How To Make Home Improvements Sustainably

Home improvements are a great way to improve your quality of life and add some value to your property. Making these improvements in a sustainable way that is sympathetic to your home’s surrounding environment is increasingly important. 

Depending on the type of home improvement you are making and the area you live in, you may be required by your local authority to make these changes with your carbon footprint and the local ecology in mind. To make home improvements sustainably, you can start by learning 5 easy ways to measure the pitch of your roof ensuring your projects are accurate and efficient. Here is a quick guide to some common home improvements and how to make them in a way that reduces their impact on the environment.

Home Extensions And New Builds

If you are extending your home or adding a new structure, you need to evaluate its effect on the surrounding ecology. Adding an extension to a home can have a huge effect on the surrounding area, far more than just your back garden. It could affect the amount of sunlight your neighbour’s garden receives, for example. The changes do not stop there. New structures can have a detrimental effect on wildlife, even if you live in an urban area.To make home improvements sustainably, you can start by learning 5 easy ways to measure the pitch of your roof ensuring your projects are accurate and efficient.

Before you start building or even start planning, you should have several ecological surveys completed if you want to extend your home sustainably. When building a new structure, having a bat survey completed is an essential part of your planning. There are 18 species of bats in the UK, all in decline. The experts at 24 Housing can assess the bat population and roosts in your local area to ensure that your home extension is not going to harm their well-being.

Taking Energy Seriously

Whatever home improvement you are considering making to your property, you should consider its impact on your energy use and whether there is a way to complete the work in an energy-efficient manner. You also need to consider the impact your home improvement may have on your regular energy use. Are you making a change that will reduce your carbon footprint or add to it? No matter the scale of your home improvements, think about how you can save energy as you make them.

Make sure you plan your work with sustainability in mind. Source sustainable products to use in your home improvement. If you are using wood, make sure it is FSC-certified so you know it has come from a sustainably managed forest or use reclaimed wood. Look for plastics from recycled sources whenever possible rather than fresh plastic products. Though power tools can shorten the amount of time it takes to complete a home improvement, switching to traditional tools to do the work can have a positive impact on the environment.

Make Eco-Friendly Improvements

The best way to make home improvements sustainably is to make changes that improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. Many of these types of home improvements will not offer your home anything aesthetically or give your home a new feature to enjoy. They will help reduce your energy bills and cut down on the amount of atmospheric carbon you are responsible for. This can help to offset the impact other home improvements you make have on the environment. In addition to heating and cooling, efficient water usage outside the home can also be a major component of sustainability. Ensuring external systems operate optimally, whether for irrigation or other landscaping needs, can often require prompt attention to maintenance and service, making access to reliable sprinkler system repair near me essential for conserving water.

Wall and loft insulation is a low-cost improvement that can make a huge reduction to your energy bill. Not only does home heating cost a lot of money, but it also costs a lot of carbon too. By improving the insulation in the home you will need less energy to heat it and your home will hold its heat for longer. You will be able to turn the thermostat down permanently and reduce the number of hours your boiler runs for. This is one of the best sustainable home improvements you can make, and there are often government grants available to help you pay for materials.

Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle

The cost of building materials and furnishings for a home improvement project can be very expensive. These also come at a cost to the planet as more and more have to be produced to satisfy the demands of homeowners.  By reusing existing materials, reclaiming abandoned wood, metal, or plastic, and recycling or upcycling things you already have, you can make a huge cost reduction to your home improvement. You will also put a serious dent in the carbon footprint of your build.

There are some huge opportunities to reuse and reclaim wood rather than use freshly cut sources. This not only helps to preserve the environment but can also be a cheaper way to complete your home improvement. Before you take a trip to a hardware supply store, go to a salvage yard. Here you will find plenty of materials that you can reuse and upcycle, and you will often find a lot of inspiration there too. Try to reclaim, reuse, and recycle as much as possible when making any home improvement to ensure you are making sustainable changes to your home. Sustainability shouldn’t stop when the time comes to consider the interiors of your home either. By attending antique fairs such as those listed on www.antiquesboutique.com, you can find preloved and one-of-a-kind pieces with no cost to the planet.

There are some huge opportunities to reuse and reclaim wood rather than use freshly cut sources. This not only helps to preserve the environment but can also be a cheaper way to complete your home improvement. Before you take a trip to a hardware supply store, go to a salvage yard. Here you will find plenty of materials that you can reuse and upcycle, and you will often find a lot of inspiration there too. Try to reclaim, reuse, and recycle as much as possible when making any home improvement to ensure you are making sustainable changes to your home.

Paint Better, Live Better

When it comes to home improvements, one of the least sustainable building materials is paint. Many paints are toxic and are not only damaging to the environment but can also be damaging to your health. If you are redecorating your home, choose eco-friendly paints. There are many varieties available, in a wide range of colours, but you may have to look a little harder to find them. Make sure you check the labels of the paints available in your local shops before buying any.

VOCs, or Volatile Organic Chemicals, are present in most paints and in some common household items. Whenever you are choosing a paint for your home you should always make sure it is low-VOC or VOC-free. There are also certified organic and vegan-friendly paints on the market that are a much more sustainable choice when you are redecorating your home. If you are using wallpaper as well as paint, look for wallpaper brands that use recycled paper to make their rolls.

Making home improvements sustainably is possible, it just requires a little extra planning and a little extra time sourcing sustainable building and decorating materials. Next time you are thinking of making some changes to your home, make sure you look for sustainable solutions to your home improvement goals.