Building Contractors: Tips for Green Renovations
Renovations can cost a pretty penny, whether you are doing them to expand the space available to you or if you are simply looking to update the appearance of your property. If you are looking to keep your costs down for the long term, you may want to consider green renovations with your building contractors. Below are some handy tips that would help you in embarking on functional renovations that would be eco-conscious too.
Tip 1: Choose reclaimed wood for your timber needs
One area that will be tackled during renovations is flooring. Nevertheless, replacing your old flooring can be quite expensive, especially if it is quite expensive. A cost effective material that you should consider is reclaimed wood. This type of wood is much more affordable than conventional timber because it has already gone through the manufacturing and production process. It is also advantageous since it can be used for an array of residential applications such as on countertops, on doors and more.
In addition to this, reclaimed wood is a great alternative for eco-conscious homeowners since it saves thriving trees from being felled. It should be noted that some reclaimed wood might have been previously exposed to harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde due to sealants and adhesives. Therefore, it would be prudent to establish beforehand that the wood you are purchasing is free from these chemicals.
Tip 2: Prevent thermal gain in your home
Most homeowners do not consider replacing their windows during a renovation as long as they are intact. However, you could embark on extensive renovations to enhance the energy efficiency of your home only to find this energy efficiency is being compromised by the annealed glass on your windows. Therefore, it would be an ideal to consider changing these annealed glass windows to low emission glass windows. This type of glass is manufactured with a specialised coating that functions to allow sunlight to stream into your home while preventing the solar heat from penetrating.
This will be cost-effective for you in the long-term, as it will help in drastically decreasing your dependency on air conditioning, especially during the summer. If renovating all the windows in your home seems too expensive, then you should consider requesting your building contractors to apply an e-coating on the various windows of your home. This protective film may not be as efficient as having Low-E glass but it can also help in reducing the thermal gain into your home.
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