Home improvement can be a very fun and exciting thing to do but it can also cost you quite a handful if not planned properly. Keeping in view the environmental considerations, more and more people are trying to renovate or improve their homes in the most environment friendly way. Lots of people try to save money by buying cheap appliances made from harmful materials that don’t prove to be worse in the long run. Although being eco-friendly may cost you a little more than the regular generic products, but it would save you a lot of expenses. Here are some great home improvement ideas that can help you build a greener and a better home.
1. Eco-friendly bathroom:
Bathrooms are the largest consumers of water in your home. Tons of water gets wasted every day. By using efficient faucets, toilets, and shower-heads, you can save a huge amount of water. You can also install a dual setting flush for your toilets that lets you flush only the adequate amount of water every time you flush. You can also use a number of eco-friendly materials such as bamboo for making cabinets, drawers, and shelves in your bathroom. You can also use synthetic flooring instead of a man-made one. Using recycled glass tiles in your bathroom is also a great eco-friendly idea.
2. Eco-friendly kitchen:
You can easily transform your kitchen into an eco-friendly one by installing appliances that are energy efficient. There are dishwaters that are able to produce water instead of consuming it. Induction cooktops that use molecular movement for heating is also a great means of saving energy. You can use your kitchen flooring made of natural stones, bamboo, or recycled glass. You can switch your countertops to the ones made of stone that would not only give your kitchen a new look but also require less maintenance.
3. Eco-friendly lights:
Lighting comprises a huge portion of every home as well as business. Nowadays, a lot of homes have switched to compact florescent lighting. These types of lights are not only eco-friendly but also save you a lot of money and resources over the long run. Florescent lights use 75% less energy and are usually 10 times longer than the regular bulbs.
4. Eco-friendly paint:
Giving the walls of your home a fresh coat of paint is the easiest and most cost effective way of bringing your living space to life. While choosing paint, you should try to look for the one that is free of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). These are the chemicals that are generally responsible for triggering respiratory problems and headaches. These chemicals are also harmful for the environment. While painting your home, also make sure to use old sheets and reusable tarps instead of plastic drip cloths. You can also use paint trays that are made from recycled materials. Eco-friendly paint also comes with the advantage of being pigment free, which means you would require less coats and thereby save some more money.
5. Eco-friendly flooring:
You can choose the flooring of your home by switching to options such as natural stone or the one made from bamboo. Since these types of floorings are completely natural, they don’t produce any harmful fumes or vapors.
6. Eco-friendly heating:
You can employ greener methods of heating water in your home by using solar water heating devices instead of regular heaters and geysers. Solar water heaters use sunlight for heating and do not use any electricity. You can also install solar panels for your home electricity needs so that your overall electricity cost is reduced. Even though solar panels might be a little costly, they are worth the price.
7. Eco-friendly bedding and curtains:
You can also install eco-friendly curtains and bedding made from bamboo in your home. New bedding will instantly breathe new life into your home. Go a step further and change your old bath towels with new organic ones. These towels can be a great treat after a soothing warm shower.
Using all these ideas can change the whole look of your home and in addition to this you will also contribute to the preservation of the environment. A weekend or two spent on implementing eco-friendly ideas will go a long way in achieving the desired outcome. A little more of an investment on eco-friendly materials can save you much more in the long run. Besides, adopting a “green” attitude will make you the proud owners of your “green” home.
