Eco home improvements: how to make your house greener

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From auditing your home’s current efficiency, to shopping sustainably, here are eight steps you can take to create a more earth-conscious and eco house. There are an endless number of projects to do that replace impervious surfaces with permeable ones and help reduce negative environmental impacts. We’ve slowly been converting our turf lawn over to either clover, planting beds, or productive garden space. We still have some lawn areas with plans for the future to continue to convert them to food or pollinator gardens. We built our terraced garden on the slope of our front yard as it was the only place to maximize sun and it helped with erosion issues. It allows us to produce pounds and pounds of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers each year.

Home repair and improvement programs for special groups

Many of today’s appliances and electronics aren’t really off when we turn them off. Smart TVs, coffeemakers, toaster ovens and other household appliances draw small amounts of energy just waiting for the signal to come alive when we need them. These “vampire loads” account for 5% to 10% of your home’s energy use, costing you about $100 a year. Look for Energy Star ratings when purchasing any major appliance, and check utility company and manufacturer websites for additional promotions. The Energy Star website can also hook you up with qualified contractors.

Install Energy-Efficient Appliances

Pressure cookers are sealed cooking pots that do not permit air or liquids to escape below a certain preset pressure. Blower door tests determine how energy efficient your home is by measuring how much air is entering and escaping your home. Circular construction is a concept that includes reusing, sharing, and upcycling building materials.

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If you’re wondering how to plan a house renovation, or want a checklist, we have all the information you need to get started. Check out our new boiler cost guide and find the type of boiler you require to get an understanding How to make your home more environmentally friendly of the costs involved with boiler installation. Choose recyclable products wherever and whenever you can – be it food, fashion or furniture. Do your research and get in the habit of checking labels on everything you buy.

  • It also provides a unique, rustic feel that adds personality to your home.
  • Choose fruits and veggies with minimal packaging, and bring your own reusable mesh bags when grocery shopping.
  • This practice reduces the environmental impact of your construction project and minimizes landfill contributions.
  • Furthermore, how you orientate your house is also a key component of sustainable house design.
  • The eco-friendly kitchen begins with eating green, but it doesn’t end there.
  • Today, there are numerous opportunities—large and small, natural and technology-based—for making greener choices.
  • A simple coat of varnish, paint or new upholstery can often breathe new life into tired and worn-out furniture.

FAQs on composting

  • If you don’t have a garden, check to see if your city has a green-bin program for fruit and veggie scraps to be collected and properly disposed of.
  • Avoid wasting energy by leaving the oven door closed while cooking.
  • The air filter is essential for trapping dust and allergens from entering the air you breathe.
  • Energy-efficiency upgrades are coming fast and furious to many new appliances.
  • From using eco-friendly cleaning products and smart appliances and reducing water waste, here are some of the best ways you can make your home more eco-friendly.

With green architecture, environmental considerations are just as integral as factors like cost or color. Learn more about the principles of green architecture, plus decorating and design ideas to consider for your own home. Energy efficient windows are a popular way to make your house environmentally friendly. Similar to insulation, energy efficient windows cut down on your energy costs and prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from seeping in during the winter months. For example, as part of electrifying our home, we switched out our old furnace and air conditioner for a single Heat Pump heating and cooling system.

How to make your home more environmentally friendly

Drinking tap water significantly reduces our plastic trash burden, but many people simply think bottled is better. “LED lights use up to 90% less energy than incandescent, and 80% less energy than halogen bulbs,” says Michael Meiser, a lighting expert at Lumilum. LEDs have a typical lifespan of 25,000 hours, compared to 1,200 hours for incandescent and 2,000 for halogen.

Choose an Energy-Efficient Stove

How to make your home more environmentally friendly

It’s by far our favorite wood finish both for the quality and the environmental impact on our air. LED bulbs are excellent light sources because they last longer and they can reduce energy consumption significantly. Generally, they can convert more electricity into light rather than heat. That means they won’t affect your home’s temperature compared to incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, preventing the need for excessive cooling.

How to make your home more environmentally friendly

Upgrade Your Insulation

You can use a smart plug instead of a smart bulb to cut down on electricity demands, but this depends on what you want to get out of your smart home. You can also set timers on your smart bulbs to make sure you don’t leave them on for longer than is necessary. Say you have a tendency to fall asleep on the couch on a lazy Sunday.

How to make your home more environmentally friendly

Now more than ever, it’s an important time to do what you can to contribute to saving the planet, and making your house an eco-friendly environment is a great start. Having an eco-friendly home isn’t as difficult as it may sound because you can start small and work your way up. Read our blogs on heat pump efficiency, whether solar panels are worth it, and wind turbine costs for more information on making the most of these alternatives.