reduces the need for any lights during the day. Home depots now offer the choice to buy bio-glass that look just like new. The best part? They are 100% environmentally friendly and can be recycled.
Bio-glass can add a stunning touch to your kitchen counter tops, whether you want a 70s retro island or a sleek and sharp benchtop. The opportunities with recycled glass are endless and cater to any vision. In your bathrooms, you can even use recycled glass for your backsplash, adding a unique and personal touch.
Kitchen Updates
One of the most important eco friendly home renovation tips that we have to offer include formaldehyde. Opting for formaldehyde free cabinetry is becoming an increasingly popular decision as renovations become more common. A lot of the pre-existing cabinets that people have in their homes today were made from plywood panelling, hardwood and fibreboard which usually contain formaldehyde. This specific chemical is linked to a lot of health problems, which is why it’s important to install cabinets that are formaldehyde free. But don’t be disheartened, as you don’t need to sacrifice the charm of your new kitchen.
Water
For eco friendly home renovations, it’s all about taking the environment into consideration. Toilets are known as one of the biggest wastes of water, using between 3-6 litres per flush. You can eradicate this problem by installing a dual-flush toilet which gives a short and full flush option while the system optimises to use less water (even on a full flush).
This system can and should be used for other types of water fixtures throughout the home, so look out for low-flow faucets and showerheads to make the ultimate difference with your water usage.
Insulation
While preparing your eco friendly home remodelling adventures, consider another beneficial move for the environment (and your wallet). Insulation! Insulating means you’ll be using less energy to warm and cool your home as it creates a barrier in the floors, walls, ceilings and the roof for heat gain and loss.
Insulation is a cost-effective option and a totally practical way to keep your home temperature controlled.
Deconstruct over Demolition
While demolishing parts of your house may seem like an easy task to take on by yourself, it’s best to call in the home renovation builders to prevent any unwanted damage or mistakes. Taking the time to deconstruct your area means you’ll be able to salvage some materials that could be reused, recycled or donated.
Tearing down homes can cause a lot of harm on the environment as so many materials are filled with serious pollutants (like kitchen cabinets with formaldehyde). So, destroying everything in sight isn’t the right way to go about demolition. Instead, call a professional and try to save materials that you can upgrade and reuse later.
Undertaking eco friendly home renovations may sound like a lot , however, the reward is knowing you’ve made a conscious effort to create a difference. Now that these eco friendly home renovation tips have helped you solidify your renovation dreams, its time to give Renovare a call on 1300 049 516 or get in touch via the online form. We can’t wait to bring your visions to life.