Learn The Top Information For Making Your House A Greener Home

Learn The Top Information For Making Your House A Greener
Home

by Gary Greenman

Are you interested in making your home more energy efficient
and green? With rising energy costs and sky high utility
bills, most of us are looking for ways to cut costs and save
some cash. You can start right at home, by making a few easy
changes to make your residence energy efficient and more eco
friendly.

But beyond energy efficiency, there are several other
important factors that go into the model of a green
residence. For example, water management, indoor air
quality, and the use of safer constructing materials will
all contribute to a more eco-friendly residence. This
applies to new construction, as well as renovating and
greening an older house for improvement and sale. Here's a
listing of some of the factors to consider when remodeling
your home, or purchasing a green residence.

Proper Ventilation - The residence should have the right
number and placement of exhaust fans, proper ventilation,
vapor barriers, and duct sealing. A well designed thermal
envelope can make the house more comfortable and electricity
efficient. Ventilation systems ought to be wrapped and
sealed to stop air loss.

Air Quality - To make the residence healthier, safe
constructing materials should be used to limit introduction
of harmful and harmful vapors. For instance, use zero-VOC or
no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, and put in
recycled, reclaimed, or sustainable flooring prepared from
materials that don't have formaldehyde, such as bamboo or
cork. Consider installing physical termite barriers instead
of chemical treatments, where suitable.

Water Efficiency - Consider installing dual-flush toilets,
low- flow shower heads, and a tankless water heater, or at a
minimum; a more electricity efficient Energy Star rated
model.

Insulation - One of the best alternatives a consumer can
make is to install added insulation. Use formaldehyde-free
insulation. As well, install a radiant barrier on the
underside of the roof, where suitable.

Roofing - Consider metal or cement tile roofing, or durable
shingles rated for 40 years or more.

Appliances and Furnaces - Use Energy Star rated appliances.
The HVAC (air conditioning) systems should have a 17 SEER
rating or better, and furnaces ought to have a 90+ rating.
The heating and cooling unit size and assignment should be
properly thought out to add to efficiency.

Lighting - Install energy efficient fixtures. Compact
fluorescent light bulbs ought to be used in place of halogen
or incandescent bulbs.

Windows and Doors - Install double-paned, Low-E windows.
Properly shade windows that face the sun, or install window
overhangs. Install storm doors where appropriate.

Thermostat Timers - Install a programmable thermostat and
hot water furnace timer.

Outside - Think about installing low maintenance materials
that make sense for your climate and region, such as fiber
cement siding, 40-year shingles, and engineered wood
framing.

Landscaping - Eco landscaping considers careful assortment
of plants, and focuses on water management. Use green
landscape design practices, such as reducing the size of the
lawn. Think about the proper position of trees to help shade
the home and decrease cooling costs. Use hardscape materials
to reduce weeds and do away with the use of pesticides and
herbicides. Use local plants and xeriscape methods to avoid
the need for excessive care and watering. Compost. Install
drip irrigation systems and think about reclaiming water.

You can see that from top to bottom, you will look at your
whole house indoors and out to look for possible
improvements to make it more eco friendly. It's not too hard
to make your existing residence a green house. By making at
least a few easy changes to enhance energy efficiency, in no
time you will see the optimistic results in your utility
bills. Plus, you have the additional benefit of knowing that
you are doing more for the environment at the same time, and
that always feels nice.

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