Safe & Natural Home Improvements For An Eco-Friendly Remodel

We hope you enjoyed our beginning homesteading series! If you missed any of the posts, just look back over the past few weeks on our blog for lots of helpful homesteading tips for new homesteaders.

But maybe you're not looking to be a homesteader - you just want to live a healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle. A great place to start is with your home. Got a kitchen that needs redoing, or a bathroom? Well, if you're thinking about making some green home improvements, then here are some tips to help you naturally improve your home in an eco-friendly way. Look for these things to not only save you money when doing the remodel, but also in the long run. And you will be able to feel good about what you have done both for your home and the environment.

1. Use sustainable lumber. Sustainable lumber is certified lumber which was harvested and transported using more sustainable practices. The harvesting process evaluation is achieved by checking how the trees were planted, grown, cut down, and then replanted to ensure the regrowth of the forest. 

Tracking the transport is the next step because it traces it back to the harvesting practices, so there is a guaranteed link between the sustainable harvesting practices and the final product. So look for the certification on the label of the lumber to make sure it came from the forests which are certified sustainable.

2. Use sealants, stains, caulks, and paint low in VOC's. VOC's are volatile organic compounds. Products that either have no VOC or low VOC are non-toxic and don't give off as many gases into the air around you.

Reuse ideas: Salvaged single-pane wood frame window turned decor by painting the window and adding stencils. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Use recycled materials. You can get recycled building materials from just about anywhere - from the paper on drywall being recycled to Masonite board, to crushed glass granite. Doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, and flooring can all be found at your local salvage yard. Or try a ReStore store from Habitat for Humanity if there's one in your area. 

You might not be able to find exactly what you had planned for your remodel. It's like shopping at Goodwill. You're limited to what's there, but you can also get some really great items for cheap that will make your home look great - and unique.

4. Shop local and small. Hit up the local mom and pop hardware store instead of Lowe's or Home Depot. There you can often find materials that are locally sourced instead of being shipped in from overseas. Made-in-America products are good for the environment because you are getting products which haven't been shipped from halfway around the world.

Think of all the carbon used in shipping something from the other side of the world! When you shop locally, not only are you helping local homegrown businesses - it's also better for the environment.

In-line (tankless) water heater. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. Replace old appliances with Energy Star certified appliances. You'll save money and the environment as well by using energy efficient appliances. Change over that hot water heater, the furnace, refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove to energy efficient appliances when you do your upgrades. Or go for a tank-less water heater.

Do your research on the appliances to see what will give you the most savings on your energy bills. You'll be glad you did, if for nothing else than for the money savings you'll see on your energy bills.

So now you know what to look for with building products when it comes time for home improvements. Make natural home improvements yourself and it will cost you less and save you money over time. Plus you will increase your home value, and make it look and feel unique.

6 Tips for Cost-Effective & Eco-Friendly Living

Being conscious of the environment in your daily life can be hard and sometimes sounds costly as well. But it doesn't have to be. You can be eco-friendly without breaking the bank. Here are some cost-effective eco-friendly tips to help you out.

1. Unplug appliances. When appliances are not in use but are plugged in, they are still using a small amount of electricity. The coffee pot, toaster oven, and fans can all be unplugged when not in use. So if you get into the habit of unplugging things when you're not using them, you will not only start saving yourself money on your electric bill - you will also be making your carbon footprint smaller by using less electricity and energy.

2. Replace older appliances with Energy Star appliances. Now we know it can be a huge up-front expense having to replace appliances that don't really need to be replaced. But you will save money on your energy bills and eventually it will pay off. You don't have to do it all at once, but you can save up to $75 a year by making the switch, so just start switching over when you need to replace things. When old appliances start to wear out, gradually replace them with newer, more energy-efficient models. For our new house, my husband and I will be replacing the 20+ year old furnace, and inefficient window air conditioning units, with a new geothermal system when we move in. While it is more expensive up front, it will save us thousands of dollars in electricity usage in the long run.

Battery charger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Use rechargeable batteries. You will again be spending slightly more money up front, but think about how many times you have to change batteries on those TV remote controls or the kids' toys. You will save quite a bit by purchasing rechargeable batteries that you can use over and over again, rather than the disposable kind that you throw away after one use. And you will be keeping more batteries out of landfills - batteries which do not break down and can release harmful chemicals into the environment.

4. Replace your chemical household cleaners with natural cleaners. You can buy specific green cleaners which will cost you more. Alternatively, if you use something like white vinegar or baking soda to disinfect, clean, and remove stains and freshen the air, then you'll be saving huge amounts of money on your cleaning products - and still getting things clean to boot.

5. Whenever possible, skip the car and walk or bike where you need to go. The obvious savings would be gas savings, but you'll also save on auto repairs. If you must drive, though, then try to combine errands as much as possible and take a more direct route to get there, and carpool whenever possible. If your co-worker needs to pick up their dry cleaning at the same laundromat as you, then just do it together. Or ride to work together if you live close to each other.

6. Research recyclable items and use products that are made from recycled materials. It can be cost-effective to use items which can be used over and over. Companies are learning that they also save by using recycled materials, and they pass those cost savings onto you. However, they need the materials to come back to them if they are going to continue producing recyclable materials. So make sure to recycle your materials when done.

Just think smart and work hard to be aware of what's out there. Saving money and being conscientious of the eco-system just go hand in hand. If you follow these tips then you will be keeping money in your pocket while also helping protect the planet. It's a win-win situation!

Assessing Energy Efficiency In Your Home

Remember that the two great factors which you can change in order to enhance your quality of life are your lifestyle and your home. If you want to modernize your home, you have to make significant decisions regarding your household appliances. In today’s world, we are faced with a wide range of appliance styles, sizes, configurations and technologies.  Evaluating your household appliances can help a lot in your aim to save home energy.  The following are the factors that can help you compare and assess your home appliances:

Image via WikipediaEnergy Efficiency:  It is always good to carefully weigh the energy efficiency of the appliances in your home. With some household devices, you may have a choice between electricity and natural gas as the source of power. The energy efficiency can also be based on the materials the machine or appliance is made of. Various materials can be cooled and heated at different rates. Choose Energy Star appliances where possible, as these are made specifically to be energy-efficient.

Size:  Having an appliance with the right size for your home and the area where it will be used is significant. Speed can also be a factor. Generally, the faster an appliance finishes its task, the less energy it uses, compared to longer usage of a slower appliance.

Features:  Assess first the features of an appliance before purchasing it and think carefully how these features can improve your lifestyle, and whether you truly need the appliance at all. If you really don't need it, don't purchase it.

Another advisable tip is to come up with a home energy conservation plan.  There are various approaches which you can use in developing such plan and these include:

• Identification of the places where home energy is used inefficiently or lost
• Prioritizing said areas and finding out how much energy is being wasted
• Correcting said problems systematically depending on your home energy improvement budget

As you come up with your home energy conservation plan, you should first identify the problem areas. It is good to start in the area where the highest amount of energy is used because that area can also be the best place to gain potential savings. With the above mentioned home energy conservation tips, you can free up more bucks and also benefit the environment by conserving energy (aka fuel) use.

Examples of Energy Star Rated Appliances:
     

Home Energy Conservation Tips

Every year, interest rates are increasing and the cost of electricity is definitely going up. And whether we admit it or not, we sometimes find ourselves running out of money. However, if you compare an average house to an energy-efficient residence, you’ll find out that it is very possible to lessen your annual energy consumption to almost 40 percent. There are lots of ways to conserve home energy which consequently lower your energy bills. And most of the changes that you can do for your home are also helpful to the environment.

Here are some ways to conserve energy in your home:

Image via WikipediaHeating and Air Conditioning

1.  If you’re going to be out of an air conditioned room for a long time, be sure to turn off the A/C unit - similarly if  leaving on vacation, set your A/C to a lower setting, or even turn it off altogether if there aren't plants or pets or other things inside that may suffer due to heat while you're gone.
2.  Rooms that are not used often should have sealed (or at least closed) vents.
3.  You can also install ceiling fans that are remote controlled than have a built-in heater.
4.  When the room is occupied, put the thermostat at a comfortable setting.
5.  When the fireplace isn’t used, close the damper in the fireplace

Laundry Appliances:

1.  Avoid using your washing machine in partial loads. It is better if you meet the capacity of the machine.
2.  Very dirty clothes may be pre-soaked before washing. This will prevent you from running your machine twice.
3.  For the garments that aren’t very dirty, use a smaller quantity of detergent and put your machine to a lighter wash setting.
4.  Electric driers consume the most energy in your laundry tasks, so if you do have a clothesline, use it! The sunlight can also help kill bacteria, and your clothes will smell fresh too.
5.  Ironing clothes should be done all at one time and during off-peak hours. 

Refrigerators and Freezers:

1.  Refrigerators and freezers should be defrosted regularly.  Frost build-up can increase the load of the compressor motor. (Many newer Energy Star appliances have a self-defrosting feature, so you won't have to worry about this. But do keep the vents unblocked to allow proper air circulation to keep your food cold.)
2.  Inspect your refrigerator door and keep an eye out for a leaking gasket. If you can feel cold air leaking around the seal, it's definitely time for a new fridge.
3.  Avoid constant opening and closing of the refrigerator’s door because it can contribute to ice or frost build-up, and also causes the appliance to run more. When taking a number of things from the fridge, take them all out at once.

Kitchen Appliances:

1.  Don’t boil water in an open pan. A pan that’s covered will boil the water faster, and also keep more water in the pan for your use.
2.  Keep stove burners, range top and reflectors clean. It can help generate more heat and consume less energy.
3.  When the food you’re cooking starts to boil, turn the electric stove to low mode.
4.  Put smaller pans or pots on small burners or heating elements. If the burner is larger than the bottom of the pan, you are wasting a lot of energy, and the heating won't be as efficient. Always match burner and pan size whenever possible.

Image via WikipediaLighting:

1.  Switch off unused lights as well as other appliances that use electricity when not in use.
2.  Utilize low wattage yet efficient lamps.
3.  Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent. These are available everywhere nowadays, at much lower prices than they used to be, and they can last 10 times longer (or even more) than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Those are just handful of tips to lower your energy bills.  There are many other factors which can also guide you in conserving your home energy. Check back Friday for some tips on choosing efficient appliances, and assessing your home energy usage.