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Guest Post: Design an Eco-Friendly Home

Guest Post: Design an Eco-Friendly Home

There are many ways, both inside and outside, that you can save money on your home – simply by planning some easy ways to cut your energy costs.  Read on for some tips on how to do just that…

Designing a home can be an exciting endeavor. A fresh look can be just the thing to turn your old, worn life into a new adventure. Why stop at exciting? If you’re going to be renovating, why not include some environmentally friendly additions to your home? By including environmentally-friendly additions, you can both help the environment and save money.

The Goal of Eco-Friendly Additions

The truly altruistic buy eco-homes or renovate their homes to be more eco-friendly because it has less waste. They are concerned about the environment first and foremost. One eco-friendly home won’t stop the downward trend we are on, but it will at least help slow down how fast we deplete our resources. For the rest of us, we go eco-friendly because it saves us money in the long-run. And who can beat that?

Window films save money

Windows

We love our windows. They allow natural light into our home, an area of escape in case of a fire, and the ability to enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of our home. Unfortunately they are also a hole in our homes insulation. In summer, they allow heat into the home, and in winter they allow the cold. Here are some design ideas for the eco-conscious:

  • An easy, non-invasive way to green up your home is to buy some shades, curtains or drapes. In summer you can close the curtains on windows that receive direct sunlight. In winter you can close the drapes on windows that do not receive light. This will reduce energy loss by 10%.
  • Spice up your home by adding a sleek awning above the south and west windows. This will add aesthetic appeal and reduce the heat gain in your house by 65% to 77%.
  • Apply window film to your windows to reduce heat gain and loss. Window film is applied by removing the adhesive back and attaching to your windows. The appeal of window film is that you can enjoy the natural light and great outdoors while enjoying the increased insulation that reduces your energy bill by up to 30%. On top of that it will prevent all of your expensive décor from being warped and faded from the sun.

home exterior after

The Yard

Why stop at renovating the house? Any real estate agent will tell you that your home’s landscape can ruin an otherwise brilliant design. Flowers, trees, and interesting décor can transform your drab yard into the envy of the neighborhood. They would be more envious if they knew that your rad design reduced the air temperature around your home by 3-6 degrees and increased the insulation of your home enough to save 25% on your energy bills. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when planning your renovation project:

  • By planting deciduous trees to the south and west of your home, you will provide beautiful green trees that produce shade in fall and summer, the joy of watching the leaves change color in winter, and a bare tree in summer that allows the sun to warm your home. Make sure that the trees are at least 10 feet from your home of they can damage your foundation.
  • By planting climbing vines on a trellis or against your home, you will benefit both from the beautiful natural design and the added insulation. Just remember that you need to use a trellis if you have a home with wood panels or the moisture form the plants will rot the wood.
  • By planting bushes to the north and north-west of your home, you can block the cold winter winds from reaching your home.

The decision to re-design your home can herald in many exciting changes. Why stop at simple design changes, when you can choose to focus on changes that add both an aesthetic and environmentally friendly improvements?

J.G. Tenuto is a self-taught DIY junkie who enjoys sharing his home improvement ideas with others online. When he has down-time from his desk job, he enjoys tinkering throughout his house and coming up with new projects to tackle.

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