More ways to make your home environmentally friendly

Two weeks ago we discussed The Benefits of Green Building - Environmentally Sustainable Buildings 
​Last week we discussed How to make your home green and environmentally friendly and save money

But you should also consider other ways to make your home more environmentally friendly, which include:

• Limiting the impact of the building on environmentally sensitive areas. For instance you shouldn’t be draining wetlands, or constructing in sensitive dune areas. You should wherever possible keep the existing trees and vegetation. Sensible site selection and sensitive positioning of the house on the property can make a difference to the impact your house has on the natural surroundings.
• Using materials which have a low energy input and come from sustainable resources.
• Not incorporating materials which have caused undue damage to the environment, or impacted the health and well-being of those who have worked with the materials, or who have lived in the vicinity of where the materials were produced.
• Making use of recycled materials where possible.
• Using materials which can be easily recycled.
• Using materials that won’t be harmful to people when the house reaches the end of its life and gets demolished.
• Considering the life-cycle of appliances. Install those which are reliable and can easily be repaired if necessary. Replacing appliances is expensive and it requires more resources from the environment.
• Allowing place in the garden to grow herbs and vegetables.
• Providing a place for a compost bin for kitchen waste and garden cuttings.

Image by Maikol Aquino from Pixabay

A green building starts with the materials and equipment incorporated in the building. Where did the products come from – was the environment harmed? How was the product made – were harmful products discharged into the air, rivers or the ocean? Were people adversely impacted by the product’s harvesting and mining? Unfortunately many products which are touted as being green aren’t, and their continued use actually does more harm to the environment. We should all be sensitive to the environmental impact of our house. People are becoming more sensitive to environmental issues and governments are being forced to take a tougher stand on products and processes which aren’t sustainable or harm the environment. ​

Legislation often stipulates products and processes which must be incorporated into new houses. There are ratings which classify how green or environmentally friendly buildings are, and ratings that categorise the energy efficiency of a building. Often legislation specifies the minimum rating required.

Of course designing a product that fits with the environment it’s situated in can also be categorised as being environmentally friendly. Monstrous buildings that clash with their surroundings, or stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, are blights on the landscape.

​Want to learn more about designing, renovating and building houses

​This article is adapted from information in the book 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Part 2: Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home' by Paul Netscher.
​
Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.
© 2020 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.