Cost-Saving Construction Concepts: A Construction and Contracting Blog

If you're thinking of renovating your home, you might want to consider how to do so in the most eco-friendly way possible. This means not wasting materials for the renovation, not using too many virgin materials and thinking of how your plans will affect the environment down the road. Before you start ripping things out and buying new materials for your home, note a few suggestions for making your project more eco-friendly overall.

Buy used or salvaged items

You don't always need to visit a home improvement store to get the items you need for your home renovation; your builder may even know a salvage yard with materials that are just as good as anything new. This can include porcelain fixtures for the bathroom, cabinets for the kitchen, and even flooring or sections of carpeting. Buying salvaged items keeps them out of landfills and cuts down on the virgin material needed to create new items.

Use concrete

You may not think of concrete as being a very nice building material but it can be painted, stained, or stamped to look like stone. While concrete mixers will emit some fumes and emissions while they work, concrete is made from easily harvested materials that are often found locally, so you cut down on the trucking needed to bring in those materials. You can even use old concrete in your new mixture to reduce harvesting those materials.

Think of how materials can be recycled

When deciding on materials for your home renovation, consider how they can be recycled in a few years when they need to be replaced. For instance, a metal roof is much easier to recycle than asphalt shingles, and wood floorboards may be easier to recycle than carpeting. You may not be considering how you'll need to replace items in a few years when planning a renovation, but if you do plan ahead when it comes to the materials you buy, this can mean making more eco-friendly choices.

Consider insulation value

How well your home is insulated has a big impact on the environment; poor insulation means having to run your heating and air conditioning more often, and this means more pollution created by your city's power plants. When renovating, consider the insulation value of all materials and changes you will make. If you pull out walls or floorboards and notice the insulation behind it is very thin, replace it during your renovation. Wood floorboards might insulate your home better than stone tiles. Upgrade to triple glazed windows, rather than just considering the size and appearance of windows alone.