Spring is just around the corner, and with it, the time is right to do some exterior renovation. If you want an option that is both cozy and eco-friendly, there is no better solution than to go green when redesigning your garden, back yard, porch, or patio.
Choosing eco-friendly decor will be more beneficial both for you and the planet in the long run. The green alternatives in home renovation will help reduce your carbon footprint and even save you some money along the way.
Choose eco-friendly materials
When it comes to redesigning your home, use materials that make your home environmentally friendly. You can make use of cement, ceramics, bricks, aluminum, glass, and steel as the primary raw material in rebuilding your home.
Mild steel can be used for roof trusses, walling, ceiling, and others. Mild steel is stainless, lighter, more robust, easy to install, and would last longer. You can also use LED lightings, non-toxic paint, recycled glass, recycled tiles, recycled aluminum, and other recycled materials.
If you want to go even greener, there is no better option than choosing a natural stone. From garden pebbles to building stones, this material has many different implementations that are good looking, durable, and nature friendly.
Go for energy-efficient lighting fixtures
While you may not think much about it, old fixtures outdoors use a lot of energy and can radically increase your energy bill.
Replace old fixtures with energy-saving varieties or even solar-powered fixtures. You can replace old incandescent bulbs with LED lights that burn cooler and give off a brighter light. Consider using these for lighting your walkways, front and back entryways, as well as illuminating your garage and landscaping around your home.
Remember, your outdoor home can have an eco-friendly aesthetic appeal and a functional appeal, and that’s where lighting fixtures are essential.
Also, consider solar panels as your source of electrical energy. Aside from the economy, it can also protect you from fires and short circuits. Solar panels are placed on the roof facing the east to west to ensure that you get enough solar energy. If you haven’t placed solar panels yet, make sure that your roof is designed to meet this requirement before investing.
Use nature-friendly materials for kids play areas
Schools and playgrounds have been using recycled rubber tires for years and rubber mulch as ground cover. Consider this option for your child’s playground. Rubber is softer underfoot than traditional wood mulch, and the recycled tires last longer and come in colorful varieties to appeal to children’s imaginations.
Choosing this option will ensure your children’s outdoor area is built with the same sustainable ingenuity as the rest of your outdoor home.
Recycle and reuse
Using recycled materials is a great way to go green. Search for bargains by going through out-of-town yards and junk shops for materials. You can also check out sites such as Freecycle.org to find cheap or free stuff you can use to redecorate your exterior.
Recycled materials give you the chance to exercise some creativity, bringing character and time-worn charm to a setting. They also enable you to amplify your home’s identity and its design style further.
You should also know that any lumber yards have suppliers to provide a great selection of reclaimed and recycled timber for your outdoor home projects. Concrete, wrought iron, and even railroad ties are becoming gorgeous materials to use throughout outdoor projects. You will be surprised by how your garden or DIY outdoor home project will be enhanced with one-of-a-kind green materials.
Finally, many companies now sell pots, fencing, and furniture made from recycled wood and plastic.
Make your home’s exterior appealing to birds
If you plan on having a garden or a flower bed in front of your home, you should encourage birds to visit your garden by hanging feeders and nesting boxes.
Birds can act as excellent and natural garden wardens when it comes to pests that can wreak havoc in your gardens, such as slugs, grubs, caterpillars, and snails.
Insecticides, fungicides, and weed killers are all toxic to your garden environment, encouraging birds and the right kinds of insects to cut down on the necessity of using such products.
On top of being useful, birds also look nice and can bring some additional joy to your garden.
Invest in a green roof
A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system installed on top of a flat or slightly–sloped roof.
Eco roofs are becoming increasingly popular as they help increase biodiversity, provide good insulation, improve air quality, and control water run-off – they’re also beautiful. There are plenty of products available using different construction techniques – you can even retrofit an existing shed and garage if they can take the weight.
Some roofs are left to grow naturally and without restriction, taking care of themselves as they would in the wild, thus only requiring yearly weeding and fertilization. Think of them as a small, self-sustained garden that keeps your outdoor areas greener.
