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Discover The Hottest Information For Making Your House A Greener House

Are you interested in making your house more energy efficient and environmentally sound? With rising electricity costs and sky high utility bills, most of us are looking for ways to cut costs and save some cash. You can start right at home, by making a few simple changes to make your house energy efficient and more eco friendly.

But beyond electricity efficiency, there are numerous other vital factors that go into the model of a environmentally sound home. For example, water management, indoor air quality, and the use of safer constructing supplies will all contribute to a more eco-friendly home. This applies to new construction, as well as renovating and greening an older house for flipping and sale.
Here's a listing of some of the factors to consider when remodeling your house, or purchasing a green house.

Proper Ventilation - The house should have the right number and placement of exhaust fans, proper ventilation, vapor barriers, and duct sealing. A well designed thermal envelope can make the residence more comfortable and energy efficient. Ventilation systems ought to be wrapped and sealed to stop air loss.

Air Quality - To make the residence healthier, safe constructing supplies ought to be used to limit introduction of harmful and dangerous vapors. For instance, use zero-VOC or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, and install recycled, reclaimed, or sustainable flooring made from supplies that don't have formaldehyde, such as bamboo or cork. Consider installing physical termite barriers instead of chemical treatments, where suitable.

Water Efficiency - Consider installing dual-flush toilets, low- flow shower heads, and a tankless water heater, or at a minimum; a more energy efficient Energy Star rated model.

Insulation - One of the best alternatives a shopper may make is to install additional insulation. Use formaldehyde-free insulation. As well, install a radiant barrier on the underside of the roof, where appropriate.

Roofing - Consider metal or cement tile roofing, or durable shingles rated for 40 years or more.

Appliances and Furnaces - Use Energy Star rated appliances. The HVAC (air conditioning) systems should have a 17 SEER rating or better, and furnaces should have a 90+ rating. The heating and cooling unit size and placement ought to be correctly thought out to increase efficiency.

Lighting - Install electricity efficient fixtures. Compact fluorescent light bulbs should be utilized in place of halogen or incandescent bulbs.

Windows and Doors - Install double-paned, Low-E windows. Properly shade windows that face the sun, or install window overhangs. Install storm doors where suitable.

Thermostat Timers - Install a programmable thermostat and hot water furnace timer.

Outside - Think about installing low upkeep supplies that make sense for your climate and region, such as fiber cement siding, 40-year shingles, and engineered wood framing.

Landscaping - Eco landscaping considers careful assortment of plants, and concentrates on water management. Use environmentally sound landscape design activities, such as reducing the dimension of the lawn. Think about the proper position of trees to help shade the home and reduce cooling costs. Employ hardscape materials to reduce weeds and eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides. Use native plants and xeriscape techniques to avoid the need for too much care and watering. Compost. Install drip irrigation systems and consider reclaiming water.

You will see that from top to bottom, you may look at your entire residence indoors and out to look for potential improvements to make it more eco friendly. It's not too hard to make your existing residence a environmentally sound house. By making at least a few easy changes to enhance electricity efficiency, in no time you will see the positive results in your utility statements. Plus, you have the extra benefit of knowing that you are doing more for the natural environment at the same time, and that always feels nice.

This Article Was Written By: gary thomas

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Article Source: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/diy

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