Renovating Your Home in the New Year: Going Green (Mr. Fireplace Remix!)
By Mr. Fireplace
Well, well, well, looky here. They told me I couldn’t write something until their series on home renovations was done. Well I’m not the Head of Security, Public Relations and Other Important Stuff for nothing! I have a certain level of pull around here, and with a little help from my trusty friend mister rope (which I tied the original writer up with) I am here with another day in the life of Mr. Fireplace.
Now I am sure you are excited to read the fifth installment in our series of “Renovating in the New Year”, and you may now be afraid that I got my hands on it, well I am here to tell you to never fear, Mr. Fireplace is here. I know everything there is to know about anything. So of course I can write about this. This week’s last post is on “Going Green with your Renovation”
Now there are many ways you can go green while doing a renovation. For example doing small things like adding energy efficient lights throughout your home or installing low flow toilets or shower-heads in your bathroom renovation can do their part to help the environment. I have a few lesser known tips I hope to pass on to you (since we are friends after all…remember?).
Rethink the products you are using
Do you know every time you use a hardwood product you are increasing your CARBON FOOTPRINT! Sorry about yelling but I needed to add dramatic affect to that. Don’t worry though; there are some options that can be more environmentally friendly. Instead of installing hardwood floors, maybe try Bamboo or Cork. Both of these products are plentiful and can be re-harvested with bamboo being grown in a lot lesser time than tress in a forest and cork coming from the bark of a oak tree which doesn’t require you to cut the tree down at all. Both of these materials are durable, soft on your feet and can be treated so that they are waterproof.
Reuse Materials
This is a multi-level approach. Rather than throwing out all the old wood, maybe you can reuse it. Those baseboards could be refinished or turned into pieces of art. Try to reuse as much of the old supplies as possible, and if you cannot reuse them in your home, maybe you have a friend who can. In fact rather than hauling your old appliances, etc to the landfill try placing an ad in a free classified listing like Kijiji for people to pick them up for free. Every little thing you do can help the environment.
Another way you can do your part is by buying used products to use in your renovation. A store like the Habitat For Humanity ReStore offers many different items that are slightly used and can be re-used in your home renovation, again reducing your CARBON FOOTPRINT!
Looking for some other helpful tips for a green renovation?
- Test your home indoor air quality for potential leaks
- Install a thermostat to regulate your home heat
- Heat your living areas using the 80/20 rule we mentioned in this post
- Wrap your hot water tank with an insulated blanket to help heat efficiency
- Reuse rain water for your lawn and garden
- Use Eco Products
- Shop locally
I hope these tips help you in making some green choices with your home renovation. If you have any other tips you would like to share be sure to leave them in the comments below.
Until next time, keep reaching for the stars, you can achieve your dreams, I’m living proof. Mr. Fireplace out!
Week One: Financing a Home Renovation
Week Two: Working with a Renovating Professional