How Does Insulation Fit into your Green Home Design?

Sustainability and energy efficiency have become a must in building or reconstructing your home, why more and more attention is directed towards some additional criteria when undertaking a construction or refurbishment projects. All this due to the fact that preserving energy has become not only a local and individual but also a global task that can be beneficial to as all. With a sustainable house design we not only contribute to considerable energy savings within our home, but also help protect the planet from all the negative effects of wasting energy and thus polluting the planet. Well, if you are interested in making a contribution to energy savings, why not start with your own home and apply some useful tips on building a green home. You will notice that the advice given here can be implemented not only in the construction project but also in refurbishment projects, so if you are planning on upgrading your home in some way, why not take it a step further and make your home even a little bit “greener”.

Tip no.1 – Use everything nature has to offer

The first step towards building a green home is using as much natural resources as possible. This includes not only using renewable and recyclable materials, but also taking it a step further and applying some innovative construction techniques, such as passive solar design. This implies more than one thing during planning and construction phase, including door and window orientation, building location, reflective barriers, stone floors and much more. Depending on the climate your home is located in, you can use solar energy to additionally heat your home or simply apply some useful tricks in order of reducing heat flow. If your home is located in a colder climate, then it would be wise to work on your home’s thermal mass by opting for stone or concrete floors for example since these can collect and store certain amount of heat during the day and release it during the night thus decreasing the amount of energy required for heating up the interior. On the other hand, in warmer climates, it is important to prevent or minimize heat gain why you should construct your home so that its broad side faces south or north, just as you should avoid building skylights for example since these can increase heat gain.

The same logic in constructing a green home can also be applied to your home’s water needs, which should be reduced, with as much natural resources use as possible. This can be achieved through landscaping that is suited to the quantity of rainfall or installing and using rainwater catchment systems.

Finally, the key point in green house design should be the use of renewable and recyclable materials in every aspect of construction. Consider using fiberboards that to not contain formaldehyde for your doors and interior trims or use materials such as concrete, bamboo or hardwood for your floors. Also, make sure that the materials you opt for are safe, non-toxic and biodegradable.

Tip no.2 – Insulate, insulate and insulate

Another quite important aspect of green home design is insulation. Namely, insulation can help you save vast amount of energy during any season. It can reduce heat gain during summer (reflective foil insulation) and prevent or minimize heat loss during winter (fibre or rigid insulation materials). Energy savings further on lead to a more sustainable home, since less energy used means less energy produced and thus a greener and cleaner environment.

Now, even though proper insulation itself can contribute to energy efficiency, there are some additional things to consider here, as well. First of all, you will notice that insulation installed in certain areas within your home can be more useful than in others. For example, in the words of energy efficiency and preventing heat loss and gain, especially vulnerable areas are loft spaces, why these are most certainly worth insulating. Furthermore, a successful combination of insulation and proper ventilation in attic spaces can considerably contribute to building your green home. Combining high levels of insulation and ventilation through eaves and roof ridge vents will provide the necessary airflow and thus not only help regulating heat gain but also prevent condensation and mold issues.

Just like in the previous tip, here is also very important to choose “green” insulation materials since this can also make a difference. When purchasing insulation, always pay attention to the material’s ODP and GWP potential since these values will indicate just how environmentally friendly the material actually is. You will also notice that some products have high recyclable content (such as natural, sheep wool insulation) making in not only very efficient, but also eco-friendly. This will also depend on whether any harmful and toxic substances have been used in the manufacturing process, why you should also pay attention to the label or acquire additional information from the manufacturer.

Tip no.3 – Think “green” when remodeling your home

Finally, if you are planning a refurbishment project, try to think “green” since even the smallest of things can go a long way. For example, if you are planning on replacing your windows, why not opt for double glazed or low-e windows which are initially more expensive but can contribute to considerable energy savings on the long run. Then, if you are planning on replacing your lights, why not switch to some more energy efficient bulbs such as CFLs or innovative LED lights that provide adequate lighting for the interior but use much less energy than standard ones. Another useful tip in turning your home green refers to the use of paints that do not contain toxins which makes them friendly to the environment. Finally, if you are dealing with a leaky roof or the slats need to be replaced, why not consider replacing your traditional roof with a green roof which can also be successfully insulated and still preserve the all its natural beauty. 

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