Green Upgrades for an Environmentally Friendly Home – Guest post by Emma Joyce

Switching to an eco-friendly way of life is something we all need to do as soon as possible because that’s the only way to save our planet from an impending ecological disaster. Although this seems like a fight that’s already lost, we all have to act and contribute to this cause and if we introduce sustainability into our lives, we’re going to inspire our family, friends and neighbors to do the same and thus spread the message to a constantly rising number of people. That’s why introducing green updates into your home and making it environmentally friendly is a must, so here are a couple of ideas you might want to consider putting into practice.

Replacing doors and windows

This is something most people aren’t familiar with, but we lose a massive quantity of energy and heat through our doors and windows, without even being aware of it. Inefficient windows, for instance, could force you to spend more energy to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and even people who spend an enormous amount of money on temperature control aren’t safe due to these losses.

Therefore, you have to find a way to make your windows more efficient, and some of the things you could do include repairing them, filling the holes and installing new double-glazed windows that will save your energy and keep your home at ideal temperature all year long.

Complete insulation

Installing new windows is a costly investment, but this one is, unfortunately, even costlier – however, the benefits that come with this project are also much bigger and more durable. Insulating your home completely might take some time and require more money than you could’ve imagined, yet you can save money if you do some of the work on your own.

Even if you’re not the handiest person in the world, you can help your contractor install insulation on the exterior walls, and repeat the same process inside your rooms afterwards to make your home even more protected in the years to come.

Solar power

Utilizing the power we receive from the Sun is one of the best ways to stay sustainable and eco-friendly – not only will you make good use of the solar potential that’s everywhere around you, but you’ll also minimize your electricity consumption, which is always good. This is particularly useful for people living in hot areas with lots of sunny days, and after some initial investment, this home improvement project is going to start paying off in no time.

All you need to do is install as many solar panels as you can and that’s basically it. But be sure not to forget some sustainable SMA inverters that are going to turn your solar impulses into the power you can actually use. Of course, take care of your solar panels even when you’re not actively using them because proper maintenance can really go a long way.

Second-hand materials

This is another idea not everyone knows of, but it’s another amazing way to save both cash and Mother Earth. Instead of insisting on new resources that are both expensive and unnecessary, you can completely renovate your home with second-hand materials that are just as good, yet much more sustainable.

Used wood, steel, aluminum, glass and even stone, as well as old windows, doors, fittings, fireplaces and benches can be found at really low prices and your home won’t really know the difference, nor will you ever realize there’s something wrong with the choice you’ve made. Moreover, you’ll give your place a more authentic look that’s really going to make it special, which is why we need to remove the stigma from second-hand building materials and start using them more actively.

There are lots of other ways to make your home eco-friendly – a green wall, no-VOC wall paint, reclaimed flooring, repurposed furniture and Energy Star appliances are just some of the ideas to explore – but you should start small and take one step at a time. Keep in mind that these projects don’t necessarily have to cost a lot and once everyone around you sees how cheap making your home green is, they’ll start doing the same immediately, and we’ll all contribute to preserving our planet!
Emma Joyce is a blogger based in Australia. She is a home decor and DIY fanatic interested in eco-friendly ways of building and decorating. She got hooked on home accessories and decorations whilst traveling and now enjoys searching for new inspiration for her home and garden.