Patricia's Construction and Contracting Blog: Tips for Novices to Experts

Choosing Materials for an Eco-Friendly Home Renovation

by غزل موسوی

When it comes time to renovate your home, you may want to think about the materials you choose and how they impact the environment. Many homeowners know to choose energy efficient appliances and to install a solar panel when they can in order to cut down on pollution created by power plants, but the materials you choose for your home renovation can also have an environmental impact. Note a few eco-friendly choices for materials for a home and keep these in mind when you're ready to remodel.

1. Linoleum versus vinyl

Vinyl is made from harmful substances including dioxin, whereas linoleum is made from natural linseed oil. This makes linoleum a better virgin material and also makes it more eco-friendly when you're ready to pull up your flooring and replace it.

2. Low-VOC

VOC refers to volatile organic compounds, which are often released by paints, caulks, and other such compounds. These can be very harmful to the environment and to your lungs. When choosing paints or other such materials, look for low-VOC on the label. This means that they have the smallest amount of these compounds possible, and some will have none at all. Carpeting also releases VOC into the atmosphere, so look for low-VOC carpeting or choose another material for flooring, such as wood, linoleum, stone, and the like.

3. Bamboo

Bamboo is an easily sustainable material, meaning that it grows very quickly. This is unlike oak, mahogany, and other such trees that may take years if not decades to grow back. Bamboo is very flexible and can be used for floors, countertops, cupboards, and virtually any other items where other woods might be used. It can also be painted or stained if you don't like the look of natural bamboo.

4. Concrete

Concrete is very sustainable, as it's made from abundant materials, including sand, gravel, pebbles, and the like. It can be shaped and molded to form countertops of any variety and also used for flooring. Concrete can be painted, stamped, or otherwise fabricated to look like stone, brick, or even polished glass. You can also find recycled concrete that can be mixed with new concrete for an even more eco-friendly choice.

5. Glass

Glass is also an eco-friendly choice as it's easy to make from very sustainable materials and is also very easy to recycle. You can find recycled glass for a backsplash or use it for countertops as it's nonporous; this makes it less likely to hold bacteria and germs and easy to clean.

For more information, contact Southern Additions Pty Ltd or a similar company.

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