How to Make Your Home Greener

Environmental awareness has never been so widespread or so important as it is today. One of the main ways in which you, as a homeowner, can make a difference is by making your home a greener one. Creating a more environmentally friendly home will not only benefit the environment, but reduce your bills and make your house more attractive to potential buyers if you decide to sell.

Some green homes are built that way, but many are renovated or improved in order to make them greener and more energy efficient. A large number of the homes that are built today have some environmentally friendly features, whether it is the products from which they are made or the installation of green, energy efficient heating and water systems.

Living in a greener home will reduce your impact on the environment, but it will also offer you some financial benefits. You will be able to control the future costs of maintaining your home, reduce your monthly bills, and increase the resale value of your property. Your home will also become much easier to market if it is made greener, and while you live in it you will experience cleaner air and a healthier living environment.

If you decide to sell your house, then having done some work to make it more environmentally friendly will prove useful. Green homes are very popular with buyers, and the reduced costs of running an energy efficient home will be an important attraction for many buyers.

There are many ways in which you can make a home greener. It is a good idea to pick one or two of these projects if your main aim is to increase the value of your property and then to sell it, as you will need to limit your expenditure. If your purpose is to create an environmentally friendly home in which you will be living for the foreseeable future, then you may want to spend more and make your home even greener.

Keeping your house at the right temperature uses up a lot of energy. You can reduce the costs of heating your home by making sure it is well insulated and by choosing a more energy efficient heating system. Air conditioning can also use up a lot of energy. Installing a ceiling fan may be enough in some rooms, reducing your reliance on air conditioning and its high energy demands.

A tankless water heater will produce only as much hot water as is needed, reducing the energy that is used to heat water. Radiant heat can be more pleasant and will use far less energy than forced air. It will also make you feel comfortable with a lower thermostat temperature, reducing your energy expenditure. Fitting radiant air into your home can be expensive, however. You may also want to try using the sun to your advantage. If you are building a sunroom, for example, you should ensure that it is facing true south in order to benefit from passive heating by the sun.

Installing programmable thermostats can ensure that you are not heating or cooling your home when it is not necessary. By turning down your thermostat when heating is not needed, for example when nobody is at home or when everyone is sleeping, you can save between 5 and 20 percent on your energy bill.

Spray foam insulation is far more effective than fiberglass insulation, as well as being non-toxic and coming with a lifetime guarantee. It can result in energy savings of up to 50 percent. Installing Low-E windows will reduce heat loss significantly. A layer of thin metal is incorporated into these windows to prevent heat being lost through them, or from entering during the summer. The U-factor and SHGC rating show how effective these windows are. Low-E windows can prevent as much as 30-50 percent of energy losses. Storm doors can protect your home against bad weather and make your home as much as 45 percent more energy efficient. Caulking your doors and windows is cheap, but very effective at preventing heat losses. The resulting savings will generally pay for the work within a single year. Doors can also be insulated by choosing ones that are made of fiberglass or metal rather than wood. These doors are five times as good at insulating your home as wooden doors.

Fitting LED lighting will also make your home much greener. LEDs use less energy than conventional lighting, they are also cheaper, last longer, and when disposed of do not pose such a threat to the environment because they are constructed of less toxic materials.

In order to conserve water, you can fit your home with low-flow toilets and showers. You can also reduce the amount of water that you use in your garden by choosing plants that are suited to your environment. Drought resistant plants will require less water. Smart irrigation systems can be installed to ensure that only the minimum amount of water is used. Planting trees around your house can also reduce your energy costs by shading the property in a hot climate.