How can you have a green home? Billy Gafford manages Handyman Connection, a company dedicated to bringing Birmingham area homeowners the best in handyman and home repair services and shares his tips here.
Ok, so going green is a term we hear thrown around a lot these days. So many products tout the phrase “green friendly,” and nearly every industry in the United States is seemingly trying to capitalize on the trend. With claims of earth- friendly practices assaulting us on nearly every label, it can sometimes seem like a daunting task to distinguish the posers from the genuine article.
However, your home and the practices therein are one of the places where going green is a lot more than hype. This is equally true for renovations. Many of my customers have expressed interest in keeping their repairs and renovations as eco-friendly as possible. As such, I’ve decided to jot down a few easy places where you can cut a few corners and save Mother Nature a bit when making changes to your house. These small practices won’t cost you anything. In fact, they’ll actually save you money. So consider implementing a few of them when you begin your next home improvement project:
- Reuse Where You Can – Just because you’re renovating your kitchen, dining or bathroom doesn’t mean everything old must go. Instead of tossing every old fixture or cabinet, consider revamping some of those old pieces. Think about simply replacing your cabinet doors instead of chucking the whole thing. If you’re dead set on getting new cabinets shelving or storage, reuse the old pieces on the laundry room or garage. Hardwood flooring is another area where you’re better of recycling. Don’t replace it; simply rebuff it, stain it or add new gloss. An older hardwood floor that has been vamped up a bit generally looks even better than a new one.
- Be Selective – If you choose products carefully, you can make a big environmental impact. You’ll have to do a lot more research to balance out all the claims and counter claims, but in the long run you’ll benefit enormously. Your floor is a great place to start. Instead of putting down a traditional hardwood floor, consider laying down cork or bamboo flooring instead. These woods grow and replenish themselves at a much faster rate than hardwoods and often cost less too. Wool, although slightly more expensive, is an organic way to carpet your house that feels and looks much better than non-biodegradable synthetics.
- Don’t Replace Your Water Heating System- Instead, opt for tankless water heating systems. Tankless heaters only boil as much water you use and are a great way to reduce home energy costs. This is one of the most effective measures you take to green your home, as traditional water tanks boil water constantly and waste immense amounts of energy.
- Choose Green Friendly Paints - In recent years, most major paint manufacturers have seized on the trend and begun to develop terrific, affordable lines of eco-friendly paint. These paints are as good or better than their more chemically counterparts and can be purchased anywhere paints are sold.
- Assess Your Energy Use - Though you may need the help of a professional to do this, their services are worth their weight in savings. A professional energy assessor can advise you as to the most energy efficient means to run your home. They will recommend fixes and improvements and show you how to implement them. These can include heat-retaining windows, low-flush toilets to save water and furnaces that burn cleaner and more efficiently. I highly recommend a professional energy audit to anyone doing major renovations or repairs to their home. This service more than pays for itself in immense home energy savings.
As interest in green living continues to grow, more and more people are considering green products and techniques when embarking on a home improvement project. As a result, the prices of many environmentally friendly products and services has dropped significantly and become more affordable than ever before. You average home goods store has a plethora of options to help you in your quest to green your living space.
Though not everyone has the resources to go solar or get completely off the grid, these small green improvements to your home make a significant change to the world. Green and earth friendly home improvement projects add up and ultimately make a big difference.
