With the reports of the depleting ozone layer due to global warming, people are embracing best practices preserving the overall health of the environment. Our homes have contributed significantly to the carbon footprint, among other things that have impacted the environment negatively. This is why most homeowners are opting for eco-friendly home upgrades to create a sustainable home.
From using organic lawn fertilizer to installing energy-efficient lighting, there are numerous eco-friendly home update ideas that you can implement to improve your house. Here are seven simple ideas for your consideration.
Paint your house with VOC content-free paint
Are you thinking of transforming your house by painting it? Perhaps the rains have washed away the old paint, and you are thinking of a fuller house makeover. Or you want to add color to some of your rooms. This could be a perfect opportunity to make your home eco-friendly. When painting your house, avoid VOC paints and finishes. The volatile organic compounds in paints contain toxic chemicals that can cause long-term health complications. Only use certified paints that are both health-friendly and reduce your carbon footprint.
Insulate your house
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Home insulation will save up to 30% of your energy. Reducing air leaks in the home will also reduce the carbon footprint significantly. The good thing is that you can do all the insulation work by yourself and save your money for other emergencies. You can use locally available material such as cotton or wool to insulate your attic and ducts in your modern house or seal the cracks and gaps that allow for air leaks.
Invest in solar panels
Installing solar panels may seem like an obvious house update, but its benefits cannot be underestimated. Every eco-friendly home ought to have a solar panel instead of relying solely on non-renewable power sources. The sun is powerful and free to all. It is also a renewable source of energy. All you need to do is invest in a solar panel once and forget about electricity costs.
Consider energy-efficient appliances
Speaking of home appliances, they are significant consumers of power in the home. Therefore, you need to do an energy audit to determine which of your appliances are consuming a lot of energy. With this information, you can upgrade to high-efficiency appliances that help save energy and the environment. For instance, you can consider spot-cooling or heating appliances, solar heaters, and energy-efficient appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Install low-flush toilets
Photo from Pixabay
A toilet is an essential part of any house. However, it is also one of the places within the house that requires a high hygiene standard, thus using more water than other places in your home. But, water shortage is a common problem in many towns and cities around the world. To help save water and the planet, it would be best for you to invest in a low-flow toilet. These toilets require just a little water to send everything down the drain. You can buy these eco-friendly toilets from your nearest hardware store or order online and have them delivered to your doorstep.
Reconstruct your home rather than demolish
With the current architectural trends, it is no surprise that some homeowners would want to change their house plans. Changing a house plan may require significant structural changes, including house demolition. However, you can give your home a whole new look without bringing it down. You can revamp it by repainting or resizing some rooms. However, if you decide to bring it down, salvage as much material as possible and re-use them in your next construction.
Go green
Whether you live in a townhome or stand-alone home, you can still embrace nature indoors and outdoors. If you have a patio or open space, you can make it eco-friendly by including some greenery. Bring the outdoors in by replacing the synthetic decors in your home with houseplants and flowers. These plants and flowers will not only make your house look beautiful but will also improve air quality and reduce the carbon footprint in your home. A green surrounding has plenty of benefits, including improving your physical and mental health.
Although you may not have the power to change the whole world, you still can do your part to make the planet a better place. Upgrading to an eco-friendly home is a step in the right direction. There are loads of things you can do to create a sustainable home. The above are just some of the simple eco-friendly updates that you can do without spending a fortune.
Which of the above eco-friendly updates are doable for you? Please share with us how you are making your home sustainable.
Guest Post Written by Archie Adams. Archie was a builder for more than 40 years. Mainly after his retirement the enthusiastic electrical works in garden and writes for a blog homemakerguide.com to keep himself occupied. His many years of experience can get you the right tool reviews whether it is a drill, welding machine or so. An impressive fact to note about him is that almost everything in his house is a representation of his skills made by his hands.
Top featured photo from Pixabay.