Today we are happy to share a guest post by Marcy Tate, a home improvement writer at Networx. She covers topics including green home renovations and green electrical installations. In the terms of Small Changes, Big Solutions, some of these steps are easily implemented as “things you just do.” On a broader scale, it’s time to start working on retrofitting not just our own homes, but entire communities.
Making your home green-friendly is not only good for you and the environment; it’s also good for your wallet. Many green home improvements can actually increase the value of your home and work to lower your utility bills. The good news is that it’s not as hard as it used to be to make your home green. Unlike a few years ago, many green home products are easily accessible and affordable. Here is a glance at some of the best ways to make your home green.
Appliances
If your appliances are over 10 years old or do not work properly, you may want to consider purchasing new, energy-efficient appliances. Over the past few years, most well-known appliance makers have taken great steps to make their appliances more energy-efficient. Always look for Energy Star approved appliances. While some energy-efficient appliances require more up-front costs, homeowners will save in the long run as additional money can be saved through federal tax credits available to those who install certain Energy Star approved appliances. From dishwashers to washing machines, Energy Star appliances can lower your water and electric bills as they conserve more water and energy than older, conventional models.
Paint
Harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are often found in paints and stains. Until recently, most paints contained dangerous levels of harmful VOCs. Nowadays, most paint manufacturers produce low-VOC or zero-VOC paints. Always select low or zero-VOC paint for an eco-friendly choice.
Flooring
There are several green flooring options, including bamboo and concrete. Bamboo flooring is easily accessible and sold at big box home improvements stores throughout the US. It is an excellent alternative to hardwood floors because bamboo is sustainable, growing quickly and abundantly. Concrete floors are eco-friendly because less energy is used in the production of concrete than any other flooring type, and concrete is recyclable. Additionally, concrete floors work to reduce energy consumption. Because they can make one feel cooler, there is less of a need to use the air conditioning. During the winter, concrete floors absorb the heat from the sun, helping to keep your home warm. Be aware that concrete flooring is more expensive than other flooring options. However, homeowners experience a good rate of return on this long-lasting floor type.
Lighting
The first step to green the lighting in your home is to replace old, inefficient light fixtures with low-voltage, energy-efficient fixtures and bulbs. Place fixtures strategically for the most lighting coverage and not near natural light sources. Remember to turn lights off if no one is in the room.
Select energy-efficient fixtures such as pendant lights for any room in your home or under-the-cabinet lighting for the kitchen. Pendant lights and under-the-cabinet lights are available in low-voltage varieties. Also, energy-saving, long-lasting xenon and halogen light bulbs can be used with these types of fixtures. In fact, halogen bulbs can last for about 10,000 hours.
Tubular Skylights
Tubular skylights are gaining popularity in the US as homeowners realize their energy-saving potential. A tubular skylight, also known as a sun tube or sun tunnel, resembles a recessed lighting fixture and blends well with any home décor. They are small in size, making them more energy-efficient than conventional skylights. Their small size means that there is less heat loss experienced in the winter and less heat gain in the summer. Adding a tubular skylight can reduce the need for lighting in the daytime, thus saving even more energy.
Countertops
Green countertops include concrete, ceramic and recycled glass, as they do not contain petroleum-based plastics or non-renewable quarried stone. Concrete countertops are eco-friendly because concrete is a widely available and renewable resource; ceramic tile manufacturing doesn’t create pollution, so the tiles are therefore considered an eco-option; recycled glass countertops are eco-friendly, as they are made from sustainable, recycled resources and can be recycled.
Cabinets & Furniture
The overall trend in green remodeling and renovations is to reuse and reclaim when possible. One of the best ways to practice this is to resurface your cabinets instead of replacing them. Resurfacing your kitchen cabinets will keep the old ones out of landfills. If you do need to purchase new cabinets, select those from reclaimed or recycled wood. Look for furniture that is made from sustainable wood and is formaldehyde and VOC- free.
Water Conservation
The best way to conserve water at home is to improve your water usage habits. Additionally, install water-saving devices in the kitchen and bathroom. For a few dollars, low-flow aerators can be installed into every faucet to reduce the flow of the water. Low-flow shower heads do the same by reducing the flow. Dual-flush toilets can also help you save by providing two flush options: full flush and half flush. If you are in the market for a new toilet, select a high-efficiency model.
Energy Conservation
Have a professional energy audit performed on your house. It will reveal areas where your home needs energy-saving improvements, such as additional insulation or window sealing. Additionally, install a programmable thermostat and use it in a way that will save energy.
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Hey Jess, great points. Jenn and I live in an apartment and some green improvements are hard. We found dual flush toilet adapters for cheap on Amazon that save water.
Very cool! I need to check into some of the easy retrofits for our house. It can definitely be difficult to make some (or any) of these improvements while renting. But the nice thing about apartment living is that your residential footprint is automatically so much smaller than that of single family home dwellers.
Another thing to think about is insulating a non-insulated house. They can drill holes outside and blow insulation in between the framing now. We had that done for less than $1000 a few years back and it really makes a difference (plus the double pane windows and the solar powered attic fan and vents…)
So true! I learned that lesson living in an uninsulated basement with no central heating. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold in my entire life. Blarg.
Adding on to Sustainable Eats, blown cellulose insulation makes a huge difference in the temperature of your house. Plus, it has the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly than batt insulation (~75% – 85% is recycled paper fiber (mainly newspaper) and the fire-retardant materials are “nicer” to the environment and those working around it). (Source: Wikipedia [so take with a grain of salt, although the article does support everything I’ve heard / read about cellulose insulation.)
That’s a super good thing to know about. I had never heard of cellulose insulation before. Thanks for the tip!
There are also tax credits available for insulation. Great tip about the cellulose insulation!
I have cellulose insulation in my townhome. Let me tell you, it makes a huge difference as far as heating / cooling goes. Plus, it’s pretty DIY-friendly. My dad put some up in his attic a couple years ago with the help of my brother and neighbor. You can rent cellulose-blowers from stores like Lowes or Home Depot. Don’t know of the cost difference between cellulose and batt insulation though.
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Thank you for this very informative post about the different ways in which you can make your home more green. It is always important to weigh eco-friendly options when making decisions on home renovation and remodel projects.