When you are renovating either a room or a house it is a great opportunity to go a little green. I came across this great article on
The Green Directory which will give you some ideas on just how to do this.
So if you think you would like to renovate greener, here are our top ten tips to consider:
1. Design your renovation to take best advantage of any Northern orientation, design in good cross ventilation and provide sun shading to the Eastern, Northern and Western elevations.
2. Insulate your renovation well. Ensure you provide, as a minimum, the recommended insulation rating for your climate and location. For a natural insulation choice, why not consider wool?
3. Install water efficient tap ware and toilets. Also, consider putting in a rainwater tank and connecting it to your toilets. Flushing of toilets uses around 10% of the water consumed in your house; this translates into around 9000-13,000 litres per year.
4. If you have an electric hot water heater, why not replace it with a solar hot water system?
5. Install compact fluorescent light fittings instead of standard light fittings. Compact fluorescent fittings are around 4 times more energy efficient than standard fittings.
6. Install energy and water efficient appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines.
7. Improve the insulating performance of your windows by installing an efficient glass such as a Low E glass. Standard glass provides absolutely no insulating value when it comes to preventing heat loss in winter or heat gain in summer. Anything you can do to improve this is a bonus.
8. Use low VOC paints and floor finishes. Normal paints and floor finishes have high solvent content which has been proven to be bad for our health.
9. Use low formaldehyde MDF and particle boards for your kitchen cupboards. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is released from standard MDF and particle boards over time.
10. Use sustainably sourced timber. When using timber in your renovation, look for timber that comes from sustainably managed sources with the FSC mark, not from illegally logged rainforests.
All of the above items are very easy to include as part of the planning for your renovation. The minimal additional cost associated with them will repay itself, not just in lower running costs but you will also have a healthier and more enjoyable house to live in.
Darryn Parkinson
www.yourabode.com.au
Have you already implemented some of these ideas in to your home?
Would you consider any of them if you were renovating?
Top 10 Tips for Renovating Green
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