Creating a residential place for your family does not necessarily aim so much at perfection but authenticity. With the current transformation and changes that have taken place in the global climate, individuals who wish to build a home should ensure the houses constructed do not make our environment worse. Moreover, embracing a natural lifestyle is very beneficial to the human body, spirit, and mind.
What is an Eco-Friendly Home?
Eco-friendly homes are those built using materials and technologies that do not harm the environment further. For instance, a home that relies on wind and solar energy falls into this category. The current trend is taking a positive turn, where we have seen many people going for environmentally-friendly houses. However, some lack the knowledge to create such buildings. This detailed article will inform you about the best ways to build an eco-friendly home, whether you are constructing from scratch or renovating an old one.
Choose Timeless Finishes
vYou don’t have to feel limited when it comes to the finish you apply to your home. You can use outstanding finishes without sacrificing the house’s aesthetics. Years back, people looked forward to warm and welcoming spaces. However, today, to achieve environmentally-friendly abodes, it is recommendable to yearn for safe spaces conscious of our lives on earth.
When it comes to the interior décor, choosing colors, styles, and designs that do not require regular changing is a wise idea. The finishes should have permanence for you. For instance, using a matte black tapware finish on your kitchen cabinets can help them last up to 50 years. Therefore, do not look at how classic the finish is as long as it is timeless to you and it will serve you for years to come.
Make Sure Everything is Built to Last
Choosing sustainable materials for your construction is not an option if you want to achieve an environmentally-responsible home. Besides the aesthetic appeal, cost and life cycle are the other considerations to make when choosing the materials. Additionally, consider how easy it is to reuse or recycle the material. If you cannot reuse it, then disposing of that material in the future should not negatively affect the environment.
Many factors dictate the durability of a particular material. If you plan on having an underground tank, for instance, you should know that its construction, installation, soil conditions, and maintenance affect its lifespan. However, it can typically last for 20 years or more. Besides sustainability and cost reduction, having suitable construction materials reduces your exposure to life-threatening organic compounds and pollutants significantly. Some wall coverings, paints, and carpeting release toxic compounds that tamper with the air quality inside a house.
Considering the many hours you will be spending at home, it is advisable to minimize toxins’ exposure by getting healthier material alternatives. Using construction materials sustainably means their present use will not interfere with future use by affecting the environment or running out. Very few materials meet this requirement, and they are the ones you should get if you want an eco-friendly home.
Focus on Smaller Projects to Be Green and On-Budget
Small houses are not only eco-friendly but also cost-effective. Besides occupying a small footprint, a smaller home can save you a lot on the materials required and the energy consumed to warm or cool it down. In 2018, a report showed that the average monthly housing cost was $1,566. That shows the more extensive the home, the more money you spend on it. Statistics show that the average number [of people in an American home has gone down from 3.8 to 2.6, yet the home sizes have ballooned over time.
People need to understand that these improper size-to-occupant ratios are bringing additional issues to our environment. If we desire to achieve green projects, we should be ready to adhere to a more solid square-footage-per-individual code. However, we also need to shift our focus from total house size to proper usage of resources and quality green projects.
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