September 4, 2019

carpenter carpentry craft 1388944 1 min

Whether you’re building or renovating your home, a green renovation is going to be more friendly on your bank account and the planet.

Creating a sustainable home is no longer just a fad; in fact, sustainable living has now become a part of our daily lives and it is vital that we do our best to reduce the impact we have on the environment.

From a complete renovation of your home to a simple revamp of a single room, there are plenty of options to help reduce your carbon footprint. This can include using more energy-efficient, non-toxic, biodegradable and recycled materials in your next project.

Here are some quality and environmental design tips that will save you thousands of dollars on energy and water bills, but also help contribute to a sustainable future.

Passive design

A passive-designed home refers to the use of heating and cooling your home without the aid of artificial devices such as air conditioning or heaters.

To implement a passive home design, it’s important to understand the seasonal climate of the area in which you live in. Each room in the house can then be structured so they are a comfortable temperature all year round, requiring minimal artificial cooling or heating systems.

Passive design elements can include double glazed windows, thermal mass (concrete or brick), insulation, airflow and orientation.

The best part about a passive-design home? It costs little or nothing to incorporate and has very little to none running costs.

Sustainable flooring

A Sustainable floor covering in your home can help create an environmentally sound home as well as contributing to a healthier and cleaner future. The best part is you don’t have to sacrifice on aesthetics. Consider natural materials that draw in heat, this can include concrete and brick, which absorb heat during the day and keep the rooms cool in summer.

These are called thermal masses and as mentioned above, contribute to a passive home.

During winter, the same materials can protect a room from getting too cold outside temperatures, effectively reducing the amount of artificial heating used.

If brick and concrete aren’t your style, you may want to consider Bamboo flooring or Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles.

There is an abundance of bamboo that the forests restore themselves even after being cut down for flooring. The benefits of porcelain and ceramic wood-look tiles are that they are created from natural clay as opposed to cutting down precious trees for wooden floorboards. Achieve that natural wood-look style without impacting the environment.

Wood look tiles Jupps
Ceramic tiles that look like wood planks

Jupps Floor Coverings Perth provide you with a wide variety of sustainable flooring options including Reclaimed Wood, Bamboo, and Ceramic/Porcelain Tiles to help transform your house into an eco-friendly home.

If you are set on flooring like carpet or vinyl, not all are alike.

ESC - eco friendly flooring - godfrey Hirst - Aspen collection
Godfrey Hirst carpet – Aspen Collection

Some companies like Gerflor or Polyfloor, have recently emphasised on creating carpet and vinyl products that are less detrimental to the environment, look for their products rated and certified by the Environmental Certification Scheme.

Sustainable building features

This can include green roofs, facades, walls and solar panels, which help create an environmentally sound home while providing functionality and visual appeal.

Each feature can help improve the thermal performance of your home by reducing the need for external heating and cooling. The windows you choose can have a massive impact on the sustainability of your home.

Keep an eye out for double or even triple-glazed windows during your research — energy-efficient windows can significantly reduce your energy bill while creating a more livable home.

Insulation 

Did you know in winter, an uninsulated home loses 25-35% of its warmth through the roof? An uninsulated home will also have trouble protecting itself from the outside heat. Installing effective insulation is one of the top ways to engage in an environmentally friendly home. Not only does it help keep your home cool in summer and warm in winter, it can also drastically reduce your energy bills.

Look to install insulation in all parts of your home including:

  • Under roofing material
  • In between ceiling joists
  • Under verandah roofs
  • In bulkheads
  • On the inside or outside of solid walls
  • On the underside of suspended floors, or use insulation board under floor coverings
  • Garage Door Seals

 

Minimise construction waste

Before you being any sort of home renovation projected, it’s important to plan your waste management options ahead of time.

Throughout the entire renovation process and once it has been completed, there will be bricks, timber, waste rubber, aggregate, metal and other waste materials that will need to be cleared using a sustainable skip bin.

Try to reduce how much you mix and match into your residential bins and save it for the skippy.