How To Make Your Home Remodel More Eco Friendly
You’ve decided you want to renovate on the Sunshine Coast, but you’re also concerned about your carbon footprint. The way to do this, of course, is to make your home remodel more eco-friendly.
There are many ways to make your home remodel more eco-friendly. The first step is the most important: make the decision to stick to green options as much as possible, and find a general contractor who will share your vision and commitment.
Why Make Your Home Remodel More Eco-Friendly?
If you want to make your home remodel more eco-friendly, first, kudos. Residential energy use alone accounts for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, and that’s not counting all the environmental impacts associated with the building materials and everything else that goes into a home.
In fact, we know from a recent study that over 20 years, passive homes (ie, homes that are energy efficient), can avoid up to 128 tons of carbon emissions when compared to a regular home. That’s as much as 14 homes would produce during the same time!
If you’re interested in these types of energy efficient homes, please see our Buyers Guide to Net-Zero and Passive Homes. Otherwise, keep reading for some tips on how to make your home remodel more eco-friendly
How To Make Your Home Remodel More Eco-Friendly
There are many ways you can remodel your home to make it more eco-friendly, as well as ways to make the remodel itself more eco-friendly.
First, know that it’s ok to start small. You don’t need to make your home 100% energy efficient overnight. It might make more sense to start with energy-efficient appliances, better insulation, or more energy efficient heating options. Even updating your light bulbs or adding window film can be a start.
Then, before you jump into bigger renovations, think about what really needs to be replaced, versus what can be repaired. The more you can repurpose materials, the better.
Then, as you’re renovating, work with a contractor who’s committed to reducing waste as much as possible. For example, when we renovate or build custom homes on the Sunshine Coast, we try to reuse the following ‘waste’ products:
Unused lumber as shelving
Current window panes can be reused to reduce glass and production for new windows
Concrete can be broken down and used as a base for driveways
Metals can be melted and reformed into something new
Untreated timber can be used as firewood or repurposed into the home
Repurposing old roofing as terra cotta or slate tiling
When you’re thinking about remodeling, don’t forget about your outdoors space—see our top ten ideas to make your yard more eco-friendly here.
And finally, if you’re ready to really make the dive into a more eco-friendly home, then looking at your energy efficiency is where you want to start. Thankfully, if you do so, you may qualify for BC New Home & Renovation Grants which can help offset the costs. Future energy savings can also help offset the cost, too!