How to Make Your Home More Sustainable
Sustainable living is about more than just saving energy. It’s about incorporating sustainable products throughout the home and creating a lifestyle that is more sensitive to the environment. This can provide a cleaner lifestyle, with fewer toxins and contaminates. When you decide to remodel, here are some ‘green’ ideas that will keep you on a sustainable track.
Selecting Sustainable Products
Almost every item that goes into your home can have sustainable benefits – it’s up to you to find and select them!
LIGHT BULBS:
One of the easiest ways is to incorporate energy efficient LED lighting in your home. Although the initial cost for LEDs is somewhat higher (although the costs have come down dramatically), the bulbs last 5-6x longer than their CFL or incandescent counterparts and use less than 80% energy over a 23-year lifespan.
PAINT:
When they first hit the market, eco-friendly paints didn’t always perform as well as their counterparts. But these products have improved tremendously, offer good coverage, a wide variety of colors, and durability. The key is to look for paint products that are low or zero VOC and non-toxic. Paint products should also not include harmful ingredients like ammonia or formaldehyde.
FLOORING:
Sustainable flooring is not just about the product, but how the product is sourced and the impact it may have on ecosystems during its life cycle, including how it’s harvested, produced, used and disposed. For these reasons, there has been a rise in sales of bamboo and cork flooring along with natural and recycled carpets. Another great reason to go sustainable? In early 2016, the CDC began an investigation into flooring products sourced from China and sold by Lumber Liquidators posing a significant health hazard due to elevated levels of formaldehyde.
When you decide to remodel, it’s easy to choose sustainable products! The design team at Parker Design Build Remodelcan guide you to products that are green-friendly. Get a free consultation today!
