Giving Your Home a Green Foundation

Going green has never been so popular. But, this is for a good reason. The earth is struggling with the effects of human pollution and anything you can do to help reduce the pollution levels are going to help!

Whether you’re building your own home or have lived in the same one for many years, there are several things you can do to improve the green credentials of your home.

The following steps will help you to create a green foundation when building a new home, but you can also use these techniques to improve the greenness of your own home.

Space

The larger your home the more it will cost to heat it and keep it warm. Creating heat means using energy which produces gases that will increase the pollution levels going into the atmosphere. Of course, building a smaller home will also mean that your energy bills are less, that’s a direct benefit on your budget.

Of course, you need to make sure you have enough space to live comfortably.

Insulation

To help combat heat loss and excess energy usage it is important to fully insulate your home. This includes using curtain walls to clad your building. This approach doesn’t just improve the insulation properties of the building, it can also reduce the time you’ll spend maintaining it.

Solar

One of the best ways you can reduce your impact on the environment is to install your own solar panels. These will reduce the cost of running your home but they will also allow you to use clean power, instead of relying on grid produced power.

The best approach is solar panels on a south-facing roof, but, you can also place them on a different stand and face them towards the sun.

Building Materials

The conventional approach to building a home is to use bricks and mortar. However, timber-framed buildings are also a popular option. These options can still be used although you may want to confirm whether they have been manufactured in an environmentally friendly way or not.

Of course, there are many different materials you can use, such as hay bales, old tires, or even clay. The final decision will need to be based on what materials are in the vicinity and what your local planning regulations.

Materials also have a finite lifespan, you’ll need to consider how long this is and how long you want the property to last, or what repairs are likely to need to be completed.

Don’t forget this environmental approach should also be carried through to the inside of your building.

Location

As an extra thought, you should consider where you want to build your home. Location does make a difference.

The size of your plot and its closeness to utilities and sewer lines will make a difference to the cost of your build. It’s important to consider the location as the cost of connecting a home can significantly affect the number of funds you have available for your environmental initiatives.