Are you contemplating home remodeling options? Remodeling gives your home a feeling of a fresh and healthy beginning altogether. A House & Home survey conducted in 2014, indicates that close to 84% of homeowners plan to do some form of remodel on their homes within the next two years. People do remodeling for a number of reasons; some do it to enhance the home’s value, while others do it to improve on the home’s appearance, plan or layout and feel. If you are preparing to remodel your home, then it is advisable to do green remodeling. You need to do careful choice of materials which are eco-friendly.

Green material options

When planning for your green remodeling, you need to consider materials which can be used as substitutes to commonly used materials. These materials are not only renewable but cheaper or of the same cost as their less eco-friendly counterparts.

Linoleum in place of vinyl: vinyl is considered to be one of the leading environmental polluting plastics in use; it contains dioxin and phthalates, substances which may lead to considerable health problems. On the contrary, linoleum, prepared from linseed is eco-friendly hence a better choice.

Bamboo or cork in place of a carpet: a number of carpets emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs); thus consider replacing your carpet with more eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, hardwood such as cork or reclaimed wood. Bamboo or cork re-grow fast hence they are renewable materials.

Hemp or organic cotton in place of artificial fiber: consider using natural fibers for curtains because some of the artificial fibers emit VOCs hence not eco-friendly.

Recycled glass or plastic: using recycled glass and plastics is not only cheaper but reduces the accumulation of these materials in the environment, substances which are mostly non-biodegradable. Also, consider using paints, sealers and caulks with low or no VOCs emissions because of their eco-friendly nature.

Make use of natural light

Other than selecting renewable materials for use in your green remodeling, you also need to make use of natural light as much as possible. In your re-design, consider using huge, energy-efficient windows and fanlights. This not only helps in energy savings but also enhances your health and wellbeing both physically and emotionally. Also, make use of solar energy for lighting; this will charge during the day and light the whole night, especially if LEDs are used for lighting.

You can also enhance the efficiency of your home by sealing up all air leakages and insulating where necessary. Controlling air-flow within your home not only helps save your heating and air conditioning systems from being overworked but in energy savings as well.

In conclusion, green remodeling is something to consider as you plan to do that next remodeling of your home. It will help you save on energy hence cut your bills considerably. It will also help you live in a safer and healthier environment because the green materials used for this remodeling are eco-friendly, without emissions of toxic substances to the environment.