Home renovation, no doubt is something we all look forward to and dream of, but can be very trying when we are actually in the process of it. One of the latest trends today is to Go Green and use eco-friendly measures while renovating out homes. This not only helps save our planet, but you will be pleasantly surprised to find that you are also saving yourself unneeded expense. Recycling and Avoiding toxic products are two important ways of staying green and implementing them in your activities, will ensure you are adopting eco-friendly practices and help you Go Green.
Recycle and reuse. One of the best ways to ensure you don’t waste energy is by reusing old things. Look around before you reach out to buy any new materials in doing up your new home. Tiles, old building materials, wooden beams, etc can all be used to do up your home. What’s more these have antique value and can be sold off for a price, should you wish not to include them in your new renovation process.
• Recycling centers will be more than happy to take your old stuff and give you a price for them. On a micro level you can do the same with any old furniture or things you have left in your attic. Check to see if you can give old furniture a coat of fresh varnish and add them to your home. Antique pieces are highly expensive to get these days and can become the focal point of your home décor. Sometimes we have a lot of old stuff, we never look at carefully, but instead just throw out and then go out and buy something exactly like that again. Therefore check twice before throwing away any item from your home. If you find you still don’t want any piece, give it away to some charity home and win yourself some well deserved brownie points. Alternately, you can sell off old pieces to any Seconds store and put aside the money to fund your renovation.
• Putting up a garage sale is an entertaining way to getting rid of your old stuff. You can also advertise in local e-markets and sell these items. Someone somewhere will want it and it can get used, thus recycled, while giving you a little extra money.
• The next step is to take a look at what you are going to buy. Prepare a list and look for options, which contain no chemicals and are less harmful to the environment. Today most products from Paints to Veneers are available in eco-friendly versions and will add up to a greener home. While ordering, make bulk purchases instead of ordering one thing at a time. Bulk orders will also get you better discounts and often are accompanied with special add ons.
• Now that your basic items are in place and you will be renovating your home with these, there is bound to be waste at the end of the day. Few people are aware of how waste should be disposed and tend to club it all together. Become more responsible by sorting out your waste before mindlessly dumping it. Toxic wastes such as varnishes, thinners etc should be packed separately, in the event that they might spill and contaminate the landscape and waterways. You can consult recycling agencies in your area to find out the best way to pack and dispose of these. Out of the other waste that is produced from construction and building, you can sell these to local waste agencies, who reuse it in land filling and other activities. Any green waste you have can be turned over to make compost.
There are a number of ways, in which you can get your home renovation done in a green way. All it requires is a little attention to detail and proper planning.