5 Home Improvements to Go Green That Are Easy on the Budget
by guest blogger Bobbi Peterson from Living Life Green
Are you looking for ways to make your home greener? Did you know there are home improvements projects that not only look beautiful but also help you reduce your carbon footprint?
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to use green alternatives for home improvements materials and ideas. You may surprise yourself to learn all the green options available for common home improvement projects for any room of your home.
Environmentally Friendly Counter Tops
Remodeling the kitchen can be a perfect opportunity to make some green improvements. New countertops give your kitchen a whole new feel, and who knew there were natural materials to choose from when picking out your new look.
Choose from recycled countertop materials instead of granite. You can find them made from paper, cork, glass and other materials. They look great and come in a wide variety of colors, making it easy for you to find the perfect match for your kitchen décor ideas.
Green Garage Door
Add remodeling the outside of your home to your list of green home improvement ideas. Did you know garage doors come in a variety of green materials?
These doors are made to minimize any negative impact on the environment by using recycled and sustainable materials. You’ll find many advantages to choosing a green garage door option, and options just as attractive and durable as garage doors made from traditional materials.
Energy Saving Light Choices
Lighting helps create a certain atmosphere for the rooms in your home. You may want a bright kitchen, but a more soothing low-light in the bedroom or living area. The lighting you choose can help reduce your impact on the environment.
Both LED and compact fluorescent bulbs use less energy than traditional light bulbs. It’s estimated that it uses anywhere from 25 to 80 percent less energy while lasting up to five times longer. So if you want track lighting or a nice bright chandelier in the kitchen, you can enjoy that look and still go green. Even if you’re not planning to change your lighting fixtures, you can go ahead and change your bulbs.
Low-Flow Toilets
When remodeling the bathroom, choose a low-flow toilet option. These toilets use as little water as possible with each flush. They use a little over a gallon of water per flush as compared to traditional toilets that use about five gallons per flush.
If remodeling, but your toilet is not part of the remodel, you can still make adjustments to the old toilet so it’s a greener option for your home. Fixing leaks or doing something as simple as putting a plastic bottle filled with pebbles in your tank can reduce water usage.
Eco-Friendly Rugs and Drapes
If you’re looking into changing a room by updating rugs and drapes, look for the greener options. These materials are just as beautiful and durable as their less eco-friendly counterparts.
The eco-friendly versions of rugs and drapes are made from organic cotton, hemp, and other materials that are friendly to the environment. It’s not only the materials that make them a better choice, it’s also the fact they are non-toxic chemicals. Toxic chemicals, like flame retardants, pollute not only the air in your home but the environment as well.
Rugs also come in safer materials, like wool, burlap, sea grass and other materials that are not only durable but perfect for home decor.
These green home improvement options allow you to upgrade while staying within budget and protecting the environment. Continue to educate yourself on the alternative materials available. You can also ask your local home improvement stores about greener home options.
Bobbi Peterson is a green living and environmental writer. She regularly posts about sustainability and simple living on her blog, Living Life Green. You can find more from Bobbi on Twitter.
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