Are you planning to purchase an old home or live in an old home now? Do you want your old home to be more environmentally friendly than it is now? Unfortunately, converting your old home into an eco-friendly home can be tricky and challenging.
Older homes tend to be very unfriendly to the environment compared to new homes. There are several reasons for old homes not being eco-friendly. Old homes aren’t energy efficient. They aren’t insulated well and require more energy to heat and cool them. Old homes are also made from materials that aren’t exactly eco-friendly.
These materials include asbestos, lead, and toxic paint that isn’t good for the environment or us as humans. Older homes also require more upkeep and maintenance, which means more replacements and more resources being used.
So, what can you do to convert your old home into an eco-friendly home? The only thing most people consider when converting an old home into an eco-friendly home is updating and changing their HVAC systems and household appliances, which does help but is not the only way.
You won’t have to completely tear down and rebuild your home. Remodeling and converting is the best way to make your old home greener. This article will help you by giving you tips on converting your old home into an eco-friendly home.
As always, of course, these tips and suggestions are just an outline of what you can do to make your home greener. You should conduct more research yourself and contact a professional to ensure you get the most out of your old home.
What Needs To Be Changed?
How will you know how you can improve areas of your old home to be more eco-friendly? We would recommend hiring an energy auditor who can inspect your home thoroughly.
They will know and understand where your home’s energy is being wasted, what materials can and need to be changed, and what areas of your home need to be insulated to save as much energy as possible. Listen to what your energy auditor has to say as they are professionals and probably have some experience working on making old homes greener.
Use Reclaimed And Recycled Materials
Any parts or materials in your old home that need an update should be replaced with reclaimed or recycled materials. Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost is the best way to care for the environment.
Using recycled materials to upgrade your home will reduce the number of resources being wasted to remodel your home. Recycled wood and metal can make your home greener and look beautiful when done right. Recycled glass is also a viable option for your windows and doors.
Don’t Forget Your Bathrooms
Many people don’t think about water waste when trying to be more environmentally friendly, but water waste is a huge issue and needs to be curtailed as much as possible. Old homes especially have old plumbing, leaky pipes and faucets, and flushes that use too much water.
Installing new plumbing systems and maintaining them is a good way to lower your home’s water waste. Installing a low-volume or dual-flush system in your toilets can benefit you greatly. Also, think about switching out your shower head with one that wastes less water.
Insulate Your Home Properly
Proper insulation is the best way to make your old home greener as most of our household energy is wasted on heating and cooling our homes. If you properly insulate your home, you won’t be using as much energy to heat or cool your home, you will be saving money on utility bills, and you will be saving the environment by using less power.
Consider Solar Energy Installation
Think about installing solar panels when remodeling your home. They can still be costly upfront. They are still the simplest ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on electricity bills. Prices of solar panels continue to fall and are as affordable as ever, so consider installing solar power when remodeling your old home.
