Today, it’s more important than ever to consider eco-friendly or “green” products and materials when you improve your home. This is because we want to do our part to keep the environment healthy, but it is also because most of us cannot afford to waste money on inefficient homes.
Many products and materials that are eco-friendly can help your pocket book-think low water bills, affordable gas and electricity bills.
Fortunately, there are many options today for those who want to make eco-friendly home improvements. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Tons of water is wasted each year in the bathrooms, so take a look there when you want to renovate. For the toilet, consider a dual flush model. These are designs that use two different flush settings depending on what you need (usually a powerful mode offers 6 liter, a nice and gentle 3 liter flush as well). This can greatly help reduce water consumption in the home over in the course of a single year.
2. A new coat of paint will increase appeal to the outside of a house and brighten up the drab spaces inside. It is also an easy and relatively inexpensive home improvement method. When selecting the paint, stick to brands that use non-VOC or non-volatile organic chemicals. Just ask the paint department of the home improvement store, and someone should be educated enough to help you find and eco-friendly paint to suit your needs.
3. Flooring is one of the first things people think of when they remodel, and there are many ways to get what you want and still be eco-friendly. For those who are looking for a natural type of material then cork flooring is a great option to explore. It is durable, comfortable to walk on, and boasts of using of non-toxic adhesives, with a wide range of colors and designs available.
4. Your floors may not really need to be replaced at all. Reusing and refinishing already existing materials is a hallmark of the green movement, so another viable home improvement option is in refinishing the floors you currently have. This is plausible if you have wood floors underneath any other type of floors in your home.
5. Carpets can be eco-friendly too. Sometimes it’s hard to beat the warmth and softness of carpets but if you want to be green and healthy (carpeting is well known for harboring dust mites, and dust) consider carpet tiles. Which is the in-thing right now. There are typically created from recyclable materials and are very easy to install and clean. This makes them a beautiful choice.
6. In the bedroom, look for organic bedding. Many off-the-shelf bedding products are treated with a chemical called formaldehyde, which is intended to make them soft, but is hazardous to the environment as well as your health. Look for organic bedding instead.
7. As for the bed itself, consider eco-friendly mattresses. There are several companies that have them available; most are typically made from natural latex rubber which is friendly to the environment. Also these mattresses pose fewer problems when it’s time to replace them.
8. Think solar power whenever possible. This can save you a lot of money in the long run. For example, if you are replacing your water heater, consider a solar powered model. This will reduce energy usage, lower your power bill, and ensure that you always have plenty of hot water on hand, even if the power is out in the rest of the house.
Matthias Gelber, a German environmentalist living in Malaysia said: “The issue of environment responsibility is an important one more so with the rising cost of fuel, electricity and water. Resources cost money. It is not free. And consumption leads to pollution. Anything that can help reduce water and electricity bill combined with environmental responsibility will bring us a double return for our investment, as well as a better future for our children.
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