hand turning a knob to make a home more eco friendly

Sustainable home renovation can be a great investment for yourself and the environment. Once a hobby enjoyed by the rich, green renovation has now become affordable for the average American as well.

With global warming a burning issue today, sustainable Huntsville custom homes improvement can be a great investment.

Here are five great ideas that can help you create a house that’s functional, beautiful, and sustainable.

1. Use of Eco-friendly Building Materials

Sustainable home project is a catch-all term used for projects in which environmentally safe building materials are used. For your sustainable home project, the building material used for the project should be non-allergenic and non-toxic. For example, black mold and formaldehyde are two allergenic and toxic-building materials that cause great harm to the environment.

In addition, you should use reused or recycled materials. You can find high-quality used doors, windows, and flooring online. You can also find recycled building material such as flooring that is made using recycled material like plastic or rubber tires.

Make sure that the wood used in the construction project is sourced from sustainably harvested forests. Look for certification that the wood is harvested from well-managed forests.

Lastly, you should ensure that the materials are sourced locally, preferably within a 100-mile distance. This is recommended since you will be supporting the local population instead of a firm that is located thousands of miles away.

2. Select Eco-Friendly Material

The flooring should also be a big consideration when it comes to a sustainable home renovation project. One of the most eco-friendly flooring materials is linoleum. The material is made from linseed oil and other natural product that is extracted without harming the trees.

Apart from being eco-friendly, linoleum is stain resistant and don’t absorb water. Moreover, the material is biodegradable meaning you can safely discard the material at the end of the useful life.

Bamboo is another great eco-friendly flooring material. Contrary to common perception, bamboo is not a wood but a grass. The grass grows quickly in about 3 years due to which it is considered a renewable material. Another common perception is that Bamboo can only be sourced from China. In fact, good quality bamboo is also grown and sourced from Hawaii. The material is available in a variety of colors and can be installed in knots horizontally or vertically.

In addition, certain types of exotic hardwoods that are sourced from well-managed forests can also be great for flooring. Two best exotic hardwood flooring material include White Tigerwood and Brazilian Chery. The flooring is more expensive but it’s more durable as compared to traditional wood flooring.

3. External Paint Color

Consider painting the exterior of the house according to the season. If you live in a place that receives sunshine most part of the year, you should go for light color on the roof. The roof will remain much cooler during summers reducing the need for air conditioning.

In case you reside in an area where winters are long and cold, you should select a dark color for the roof.

4. Roofing Material

You should also consider the right roofing material for sustainable Huntsville custom homes project. Certain roofing materials have more insulating properties than others. For instance, asphalt and metal roofing material have greater insulating properties as compared to shingles.

Selecting a roofing material with high insulation characteristics will not just be good for the environment but for your wallet as well due to lower energy bills.

5. Paint Responsibly

You should also be careful when selecting paint for the home. Make sure that the paint contains low or no Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). These are proved to cause harm to the environment. The compound releases into the air when the paint dries that damages the environment.

The federal environmental protection agency (EPA) recommends that the paint for external and internal coating should contain no more than 250 grams of VOC per liter. Some states have a more stringent limit for finishes. Some of the best paint with low VOC includes True Valley Easy Care, Benjamin Moore Aura, and Glidden Evermore.

The great thing about sustainable custom homes project is that it captures the three most important things that most really care about: health, environment, and money. And these are the main reasons you should go green and invest in a sustainable home project.

 

Cardinal Custom Enterprises services include design, layout and total turnkey construction

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