Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Now that the New Year is upon us, many homeowners are taking a look around their outdated living rooms, peeling wallpaper and old appliances and thinking, “it’s time for a change.”
If you have home improvement plans in the works, there are a variety of steps you can (and should!) take in order to make your home as carbon neutral as possible.
Heating & Cooling:
Is your furnace over 20 years old? Is your thermostat programmable? Is your air conditioner as energy efficient as can be?
Depending on your answers, you may want to consider updating your home heating and cooling systems to newer (and greener) models. Think of these costs as long-term investments that significantly reduce your energy bills and which provide solutions that are less taxing to the environment. Paying careful attention to your methods of heating/cooling is one of the most effective ways of reducing your carbon footprint.
Insulation:
If you’re building an addition or remodeling in general, consider improving your home’s insulation. Certain types of insulation are more eco-friendly than others. It’s critical to research the options so that you find the right fit for your house.
Steps such as replacing your garage door, seeking out and fixing air leaks around the foundation of your home and insulating windows can all make a difference as well.
Stay tuned. In later posts, we’ll be detailing some additional tips for green home improvements. Do you have any suggestions or success stories to share about your own remodeling experiences? Let us know in the comments!
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Resources:
10 Green Home Improvement Resolutions You Must Make Now
10 Great ‘Green’ Home Improvements for 2010
