Like many other habits, being environmentally friendly begins at home. This might be in the daily practices we do, such as composting and vegetable gardening. But it’s also in the materials we use to build our home and the furniture we fill it with. If you’re constantly asking yourself what you can do to make your home life more sustainable, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a list of low-maintenance and eco-friendly installations for your home.
Metal roofing
The roof might be the most overlooked part of any home. So it can be shocking and also disappointing when we notice something wrong with it. Metal roofs are making waves in the construction industry for their durability, longevity, and sustainability. A lot of metals can be custom-made with a mix of recyclable materials. They themselves are also recyclable, so when the time comes to replace them, they can be made into something new and just as functional.
In the winter, metal roofs can shed snow easily, so you won’t have to be troubled about taking it off. Metal’s heat-reflective properties are also useful come summertime. Instead of absorbing heat and warming the home, even more, it reflects heat, helping you to cut down on your cooling expenses.
Metal roofs are more expensive upfront, so they’re really only worth investing in if you’re planning on staying in your home long enough to reap the rewards of its longevity and if you really don’t want to be bothered about raking the snow off your roof.
LED lighting
This is an age-old hack for making your home more sustainable and energy-efficient, but it needs to be restated. Especially now that the holidays are upon us and many of us may be decorating our homes to reflect the festivities. Your permanent lighting fixtures should be LED if they aren’t already, and if you’re one for decorating, you should consider getting LED Christmas lights too. Not only will LED Christmas lights save you a little more on your electricity bills, but they’re also safer since they don’t get hot to the touch. But of course, having LED holiday lights doesn’t exempt you from following holiday fire safety guidelines.
Frameless glass shower doors
Also known as European shower doors, frameless glass shower doors are a low-maintenance bathroom installment that instantly elevates your bathroom’s appearance. The absence of metal frames ensures less trouble when cleaning, as there will be no nooks and crannies for the dirt and grime to cram into.
But the real selling point of these shower doors is that they’re much safer for the environment and your household. Shower curtains are usually made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which releases toxic chemicals into the environment. What’s more, experts believe the release of these chemicals into the air can be triggered by heat and humidity. Unfortunately, the bathroom is one of – if not the most – humid areas in your home.
Install a smart thermostat
Much of your electricity consumption at home goes to heating and cooling efforts, so it’s worthwhile to look at how to make these efforts more sustainable and energy-efficient. Installing a smart thermostat can help you save on your cooling and heating expenses. You can then program it to certain temperature settings based on time and outside weather. You can also pair it with an application on your mobile device so you can monitor and control it remotely. This way, you’ll be able to turn on your HVAC system on your way home so you can come home to an abode that’s set to your ideal temperature.
Ensuring that you’re doing the best for the environment while at home is an excellent way to live a more sustainable life. These upgrades we’ve listed are also key to achieving a more low-maintenance home, so you’ll have less to worry about in the long run.
