Home renovation projects are a good way to update your home and maximize it’s value. Smart upgrades and additions can help boost future resale value, but aesthetics aren’t the only thing to consider when you’re looking to do an overhaul. Environmentally friendly and low-impact products often look just as good as more expensive and more wasteful materials. With concerns about the future of the planet mounting, the demand for more green homes here to stay, and many of these smart choices will improve energy bills for years to come. No matter the home improvement project, there is an attractive, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative. You just need to know where to look.
Kitchen remodels make a dramatic difference in a home, but they can certainly have a hefty price tag. One of the biggest expenses is certainly appliances. These sparkling state-of-the-art machines are inescapably expensive, but you can offset some of the cost by choosing them wisely. High-efficiency appliances are ideal, but you can save even more money and energy by being realistic about your needs. Very few families actually need double ovens, a stand-alone freezer, and a separate fridge for drinks. Not only do they use power all the time, they can make the space look more cluttered than high-end.
Granite and marble make a beautiful addition to any home, but they are definitely not eco-friendly. The rock is ripped out of the natural environment, and lots of fuel is used to quarry and transport it to your local stone dealer. Recycled products cost a lot less and put trash to good use. Some of my favorite countertop alternatives are recycled glass and concrete composites . They are less porous than marble, have all of the heat and scratch resistant properties of granite, and are simply gorgeous. Of course, post-consumer glass and ceramic can also be used to make any style and color of backsplash or floor tile. If you’d like a natural material to compliment your green kitchen, try cork flooring. Cork is fast growing and makes a durable and fun floor covering.
Like cork, bamboo grows fast and can replace many kinds of wood in the home. Many hardwoods have become expensive and rare because of over-harvesting, but demand has pushed younger (and therefore weaker) wood out onto the market. Bamboo does needs only a fraction of the time of other woods to grow just as strong. For this reason, some bamboo products are cheaper than traditional wood cabinets and floors. Personally, I love the uniqueness that bamboo’s knots gives to these finishes; it lends instant personality to any piece.