Home renovation is not only a means to enhance the appearance of your house and create a more comfortable living environment, but it also presents a great opportunity to minimize your environmental footprint and save money on energy expenses. With intelligent choices during home renovation, you can make your home eco-friendly and transform it into a more sustainable and efficient place. Here are some of the environmental benefits of home renovation, along with some tips from Lavish Maison experts on how to achieve them.
Reduce Energy Consumption; Main Environmental Benefits of Home Renovation
Undoubtedly, one of the most essential aspects of home renovation is transforming the house into a more comfortable and cozy environment. This issue becomes even more critical, especially if you are planning to undertake a home renovation in the Greater Toronto Area. Due to the significant temperature fluctuations in this area during summer and winter, a substantial amount of energy is required to maintain a comfortable temperature at home throughout both seasons.
Reducing energy consumption is one of the most effective ways to decrease your environmental impact. Heating and cooling your home can consume a significant amount of energy and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, you should consider reducing energy consumption during home renovations. Previously, in an article, we provided a more detailed explanation about home renovation in the climate of Toronto. Reducing energy consumption is one of the most significant environmental benefits of home renovation.
One method to reduce energy consumption during house improvement is to enhance the insulation of the house during renovation. In this way, you will prevent heat from escaping the house during winter and also avoid cool air from leaving the house. You can insulate your walls, roof, windows, and doors to prevent heat loss or gain and maintain a stable indoor temperature. With this, you can create a pleasant environment at home while conserving energy. Our experts at Lavish Maison pay special attention to this issue during home renovations. They will provide the necessary recommendations to the homeowner.
It is also likely necessary to check the ventilation system. Experts should conduct this review. Many older ventilation systems have high energy consumption; therefore, it is better to replace them. This will help reduce energy consumption at home, maintain indoor air quality, and prevent moisture problems.
Apart from these, utilizing renewable energy sources is also a viable option. For example, you can utilize solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal heat pumps to generate clean and renewable energy for your home. Consider using a programmable thermostat that can adjust the temperature according to your schedule and preferences. Additionally, replace your old appliances and lighting fixtures with energy-efficient models.
All of these changes are made more accessible and faster during the renovation of the house. If you are concerned about their cost, rest assured that the expenses incurred will be offset by energy savings. Apart from these options, you can also utilize the home renovation finance service offered by Lavish Maison.
Recycle or Reuse Materials in Home Renovation
When you decide to do a home renovation, you have a golden opportunity to reintroduce many old items into the life cycle. By taking this action, you can prevent them from being disposed of in landfills or incinerators, which can result in the release of harmful greenhouse gases and toxins.
Recycled materials have been used previously and can be reused or repurposed for new construction projects.
Perhaps at first glance, the critical issue in using recycled materials is the reduction of home renovation costs. Still, the positive effects of this work are much greater. Recycling materials in construction can help conserve natural resources, reduce waste generation, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
You can repurpose old wood from pallets, crates, furniture, or flooring to create new items such as shelves, tables, benches, or frames. You can repurpose old glass from bottles, jars, windows, or mirrors to create new items like vases, candle holders, coasters, or mosaic tiles.
The use of recycled materials during construction has limitations, so it is necessary to seek assistance from experts. But using these materials inside the house or as decorative items would be perfect. We have already discussed the Bedroom Design Trends in 2023. Some objects made from recycled materials can be used according to current trends. Apart from their positive effects on the environment, these projects also save money on purchasing new materials.
Examples of Using Recycled Materials in Construction
There are numerous ideas for utilizing recycled materials in construction and home renovation. In addition, new methods have been developed in this field as a result of the growing public awareness of the environment. Here are some examples of using recycled materials in construction, selected by our expert at Lavish Maison.
- Concrete can be broken down and recycled as a base material for constructing driveways and footpaths. Using recycled concrete can save up to 80% of the energy required to produce new concrete and reduce the amount of landfill space needed for demolition waste.
- Untreated timber can be used as firewood or mulch. Large pieces can be recycled and reused in construction.
- Asphalt paving can be crushed and recycled to create new asphalt for paved roads.
- Trees and brush can be recycled as compost or mulch.
- Bricks can be crushed into aggregates for concrete or reused as bricks for new buildings.
- Reclaimed timber can be salvaged from old buildings or structures and reused in new construction. Reclaimed wood possesses a distinctive aesthetic and character, and it can help reduce the demand for new timber.
- Plastics or rubber can be melted down and remolded into new products, such as pipes, flooring, insulation, or furniture.
- Glass can be melted down and recycled to create new glass products, such as windows, doors, tiles, and countertops.
- Metals can be melted down and reformed into new metal products such as beams, wires, pipes, or roofing materials.
Think of Water: Conserve Water with Home Renovation
Although paying attention to water conservation is a general method of protecting the environment, there are some necessary steps that can be taken by making changes during a home renovation. Water is a vital resource for life on our beautiful planet, Earth. Many individuals consume excessive amounts of water, which leads to financial and energy waste and contributes to environmental issues such as droughts, floods, and pollution.
Although we should not excessively worry about the water shortage in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, it is still important to conserve water in this region. In the home renovation process, it is possible to save a significant amount of water resources and reduce water consumption by making a small investment. At Lavish Maison, we provide homeowners with suggestions for home improvement and renovation projects.
Solutions such as installing low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets, replacing old appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, collecting rainwater from your roof for watering plants, washing your car, or flushing your toilet, and landscaping your garden with native plants adapted to the GTA climate that require less water than exotic or thirsty plants can be used for this purpose.