Eco Friendly Home
Building an eco friendly home
Building an eco friendly home is easier than remodeling an older home. Creating a green home from scratch gives you the opportunity to plan it out carefully and be sure all the elements you desire are there from the start.
Eco Friendly House Design
Remember that the more space you create, the more you have to heat and cool. When designing your eco friendly house, take the need for each room into consideration and make sure the sizes of those rooms are only as big as is truly necessary.
Also, consider the materials you use carefully. There have been many improvements in eco friendly home construction, so building a beautiful and efficient home are no longer two separate desires. Use materials like:
- Styrofoam blocks for building to improve insulation
- Recycled paper insulation instead of fiberglass
- Easily grown bamboo flooring rather than expensive and hard-to-replenish hardwood
- Energy Star appliances for kitchens, laundry rooms, and heating systems
- Multi-zone heating systems to regulate temperatures in various rooms rather than a single whole-house control
- Programmable heating system thermostat to control temperatures when you’re asleep or not at home
- Low-flow water fixtures and toilets to limit overuse of water
- Eco friendly, low-VOC paint
- Motion sensors for outdoor lighting
Eco Home Construction
Hire green contractors who will be tuned in to your desires for an eco friendly home. Check to be sure they use products that are rated for energy conservation, as well as products you know to be better for the environment. Take the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): There are 39 states in the U.S. that have projects for environmentally friendly neighborhood development. These communities not only have eco friendly homes, but they also incorporate many other green aspects, such as bike commuting lanes, public transit, nature and animal habitats, and other eco minded aspects to ensure the overall eco health of the surrounding area.
Green Home Tips
Consult your utility company for ideas such as geothermal heating systems, which greatly improve gas and electric costs by using the earth to help heat your home. Using tile for roofing instead of shingles insulates better, and tile lasts longer, too. Replace your old light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs to drastically reduce the amount of electricity you use.
Creating an environmentally friendly home takes a little bit of thought but isn't hard to accomplish. As you practice the methods used for keeping your house a green environment, they will become like second nature, and nature will thank you for it.
