Making Your House More Green Without Remodeling
Recently there has been a movement towards green living. People have started to become more environmentally conscious along with realizing the savings to be had from an energy efficient home. However, making the necessary renovations and remodels can become costly and too expensive for some. Here are some ways to make your house more energy efficient and green without doing any remodeling.
Water Savings
There are multiple opportunities for energy savings in regards to water efficiency. The average house uses gallons upon gallons of water each year and this can certainly be improved.
One very simple step you can take first is to install aerators onto all the faucets in the house. These aerators are rather inexpensive and can be easily found at almost any home supply store. Aerators work by splicing the water stream into many tiny streams rather than one big stream. The water flow is actually reduced while water pressure is maintained. This makes aerators not only efficient, but also quite plausible as there is no noticeable loss in water pressure or functionality.
Faucets with aerators installed on them can save up to half of the water that would be normally used without them. The savings will not only be recognized in water usage, because if you are using less water then you will use less gas to heat that water which means extra energy savings.
Another way to save on water is by installing low-flow shower heads in all of the showers in the house. These low-flow shower heads also reduce the amount of water used while maintaining the same level of water pressure. Low-flow shower heads are also relatively cheap and easy to find at most local home supply stores.
Green Gardens
Another place where there are some opportunities for easy energy savings is in the garden and outside.
The first thing you can do is to make sure you are using native plants around your house and garden. Native plants are more accustomed to growing in “native” climates and soil. This means they require less water and maintenance.
Although it can be expensive to replace a lawn or many plants with native plants, it is possible to do over a period of time. You can start small by replacing smaller plants and gradually over time work your way towards more native plants a little at a time. Every little bit will help.
Another thing to do is to check to see where the water from your downspouts is going. If your downspouts are directing water to pavement or concrete then that water is being wasted. You can redirect these downspouts so that they deliver their water to a garden or lawn that is in need of water. This will provide an extra boost to the water savings mentioned earlier.
Energy Efficient Appliances
Lastly, it is possible to gain more energy savings if you are considering purchasing a new appliance. Although buying a new appliance can be expensive, it is still cheaper than undertaking a costly remodel.
This can be done by buying and installing appliances that are energy star qualified. Energy star qualified appliances are much more energy efficient than standard appliances. This is because to receive the energy star label an appliance must meet the strict energy standards of the Department of Energy. It is easy to identify energy star qualified appliances by looking for the blue Energy Star label.
It seems that these days most people are looking to make their house more eco-friendly. However, implementing the necessary renovations and remodels can be expensive and intimidating. Hopefully the ideas listed here offer some cheap and easy alternatives to help make your house more energy efficient and green.
Wade Myer grew up under the watchful eye his father, a contractor, who taught him the tools of the trade. Even though he can swing a hammer with the best of them, he’s always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Currently he writes on behalf of Steiner Homes LTD. who builds Valparaiso custom homes.
Water Savings
There are multiple opportunities for energy savings in regards to water efficiency. The average house uses gallons upon gallons of water each year and this can certainly be improved.
One very simple step you can take first is to install aerators onto all the faucets in the house. These aerators are rather inexpensive and can be easily found at almost any home supply store. Aerators work by splicing the water stream into many tiny streams rather than one big stream. The water flow is actually reduced while water pressure is maintained. This makes aerators not only efficient, but also quite plausible as there is no noticeable loss in water pressure or functionality.
Faucets with aerators installed on them can save up to half of the water that would be normally used without them. The savings will not only be recognized in water usage, because if you are using less water then you will use less gas to heat that water which means extra energy savings.
Another way to save on water is by installing low-flow shower heads in all of the showers in the house. These low-flow shower heads also reduce the amount of water used while maintaining the same level of water pressure. Low-flow shower heads are also relatively cheap and easy to find at most local home supply stores.
Green Gardens
Another place where there are some opportunities for easy energy savings is in the garden and outside.
The first thing you can do is to make sure you are using native plants around your house and garden. Native plants are more accustomed to growing in “native” climates and soil. This means they require less water and maintenance.
Although it can be expensive to replace a lawn or many plants with native plants, it is possible to do over a period of time. You can start small by replacing smaller plants and gradually over time work your way towards more native plants a little at a time. Every little bit will help.
Another thing to do is to check to see where the water from your downspouts is going. If your downspouts are directing water to pavement or concrete then that water is being wasted. You can redirect these downspouts so that they deliver their water to a garden or lawn that is in need of water. This will provide an extra boost to the water savings mentioned earlier.
Energy Efficient Appliances
Lastly, it is possible to gain more energy savings if you are considering purchasing a new appliance. Although buying a new appliance can be expensive, it is still cheaper than undertaking a costly remodel.
This can be done by buying and installing appliances that are energy star qualified. Energy star qualified appliances are much more energy efficient than standard appliances. This is because to receive the energy star label an appliance must meet the strict energy standards of the Department of Energy. It is easy to identify energy star qualified appliances by looking for the blue Energy Star label.
It seems that these days most people are looking to make their house more eco-friendly. However, implementing the necessary renovations and remodels can be expensive and intimidating. Hopefully the ideas listed here offer some cheap and easy alternatives to help make your house more energy efficient and green.
Wade Myer grew up under the watchful eye his father, a contractor, who taught him the tools of the trade. Even though he can swing a hammer with the best of them, he’s always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Currently he writes on behalf of Steiner Homes LTD. who builds Valparaiso custom homes.
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