Sometimes when you read articles about green home improvement ideas they get so wrapped up in details that you lose site of the overall idea. For that reason, lets remind ourselves of the ‘big picture’ of what our options are… and then you can figure out actually where you want to devote your interest and resources.
Here’s the categories:
1. Automated temperature control
It’s basically a ‘smart thermostat’. Several different companies make them and they’re valuable because they save you time and money while guaranteeing consistency in regulating when you raise and lower your home temperature. You can regulate them yourself of course but they’re designed to do it it automatically based on their sensing of your habits. Some are more automatic than others but manufacturers estimate that nationwide these devices haved saved about $US 29 M over the two years.
2. Recycled Materials
Back in the early days of recycling it was only paper and plastic that could be recycled but not it’s virtually anything and everything. Sometimes the materials they’re turned into are cheaper, sometimes they’re better and sometimes they’re both. So you should always look at the labels of products you by for home construction or home improvement because you’ll very possibly find materials that match your philosophy.
3. Sources of alternative energy
Solar has come a long way since its early days in the US and Canada. It’s actually a very cost-effective solution now either for new home construction or an improvement program. In some areas of new home building, homes with solar actually get some financing advantages too. Gas is a better deal in some areas now too, especially with the renewed oil industry in certain parts of the country. Also, although it’s still not common, if you’ve got the money to spend you might be able to use geothermal. It’s been popular in Scandinavian countries for many years. Small-scale wind-power is available now too and is especially practical if you live out in the country.
4. Flatpack Home
That’s right…… it’s like buying a home from IKEA. Manufacturers are making them very easy to put up now, their quality is surprisingly good, they are very durable, well insulated, and also very affordable. Plus, if you like the idea of making an investment of labor in building your home, this is the ultimate way to do it.
5. Edible Homes!
No…not really totally edible, and it does take careful planning, but it’s possible to put enough greenery in and around your home to have a significant effect on the social ambiance, the breathable air, the insect population (or, in the case of mosquitos, the lack of same), and also lessen your food bill via the produce you can actually grow and harvest from your own garden.
Any one of these ideas, when carefully studied and used, can make a big difference in the functional utility as well as the social significance of your home. Some cost more, or less, than others but they all made ‘green sense’. Your choice!