When trying to improve your home’s sustainability or embrace green technology, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Investing in solar panels or smart technology isn’t always feasible because of their high costs, and not everyone has a property that can accommodate them.
So, how do you make the switch to sustainability?
In this article, Northeast Contracting, LLC’s licensed builders and remodeling design team discuss some tips and strategies for making your residential property more eco-friendly. We highlight how home remodeling contractors can make subtle modifications to impact your home and discuss the advantages of recycled materials and passive design.
What Constitutes Eco-Friendly Home Design?
If you want to minimize your environmental footprint, reduce your energy consumption, or embrace eco-friendly designs, there are several strategies for achieving your goals. Meeting certain standards may also make you eligible for certain tax benefits and reduce your overall energy consumption, lowering your energy and electricity bills.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all description for eco-friendly home design, at its core, sustainability is about minimizing your home’s environmental impact and maximizing its energy efficiency. This can be done on a small scale through things like composting, recycling, and water conservation, but sustainable design features like smart temperature control systems, high-performance insulation, and even rainwater harvesting can completely transform your daily life.
Sustainability principles are about reducing the impact of your home throughout its entire lifecycle and being adaptable to changes. Integrating these principles can be challenging, but with the right professional partner, they can be achieved through remodeling projects and property redesign.
Understanding the Basics of Sustainable Remodeling
Your ability to comprehensively adapt sustainable remodeling practices will vary depending on the company you hire, the current state of your property, and your budget. How you choose to integrate eco-friendly design will be impacted by your local context, so consulting with your remodeling contractor will help guide you to the best practices.
Some core principles of sustainable home remodeling include the following:
- Repurposing/utilizing existing infrastructure
- Prioritizing sustainable design over aesthetics
- Leveraging innovative/smart technology
- Investing in recycled, eco-friendly materials
- Conserving water
- Generating renewable energy (when possible)
- Proper waste management
- Promoting biodiversity/native landscaping
- Reducing overall energy consumption
- …and more!
Design Strategies to Create a Greener Home
Before consulting with a remodeling contractor, it’s essential to establish your sustainability goals. What are your priorities? Is there a particular part of your home you want to focus on? Are there current eco-friendly features you want to expand?
Your contractor should be able to make extensive, personalized recommendations and help you meet your sustainability goals through quality design and renovation. Some designs, strategies, and features you might encounter with your contractor include the following:
Investing in Sustainable Remodeling Materials
Although they can be a little more expensive, sustainable and recycled building materials can go a long way towards creating a greener home. Incorporating materials like reclaimed wood, recycled glass, bamboo, and natural fiber insulation has a lower environmental impact during and after their lifecycle.
Materials that naturally break down and don’t contain harmful chemicals or particles or are certified as recycled/recyclable are an excellent option for improving your home’s sustainability. They also reduce emissions and waste generated by the construction process.
Efficient Appliances and Fixtures
Another excellent way to improve your home’s efficiency through a renovation is to invest in Energy-Star-rated appliances and smart fixtures. Upgrading to high-efficiency refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and other major appliances can significantly reduce your home’s energy and water consumption.
Energy-Star certification means that the models in question meet strict guidelines for energy savings and are a widely adopted standard in sustainable home renovations. Smart fixtures like low-flow showerheads and faucets, motion-activated lights and sinks, and gray water recycling systems also reduce your environmental footprint and help conserve water and electricity while reducing unnecessary waste.
Renovations Towards a Green Roof
With hotter temperatures on the horizon and skyrocketing energy costs, finding ways to cool your property naturally is a solution for the present and the future. One innovative approach is to install a green roof. Sometimes referred to as a living roof, this sustainable feature incorporates a partial or total layer of vegetation on top of your home to provide significant environmental benefits.
Green roofs can perform a number of beneficial functions, including:
- Insulating your home.
- Regulating your indoor temperatures and reducing the need for air conditioning.
- Absorbing rainwater and stormwater, preventing polluted runoff.
- Filtering air pollutants.
- Mitigating the urban heat island effect commonly found in residential areas.
- Reducing ambient temperatures in the surrounding area.
- Contributing to a healthier community.
Even partially changing your roof to incorporate vegetation pays dividends. Green roofs are a pillar of sustainability, but they also offer unique aesthetic benefits and help your property stand out.
Passive Design Tips: Optimizing Airflow, Insulation, and Daylighting
Finally, before getting started on your remodeling project, speak with your contractor about passive design improvements. Improving your home’s natural airflow, investing in windows with good insulation, and finding opportunities to enhance natural light can reduce your dependence on electricity and improve your home’s sustainability.
Home Remodeling Contractors Should Present You With Diverse Design Options
When trying to improve your home’s sustainability, there are numerous strategies and opportunities. You should expect your remodeling contractor to walk you through industry standards while discussing the best solutions for your property and budget.
An accomplished remodeling team should be able to do everything from installing solar panels and energy-efficient appliances to creating a comprehensive waste management and water recycling system. With more and more smart technologies and options becoming available, transforming your home into a hub of sustainability has never been more feasible.
Contact Northeast Contracting, LLC to Start Planning Your Eco-Friendly Future
At Northeast Contracting, LLC, our reputation for excellence has been earned through years of hard work and dedication to our clients. As a local business, we’re invested in the success of our community and are passionate about creating one-of-a-kind residential remodeling projects.
Reach us at (401) 477-4742 to schedule a consultation and start planning your sustainability renovation now!