There are many home renovation ideas all over the Internet. However, more and more homeowners are going green on their home renovations. The greatest benefits of going green are:
Energy Saving
You save energy with green renovations solutions. These solutions include:
- Energy Star-rated appliances like clothes washers and dishwashers reduce a home’s energy use.
- Letting the sun in and storing the sun’s rays: Solar panels and skylights will bring down your energy costs because they allow you to save on the electricity bill. Use materials like plaster, bricks, and concrete that soak the heat from the sun during the day and release it at night, thereby reducing your heating costs.
- Direct vent fireplaces: Do away with wood-burning fireplaces and replace them with direct-vent gas fireplaces. These modern fireplaces convert up to 80% of the fuel burnt to usable heat, while traditional wood-burners covert only approximately 10% of the fuel.
- Properly sized HVAC systems: These save you money on utility bills (cooling and heating costs).
- Insulation: High-quality insulations keep your home warmer during winter and it allows you to keep your thermostat at a low setting. It also means cooler summers, thereby making for more comfortable homes. You could go for blanket insulation, blown insulation, rigid foam insulation, and expanding foam.
Water Saving
Some green renovation solutions focus on saving water consumption. These include:
- Install high-efficiency appliances like dishwaters that have an Energy Star rating.
- Design of efficient plumbing systems: Efficient plumbing system design reduces hot water runs. As an example, high-efficient toilets use 1.3 gallons of water or less per flush compared to a traditional toilet.
- New generation landscape watering: Today’s high-efficiency irrigation systems such as bubblers, low-flow sprinklers, and low-flow drip systems minimize evaporation and overspray, effectively reducing runoff.
Durability
Green solutions are durable, meaning less work and expense in maintaining your home. Using reclaimed materials means you will be doing your part in decongesting landfills and removing garbage from water bodies. Examples of such green home renovations solutions are:
- Today’s green roofing materials come with 40 and even 50-year warranties.
- Recycled-content decking which is made from wood-waste fibers combined with recycled plastic have a lifespan 5 years longer than traditional wood decking.
- Consider donating (instead of destroying) unwanted items during the remodel, re-facing instead of replacing, and using pre-owned items and materials.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
You get healthier indoor air with green renovation solutions. Good IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is good for your family’s health. Examples of these solutions are:
- Reduction of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions: Use safer products such as low-VOC paints, adhesives, and cleaners to reduce exposure to formaldehyde.
- Elimination of mold potential: Eliminate water issues to prevent mold growth.
- The use of radon-mitigation systems: Radon-mitigation systems are typically set in the foundation of a building and they work by preventing radon gas from the soil to vent into the exterior of the house.
For many years, Kitchen & Bath has been offering green home renovation solutions to our customers in Oakville, Toronto, Vaughan, and the surrounding areas. Visit our site or call (647)697-7725 for a consultative session so we can advise you on how to go green.
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