When it comes to eco-friendly living, a lot of people think that it involves spending more money on fancy products or letting go of the comfort and convenience they are accustomed to. However, the reality could not be more far from true. In fact, some small changes to the way you live can help you go green and put some extra cash in your wallet too! For example, simple eco-friendly habits like remembering to completely unplug your appliances when they are not in use and waiting to use a dishwasher until you have a full load can bring you huge savings on your utility bills. To know more such easy ways to create an eco-friendly home, please check out the below infographic from the Roofing Outlet.
Creating something new out of something old or unwanted, referred to as Creative Reuse or Upcycling continues to gain popularity as people become more aware of unnecessary waste and the impact the waste has on the environment.
With so many places, such as Pinterest, available for inspirational ideas for upcycling here at The Rug Seller we delved into the minds of others, so to speak, and were amazed by the ingenuity of others. The infographic showcases some marvelous ideas for transforming old rugs into wonderful new things.
From fashion accessories to items for your pet and your home, there are so many options and ideas it makes no sense to simply discard an unwanted rug into the rubbish bin when you can make good use of it. Furthermore, reusing it means that it won’t be taken to landfill sites which is a great way to do your bit to help save the planet.
So, if you’re thinking of giving a rug a new lease of life take a look at the infographic below and be inspired to get creative. You’ve nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain. Who knows you may even be inspired to think of other items around your home that you can upcycle and re-purpose rather than throw away. Upcycling Your Rug Infographic by The Rug Seller
According to an AGA Cookshop research, people spend 3 years of their life in the kitchen. Converted to hours, it means you’ll spend 27,156 hours of your precious lifetime sweating over a hot stove. Having this in mind, it’s normal that you feel the urge to turn this part of your home into a comfortable but also practical space. So, if you’re thinking of renovating, consider the natural look as an inspiration. Natural materials, neutral colours, lots of light – those are the trendy kitchen options lately. Besides the fact that they look great, natural kitchens are also affordable, environment-friendly and easily adjusted to every kitchen size. Now that we got you interested, here are a few basic guidelines.
Give greenery the green light
Being in the centre of the spectrum, green is the color of balance. It’s soothing for both the eyes and the soul. Green paint on the kitchen walls or green kitchen cabinets will turn your cookery into a peaceful oasis but why not take a step further, and have a literal green wall inside your house? Choose a wall and cover it partially or completely with greenery. You’ll need a growing medium, such as soil, but the possibilities are endless. You can have the best of both worlds by using the green wall to plant herbs and have home-grown fresh ingredients for your meals every day. Aloe Vera or spider plant makes the great air purifiers so consider that as an option for your green wall.
As cool as natural stones
Granite, marble, limestone, slate – you name it. Natural stones are a timeless option for home décor. They can be used for everything from countertops to walls and floors, but bear in mind that stones are cold so you might want to avoid putting it on the floor. Consider wooden floors instead, or invest either in underfloor heating or big, cozy rugs made of naturally warm materials such as wool. Marble kitchen countertops or dining tables will bring a dash of elegance into every home. Besides, natural stones are a long-term option for any part of your home due to their endurance and longevity.
Feel the warmth of the wood
Wood is very versatile and a true classic among home décor materials, therefore, always a good idea. Almost any surface in your kitchen can be covered with wood, you just need to choose your colour palette. Another good news is that you can easily get crafty and decorate your kitchen yourself. Invest in a high-quality delta drill press, get a hammer, a tape measure, and other woodworking tools and start tinkering. Choose the timber that matches your desired colour palette and your budget, decide whether you want a glossy or matte finish and you’re good to go. You can opt for affordable woods such as walnut, oak, poplar, or go exotic with cedar, mahogany, and teak – any type of wood will blend perfectly into your natural-inspired kitchen.
Let there be (day)light
Nothing says Mother Nature like lots of natural light in your home. Light makes any room look more spacious and it’s proven to be beneficial for relieving stress and enhancing focus. Big windows with curtains made of light materials are the best option for your kitchen, of course, but what if this is not possible in your house or apartment? Consider adding a mirror or two to help create an illusion of a lighter and bigger space, or opt for good artificial lights. Picking the right colour temperature is essential so make sure your lamps are at warm Kelvin temperature (2700k-3500k). Also, opt for LED lamps since they last much longer than traditional light sources and use much less energy. With smart lamp positioning, your kitchen will look much bigger and like it’s naturally lit.
If you didn’t think about renovating your kitchen to look more natural earlier, you certainly will now. The good news is that it’s pretty simple – opt for natural materials and neutral colours and your kitchen will get the organic, rustic, all-natural vibe in no time.
Bio: Nicole is a lifestyle blogger passionate about travel, healthy living and interior design. She enjoys sharing her experiences with others. In her free time she loves to design clothes and furniture. You can find her on Twitter and FB
If you are one of those people who are concerned about the environment and the effects of humans on the state of the planet, then green home improvements are most probably something you are already seriously considering. Perhaps you even started introducing such solutions to your home.
However, even if you are still somewhat skeptical about how much of an effect humans as a species have on the environment, you should definitely consider green home improvements for a very simple reason.
This reason, of course, is that such improvements can significantly increase the value of your home should you decide or sell it in the future. Even if not, green home improvements can help you save money. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Different Types of Green Home Improvements
Before we get into the whole increased home value thing and the ways in which you can finance these green home improvements, we should say a thing or two about the different choices that you have in front of you.
On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you have solutions such as big ceiling fans which consume only a fraction of the electricity needed to power an A/C system and which are surprisingly effective at cooling down a room. In many countries in the Mediterranean, like Malta for example, most homes do not even have A/C and they employ ceiling fans for all their cooling needs.
Another way to cut down on the amount of energy you spend on your A/C is by installing a programmable thermostat which will allow you to keep your home at the perfect temperature without the need to blast it full on once you come back to a hot or cold home.
There are also plenty of bathroom green improvements that will save you both water and electricity. Conserving water is just as important as reducing the waste of electricity, especially in certain parts of the world. California is probably the most obvious example in the U.S., as a state that is facing a serious water shortage in the very foreseeable future.
Of course, you can always go for the more elaborate and comprehensive green home improvements, such as installing a solar panel system or redoing the insulation on your entire home.
Money Concerns
Different green home improvements will require investments on a different scale. For example, getting a ceiling fan is not going to cost you more than a fine dinner for four at a fancy restaurant. On the other hand, installing solar panels can be quite costly.
One thing to remember here is that, for the most part, green home improvements will save you money on the long run, while also increasing the value of your home, should you wish to sell it. There is a great article on how green improvements increase property value on the Boston Globe website.
Finally, there are also certain ways in which you can make your investment in your green improvements more affordable. One such way is PACE financing.
PACE Financing 101
PACE stands for property assessed clean energy and this type of financing involves the homeowners who wish to install green improvements to their property, the state and local governments which implement PACE programs to help their citizens go green, as well as companies that provide the actual financial means to put these programs through.
This is best explained on a case. We will use Ygrene, one of the country’s few PACE financing companies as an example. Let’s say that you wish to put up a solar panel system on your home, but the initial investment is too pricy. You reach out to Ygrene (or some other company available in your area) and they pay for the whole system. You immediately start saving money on your energy bills and you only start paying them back after a certain amount of time has passed.
Once you start repaying, this becomes part of your property tax and you pay it that way. One thing to point out is that interest rates are tax-deductible, meaning that you are only paying for the principal. If you decide to sell the home, the repayments stay with the home, meaning that you do not keep paying for the improvements you no longer use.
All in all, it makes for a much better way to finance your green home improvements, especially since these programs are usually overseen by state or local governments which prevents shady stuff that often comes with novel financing methods.
Closing Word
The time was never better to start installing green home improvements to your home, especially with financing options like PACE. These improvements will reduce your bills, increase the value of your property and, what may turn out to be the most important factor, these improvements will also help conserve the environment.
AUTHOR: James Burbank has spent too many years in the trade show industry. He usually blogs about business, but from time to time, he likes to do an article on one of his main passions – green living. Check him out on Twitter – @JBurbank2019.
If you want to save power and the environment, then you can go for the green heating and cooling technology. This green heating and cooling technology can provide the coolest atmosphere during summer, and it can also provide warm temperature during the winter. For this technology you do not need to install any air conditioner and furnace in your rooms, and you can also prevent greenhouse gas emission with this technology. Most of these technologies have come up with active and positive modes of application, and the positive applications suggest you to make your roof top cooler with light shades, and you can place some green elements such as plants in your room or on the window or in the balcony area. On the other part active modes of applications can suggest you to install geothermal or solar technology in your home.
It is true that, through these systems you can save your bill, and you can decorate your home also. But for the extreme temperature, you cannot stay without any air conditioner. You can apply this green technology to save the environment and get some fresh air, and it can also save your electricity bill. But to stay in a relaxed atmosphere you need to search for a perfect heating and cooling system for your home.
The central heating and cooling system for the home:
It has been noticed that during summer, the southern and western part of the house remains cool compared to the other parts of the house, because these portions remain under the shade during scorching summer. If you have a two story building then you may find the first floor has become hot because of the roof, and in this regards you need a perfect air conditioner system for your entire home. Now you can install the central heating and cooling system and save the energy bill accordingly.
Central heating and cooling systems can provide you cool and hot temperature from the same machine, and according to the seasons, you need to change the application for the same.
This heating and cooling system can save the energy bills because it cannot generate the equal cool air or heat throughout your house. It can automatically detect the different room temperature and provide the air flow accordingly.
During the hottest summer, the humidity level of the home becomes big trouble for all, because you need to decrease this level along with the temperature. When you install the central heating and cooling system in your house, it can dehumidify your house properly and you can also control this feature with a remote control system.
How to choose the heating and cooling system?
First, you need to decide that you are looking for the heating and cooling system for the home or commercial places. The room size is an important factor to decide about the power consumption and energy requirement of these systems. Then you can choose the proper heating and cooling system according to your needs and budget only.
It is suggested to choose the copper cooling and heating system for the home because it can provide much air flow at low electric consumption level.
You have to incorporate with a power stabilizer for the central heating and cooling system because recurrent power fluctuation can damage this technology.
For this system, you do not need to install any additional air conditioner or room heater and it can produce the accurate room temperature according to your needs.
So, now install proper heating and cooling system and stay in a relaxed atmosphere. For more details, you can also search from online portals and choose the designs from different websites.
Author bio:
Evan Javier an expert writer, blogger with strong passion in writing for various topics such as Business, Health/Fitness, Lifestyle, Home décor, Travel, Automotive and lot more. Follow him at Google+.
When you think about what the important features are when it comes to having a home these days, you need to consider a great many things. However, thanks to the way that technology is making certain items more affordable, if you are considering a perk on any house that can help minimize your carbon footprint, it can help to minimize your electric bill as well. When it comes to solar power it will only be more important as the world moves forward, so consider the following options when you are thinking about solar energy.
Prices Are Falling
There is a general conception out there that solar panels are too expensive to be practical. However, thanks to the technology and infrastructure that has been built up around them, solar panels are actually very affordable. According to The Simple Dollar, solar panels have dropped in general around 75% since 2009, and the costs continue to decrease each and every day.
Panels Last For Years
Thinking about the initial cost and cash outlay can be scary when it comes to solar panels. Even with decreased prices they can easily hit five figures. However, when you think about the cost of energy and how much you can save by installing solar panels, then you should be able to see that within a few years you can get your money back. That means you could have as much as a decade (or two) of pure savings for solar electricity coming into your home after you have paid off the purchase and installation of the panels and system.
Picking the Manufacturer
When it comes to picking a manufacturer then you have to think about all of the issues that anyone needs to consider. What is the product durability? What is the service behind the product? Are you getting a top quality for your intended use? You also have to consider the items specific to solar panels and think about the power, longevity, and the efficiency of the product in converting sunlight to energy. When it comes to a product that you are going to invest a considerable amount of time, energy, and cash into, then you have to be sure the product is going to work for you.
Finding the Right Installer
When you are looking for the right installer, you have to be more careful than anything else. On the one hand you want someone who has enough experience with solar panels to be able to help you now and get the system installed correctly. However, the other thing to remember is that if you are going to have these solar panels installed for the next twenty or thirty years you still need to have someone who will be in business at that time and will continue to provide quality service. What you want to focus on is customer service, the length of the warranty, the installer’s references and location, along with certificates and licenses. Checking consumer reviews is also a smart choice to ensure you are making the right choice.
Regardless of what you do choose to do or who you choose to go with, there are more than enough opportunities out there to get ahead with solar power. The one thing that is most important, however, is to have a solid plan and find the best combination of product and installers that will work for you and your needs.
Going “green” can protect the environment and save you money—the less energy you use, the less energy you have to pay for. Eco-friendly renovations can save the planet and increase your home’s resale value should you decide to put it on the market. Here are four things you can do to save the planet from home.
Updating Sections Using Recycled Glass
Whether it’s for a clerestory section of windows or walls of glass looking out to a large pied-à-terre area, using recycled glass is a growing trend in house renovation projects. You can even use recycled glass for your next kitchen counter. Recycled glass kitchen counter-tops are so popular in kitchen areas today that a new name has emerged in the industry: bio-glass. Not only is the material made of 100 percent recyclable glass, it’s also itself 100 percent recyclable!
Stone Wall Sidings
Another growing trend among many homeowners is the use of stone wall sidings. According to Lifetime Exteriors, stone and brick are widely recognized as a green building material and are among the most durable and low-maintenance options for exterior siding. Stone is a practically inexhaustible building resource that can last centuries longer than wood. It is also fire and termite resistant, and only needs minimal maintenance to withstand natural weathering. Unlike wood, stone siding doesn’t need unnatural or toxic coatings to repel insects or prevent rotting.
With the use of stone wall sidings, any home’s looks can be enhanced. Varieties of color combinations, textures, and shapes create an impressive illusion of natural beauty that can fit perfectly into almost any architectural style, from the modern ranch to old-fashioned Tudor designs.
Replacing Carpets with Eco-friendly Flooring Materials
If you’re looking for sustainability, then look into using cork flooring. A natural green choice, the bark of cork oak trees make for splendid harvesting material, as it grows back in only a few years.
Another option is going with bamboo woods. Perhaps even more durable and moisture resistant than regular hardwood flooring material, bamboo also grows back quickly and is harvested without any lasting damage to the bamboo’s natural root system.
Paint A Room Using Environmentally-friendly Low-VOC Or VOC-free Paints
Yes, the industry succeeded in developing lead-free paints, but that’s not all that was needed. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that release dangerous molecules into the air still remain a real health issue. Today, newer low-VOC or completely VOC-free paints are the growing trend. For your next major painting project, look for VOC-free paints to keep toxic and dangerous chemicals away from your home.
All of the above eco-friendly remodeling ideas can easily not only enhance your home’s appearance, but they can also dramatically increase the resale value of your home. More often than not, the environmentally conscious choice is the right choice financially too. Before you tear off your siding and tear up your floor, consider that replacing something just to replace it usually isn’t the most environmentally friendly choice. But if you’re already planning a renovation, consider one of these green alternatives.
Marlena Stoddard is a freelance writer who received her BA from the University of Georgia. She currently lives in a beautiful home in Atlanta with her husband, two kids, and puppy Molly Belle.
As buildings account for 39% of energy use in the US, a new trend called green building is on the rise. Building green includes opting not only for energy-efficient models of construction and renovation, but for water efficient components, eco-friendly building materials, waste and toxics reduction components and improved air-quality, as well. In order to financially help you retrofit your home, the Government offers energy incentives for the upgrades in residential buildings.
Insulation
Insulation reduces heating and cooling costs significantly. The measure of the insulating effectiveness is the R-value. The higher the R-value, the better insulation. The R-value depends on a large number of factors, including the type of insulation materials (its thickness and density), the location of insulation, the climate and the type of heating and cooling systems you have.
Before choosing the type of insulation and the insulation material, you should be familiar with following information – where you want to install insulation, the R-value of materials, the ease of insulation, the indoor air-quality impact of insulation, etc. The most common places of insulation are duct systems, exterior walls, cathedral ceilings, floors above an unheated garage, foundation, a basement, concrete slabs and a crawlspace.
Windows
A great variety of advantages of double glazed residential windows makes them an ideal energy-efficient option. Consisting of two glass panes between which inert gas/dehydrated air is sealed, double glazed windows provide excellent thermal insulation. Dehydrated air molecules are less mobile than regular air molecules, meaning they transfer less heat. As far as inert gases, such as krypton, xenon, or argon are concerned, they provide even better thermal insulation than dehydrated air. In addition to this, these windows will also help you achieve optimal noise reduction.
Doors
The best investment is installing an energy-efficient door with a steel skin, a polyurethane foam insulation core and a magnetic strip for weather-stripping. Glass doors are considered a poor insulator, but if you want this kind of door in your house, choose a double-glazed door. Before installing a pre-hung door, apply expanding foam caulking between a new doorframe and the rough opening and the threshold. Storm doors are usually a good option if you have a non-insulated door.
Renewable energy systems
A geothermal heat pump is usually installed when building a new house. Its main disadvantage is that it cannot be moved. When it comes to solar energy, you can consider a solar electric, or photovoltaic system for the production of electricity and/or a solar water heating system. If you live in a rural area, you can benefit from a small wind electric system, while a microhydropower system is a good choice for houses with an access to flowing water.
Appliances and electronics
Energy Star products are labeled this way if they are more energy-efficient that the minimum government standard tested for each product. Before purchasing, calculate electronic energy use of your current appliances and electronics, consider the price of an Energy Star product and its estimated energy use in order to know which model and brand to buy at what price.
Eventually, you should include passive solar design of the home in order to maximize energy-efficiency. The orientation of the home so that you can optimally benefit from sun exposure is extremely important. Plant trees providing a shade in the summer and enabling sun penetration in the winter. Consider window treatments, external shading and LED lights, too.
A good deal of instances when bills are sky-high are connected with the distribution of electricity and its use, and you may not even be aware it’s happening to you. To help you begin saving your money, we have compiled a set of possible problems and energy slurpers with tips for improvements. Stay tuned.
Silent energy suckers
An abundance of devices that remain plugged in all the time even when they’re not being used are one of the biggest hidden expenses that amass the electricity bill. A decade ago this was not the pressing issue, but modern apertures and gimmicks drain the electricity even when you turn it off. You could say that contemporary technology never sleeps. The standby mode of computers, DVRs and TVs is designed for faster resuming of the previous actions.
Consequently, these appliances and machines are slurping on electricity in our house as they’re on hold for next scheduled action or a new task. The array of these devices definitely includes the clock equipped items such as coffee machines of microwave ovens, and even old VCRs that maintain this feature.
What to do: Connect the appliances to an extension block with a switch and make sure to turn it off when you don’t need it. This off finally means off.
Feeding the power monsters
Larger machines such as washing machines, dishwashers and dryers have the incredible appetite for consumption of electricity and frequent use can make your bill go through the roof. The average household in developed countries utilises approximately 40 gallons of water and loads the machine 400 times a year. Ouch!
What to do: Dishwasher wise, avoid running the cycle when there’s not enough dishes to fill it completely. Also, choose the best suited mode and leave them to dry on its own, minus the heating programme. For dryers and washing machines, strive to do your laundry only once a week, exploit its capacity and dry on low.
Overusing the fans and light fixtures
I admit, I am the first one to turn up the lights wherever possible to brighten the atmosphere of the interior, and this augments the bill more than we expect. In fact, intelligently employed lights that tend to the target spots in the room such as working station, dining table and sofas are more efficient.
Similarly, ceiling fan instalments only influence the temperature in the place they’re in, and it’s not sound to leave it on when nobody’s inside. Thankfully, fans have a toggle button that activates the change of blade direction for custom seasonal use.
What to do: Exploit illumination solely in the specific, occupied areas and turn it out in vacant rooms. On top of that, consider replacing the standard bulbs with their more energy-savvy counterparts that last longer and save extra money. For ceiling fans, make sure to utilise the toggle control (clockwise for winter and counter clock wise for summer months).
Let go of the veterans
Are you still using a bunch of old devices that were bought decades ago by grandparents and then passed on to you? Well, the thing is these are the big players in the consumption game too. Basically, older machines have no energy efficient mode at all. Invest in upgrades of your old-century appliances which involves stoves, ovens, fridges, washing machines and wiring installations among others.
What to do: Don’t burden your outdated house apertures with demanding tasks they’re not up to. Energy star models of the vacuum cleaners, for example, are more energy-preserving than the past millennium models. Since wires are linked throughout the house, call a professional to assess whether you need a switchboard wiring upgrade that will accommodate the demanding newcomers.
Chargers everywhere
The chain of mobile chargers, audio players, tablets and laptops, electric toothbrushes and games consoles are all charging for our next use. The tech generation has transformed us into power hungry users looking for the nearest socket.
What to do: Disconnect all the adapters and chargers when not in function, and avoid all-time charging. It’ll cost you the bill and a new battery.
Shamefully high electricity bills are not the necessity of the modern age. Go ahead and test our advice to save yourself from the hidden energy expenses.
In the past, we dwelled so much on efficiency that we forgot about finiteness of many things. In other words, we were occupied with how fast we can and we completely forgot to ask for how long we can keep up with this pace. Luckily, seems like things are about to change, since the world is growing more and more aware that our only exit lies in sustainability. A revolution as significant needs to start in our very homes. This being said, here are some latest trends and innovations in sustainable design, which are bound to make a big splash in 2016.
Always look for the local materials
Regardless if we are talking about the construction of your home, your furniture or simply your home decoration, local materials are almost always eco-friendly. The reason for this is quite simple. With local products, you can completely eliminate transportation which is a huge issue when it comes to pollution. Furthermore, by investing in local goods, you will strengthen your regional economy which may also encourage others to do the same. So, always go for local furniture stores when equipping your home and local materials if you are building it on your own.
Zero energy home
In order for your home to become genuinely ‘’zero energy’’, it needs to have two major features. First one is that it saves as much energy as possible – which means that good insulation and quality residential windows are a most definite must. Good windows can cut down your heat loss down to 40%, which is not a figure to be trifled with. The second feature of a “zero energy” home is that it creates its own energy. Which is why, it is a good idea to install either a compact wind turbine or several solar panels at the roof or in the backyard. Bottom line is that the amount of energy that you produce is approximate to the amount you spend; hence the name “zero energy”.
Energy saving appliances
This next issue we need to deal with is in direct continuation of the last part. Namely you can make a whole world of difference by finding some energy saving appliances for your home. You can always look for a fridge, stove or even TV that spends less power. Of course, before any of that, you might want to replace all your iridescent light bulbs with some stylish yet eco-friendly designer LED lighting. The difference that these two make for our planet is so big that iridescent bulbs are on their way to be banned in the entire of EU. Sure, each of these items separately may not save that much, but try to combine them and their joint saving is more than significant. In other words, not only is this step great for our planet, but for your budget as well. A clear win-win scenario if there ever was one.
Power is not the only resource
Now, when earlier we spoke about making a sustainable home, we usually talked about either power or fossil fuels (in raw materials section), however saving water can be equally as important. There are several ways in which you can make a difference here and the choice is all yours. You can start by gathering rainwater and conserving it for later use in either bathroom or for watering your garden. Furthermore, you can replace all your bathroom appliances with low flow ones. Low-flow faucet, shower and even toilet all spend no more than 1/3 of the water their regular counterparts do. Finally, even just raising your awareness a bit can make a huge difference in your monthly and annual water spending.
As you can see, most of these innovations do not require too much of an effort, but they do require a no small initial investment. Although this scares a lot of people away, just keep in mind that while saving the planet these features also save your own money, by making you pay less for your power, water and heating bills. This being said, in time, each and every one of these investments is bound to pay off in due time. If you are planning for the long run, than these renovations are absolutely mandatory. Guest post by:
Chloe is an art historian, recreational ballet dancer and a contributor at smoothdecorator.com. She is passionate about photography, dance and music. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world with her husband and take stunning photographs of beautiful places. She also enjoys learning and writing about home design, since she is crazy about aesthetics. You can find Chloe on FB, Twitter, and G+.
