Remodeling your home allows you to customize your space to match your style and ideas. It need not be overly expensive or require massive reconstruction unless your plans include it. There are ways to go green while you remodel and stay within your budget. Here are five economical ways to go green and still get the remodeling results you want.
1. Reclaimed Wood
Use reclaimed or recycled wood when installing a new floor. Oak, hard pine and other reclaimed woods are great for flooring. The planks are planed smooth and any nail holes or imperfections are filled in or cut around. You can find bargains by searching online, visiting construction or housing demolition sites. Wood from old barns is great for use as flooring; make sure it is free of insects or other problems. Old nail holes and stains add character and give your new flooring a “lived-in” feel.
2. Eco-friendly Insulation
Choose eco-friendly options when installing insulation and weather stripping. Spray insulation made from soy, insulation batts made from recycled denim and other materials and weather stripping made from copper and other materials are widely available. They may cost a little more initially but will pay for themselves with energy savings.
3. Energy-saving Appliances
Look for energy saving appliances on local online auction sites and in the newspaper. You can save a great deal of money on appliances that are less than three years old; they still have a great deal of energy-saving service to provide for you. For example, purchase Energy Star ceiling fans that fit your décor from the local newspaper. If you do not like the light bulb covers, purchase the style you prefer and donate the old ones to a local Habitat For Humanity Restore outlet.
4. Find Reusable Paint
Save money on paint by visiting a resale cooperative. Many take donations of paint and mix like types and colors together to make quarts or gallons for resale. An example is that a cooperative would take latex enamel paint donations of dark blue paint and mix them together to make a gallon you can purchase far cheaper than at a regular retail outlet. Although exact shades cannot be guaranteed and there are no returns, you can still paint rooms and help the environment by keeping paint from being dumped in the landfill.
5. Metal Roof
Consider a metal roof instead of asphalt shingles. A standing seam roof is not bad looking on most homes; metal roofs are available as sheets, shingles and other styles. You can have the roof coated with a UV-reflective paint to help keep the attic cooler, thus lowering the utility bill.
