Family Growing And Adding Onto Your Home? Do It The Green Way
Posted on: 8 December 2015
If your family is growing. and your home is not large enough to accommodate the new members, building a new addition is much less expensive than moving to a new home. If you are concerned with the environment, you can build your new addition the green way. There are many materials you can use that will not go to the landfills or hurt the environment in any way.
Hardie Plank
If you are siding your new addition, Hardie Plank is a good choice of siding. This type of siding contains cellulose fibers, as well as cement-like materials, which makes it part cement and part wood.
The sand and cement used in this siding is available everywhere, and the cellulose fibers are not made from endangered species of wood.
Hardie Plank is also considered green because it lasts a very long time. Besides being green, it has many other benefits as well. It is resistant to fires and resistant to vermin and insects. It is also as thick as wood, and you can easily paint it.
Green Building Materials
Bamboo is a renewable material, so it would be a great choice for flooring. If you do not like the color of bamboo, you can stain it in any color that you want.
Use recycled glass for your countertops instead of any stone that is not a renewable material. These countertops are also beautiful with the flecks of glass, and you can have them stained in a variety of colors. What colors are available depends on the manufacturer you purchase the countertops from. Some other environmentally-friendly products are recycled plastic, reclaimed lumber, and natural products like linoleum and cork.
Energy Efficient Windows
When you start looking for windows for your new addition, make sure there is an Energy Star label on them. These windows are more energy efficient when compared to standard windows. On the label, you will see ratings. The higher the rating, the less energy efficient they are, so make sure you choose windows that have the lowest rating. These windows will also save you money on your utility bills because air in your home will not leak out, and outside air will not be able to come in.
If you hired a contractor to build the new addition for you, ask them to use only recycled materials whenever possible. They can also likely suggest other ways you can green your new addition.
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