If you thought eco-friendly home design was a thing of the future, you should know that future is already here. Maintaining a home is a persistent, diligent task for any homeowner. Remodeling your home with more efficient, eco-friendly upgrades is some of the most important home maintenance you can do. As weather and climate extremes become more commonplace than years before, safeguarding your home against the worst of it is a tremendous motivator to creating a reliable and resilient home. While the idea of modern eco-friendly homes may not seem synonymous with adjectives such as “reliable” and “resilient,” there are a number of reasons to rethink the function and importance of environmentally-friendly design.
Sustainable Homes Using Sustainable Materials
Whether you’re starting a new construction or upgrading your existing property, utilizing sustainable building materials is a major step toward creating an eco-friendly home. Not only do sustainable materials help curb our environmental impact, they also offer economic and aesthetic benefits to add further value and comfort to your home. For example, installing wool or denim insulation offers a non-toxic, renewable solution to keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The EPA estimated 17 million tons of textiles were sent to landfills in 2018, which can be lessened by the adoption of upcycled insulation materials such as denim and wool.
Other eco-friendly alternatives exist for each type of material, including flooring, roofing, and wall paneling. Including upcycled and reclaimed materials in your home can offer an artisanal, nature-focused design aesthetic that brings life and warmth into any space. Additionally, sourcing your materials from sustainably-harvested companies helps ensure ecosystems and indigenous peoples are not exploited in the pursuit of profits.
Energy-Efficient Design Saves Money and Resources
Maintaining energy efficiency inside your home is perhaps the defining characteristic of an eco-friendly home. Not only do sustainable homes use fewer resources to maintain a comfortable internal climate — reducing their impact on the environment — this in turn incurs lower energy costs for the owner. The first step in reducing energy consumption is to reduce the exchange of internal and external air by creating an airtight home.
Equipping your home with high-performance windows is an extremely effective way to increase energy efficiency and lower your energy costs. Monumental windows, for example, feature a thermal break — in addition to more energy-saving features — which helps your home maintain a constant temperature regardless of the weather outside. Coupled with double-glazed windows and a durable, tight-seal construction, this upgrade will instantly reduce your home’s carbon footprint while saving you money.
Don’t Skimp on Eco-friendly Practices Outside
Building the perfect eco-friendly home doesn’t stop on the inside. Making essential, impactful changes to your home’s landscape can help further your efforts. On average, the average American uses about 80-100 gallons of water each day, which can be sharply reduced by adjusting behaviors and the space around you. For example, replacing impervious surfaces like your concrete driveway with open-cell pavers or permeable pavers make it easier for water to penetrate the soil. Maintaining a beautiful outdoor space as part of your transitional architecture isn’t lost in modern eco-friendly homes. Planting native plants in a low-maintenance garden will ensure a beautiful gathering space without all the hassle.
There are countless ways to create an environmentally friendly home, but it’s essential to do your research to make sure you’re truly making a difference. Contact us today to transform your home with energy-efficient windows and doors by Monumental.