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Traditionally, a ‘spring clean’ is all about tidying your home, throwing out your old items and decluttering rooms in a bid to make refreshing changes ahead of the warmer weather and lighter days. Many homeowners see the arrival of a new season as the perfect time to renovate and make their homes feel fresher, aesthetically pleasing and more comfortable.
If you’re someone who has become more conscious of your carbon footprint, renovating your home is also an excellent opportunity to make your home a more environmentally friendly and sustainable one. Whether you're looking to make small changes, considering a garden makeover, or undertaking a full-scale renovation, there are many ways to make your home greener and less harmful to the environment.
This article explores some of the most effective and eco-friendly home renovation ideas you might want to make. The aim is to inspire you to make better and greener long-term decisions while not detracting from the beauty and practicality that a renovated home can create.
With the longer, lighter days of spring welcome news, there are many ways to encourage natural light within a room, by adding mirrors and reflective surfaces like glass. However, some rooms in a home might be darker than others, relying only on artificial lights. You can potentially install sun tunnels or openings in the ceilings or walls to let natural light in.
Alternatively, a cheaper option is to switch your domestic lighting system to LED and low-energy options. LED lights are a low-cost and much more sustainable choice of lighting to have at various points in your home. Lighting makes up approximately 15% of household energy consumption, with LED lighting going a long way in preserving more energy.
You can lower your energy bills and improve your environmental friendliness significantly with your home’s insulation. Whether this applies to your home’s floors, roofs, walls or pipes, you can find this a worthwhile cost effective, energy saving exercise.
It’s also worth looking at your windows and doors to see how draught-proof they are. If there are noticeable gaps, this could be letting more cold air in, and more warm air out. Similarly, it's important not to neglect reviewing your home’s exteriors, either by installing new or refurbishing existing insulation. If you’re concerned about the regulations around renovating the outside of your home, Cosey Homes’ home improvements advice includes information on when to seek planning permission. Lofts are a great area of the home that can be insulated or converted if you want to maximise the space in your property and its overall renovation potential.
Renovating a home often involves giving the walls and ceiling a fresh coat of paint. Standard, off-the-shelf paint contains VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which can emit harmful gases that pollute the air and can cause breathing difficulties and nausea for many people. Choosing VOC-free or low-VOC paint are considered the most eco-friendly paint products and they can go a long way in preserving your health as well as the environment around you.
While occasionally costing a few pounds more, you can expect these eco-friendly paints to produce as good - if not better - results as conventional paints. You can find VOC-free paints in a huge range of colours, with most offering a high level of durability and resilience, improving the look and feel of your home.
Traditional flooring materials, such as carpet and vinyl, can similarly not be the greenest of materials to use. Vinyl is made from PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), a synthetic polymer, which, when manufactured, releases large amounts of chlorine-based chemicals and gases. Some carpets can also contain VOCs which release during and after installation, so it’s always a good idea to look at greener alternatives.
Eco-friendly flooring options include bamboo, cork, and linoleum. Reclaimed wood boards also work well. These materials are made from renewable and sustainable resources, are durable and long-lasting and can be used many times over.
Buying reclaimed or second-hand furniture is a much more sustainable and environmentally-conscious way to shop. Local community groups are usually full of residents looking to offload used products, ranging from sun loungers and dining tables to kitchen cabinets, sofas, or bookshelves. It’s incredible what you can find online which saves the expense of manufacturing, producing and shipping new products.
Many suppliers are now focusing on making sustainable furniture more affordable and accessible. With the garden being another focus area for many homeowners that renovate, it’s becoming easier to find environmentally-friendly furniture options here too. Eco-friendly garden furniture is made from renewable and sustainable materials, ranging from recycled plastic or fabrics to bamboo, rattan, and more.
These products are better for the environment, while also being incredibly durable, resilient and weatherproof. A good number of them can thoroughly complement any modern, traditional and future-proofing renovation project.
Adding a green roof can have a positive impact on the environment, improving air quality and rainwater runoff, which can go a long way in flood prevention. While some homeowners like the idea of creating a small microclimate on their roofs, others prefer to keep their roofs clean from any greenery and plants.
Installing solar panels or power systems is a large-scale renovation job that many homeowners relish. These sustainable options go a long way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing the roof is a time-consuming and expensive venture, but it can lead to incredibly beneficial long-term results.
With the sunshine of spring to enjoy, these eco-friendly renovations offer opportunities to breathe new life into your home, while reducing your environmental impact. From simple changes like LED lighting and eco-friendly paint to more substantial investments improving insulation or installing solar panels, each improvement contributes to a greener home. As you plan your spring home improvements, consider which of these options might align with your budget and lifestyle. Even one of two changes can improve the desirability and eco-friendliness of your home.
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