Seven Steps to Creating an Eco-Friendly Home - Gallery Homes

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Seven Steps to Creating an Eco-Friendly Home

These days, many of us are looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious. Because we spend much of our lives at home, it’s no surprise that making some household changes can have a big impact on the environment. You don’t need to forfeit all of the luxuries of modern living to make it happen. Here are seven steps you can take to create a functional, comfortable and eco-friendly home you and your family can feel good about.

1. Install Water-Efficient Fixtures

When you incorporate water-saving faucets, showerheads and toilets, you can save thousands of gallons of water a year. According to the EPA, here’s how much water you can save each year by opting for water-saving fixtures:

  •   Toilets – 13,000 gallons
  •   Faucets – 700 gallons
  •   Showerheads – 2,700 gallons

2. Consider Solar Panels

Solar energy is a clean, renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuel electricity. When you fit your home with solar panels, you can feel good about being self-reliant and reducing your negative impact on the environment. As a bonus, if your solar panels generate more energy than you need, you can sell the excess to your power company.

3. Choose Sustainable Materials

Whether you plan to build a new home from the ground up or just want to make some modifications, choosing sustainable materials can help you take one step closer to having an eco-friendly home. Sustainable materials include things like bamboo, recycled plastic and responsibly-sourced wood.

4. Upcycle Furniture

According to the EPA, in 2018, around 9.7 million tons of furniture ended up in American landfills. By using upcycled furniture in your home, you can prevent more furniture from adding to this number. Not only is it a great way to save money and reduce waste, but it’s also a fantastic way to incorporate some unique pieces you wouldn’t find at big-box stores.

5. Add an Attic Fan

By adding an attic fan to your home, you can drastically diminish the heat or cold trapped in your attic during the harsh summer and winter months. With less extreme temperatures in your attic, you can better regulate your home’s interior temperature without putting extra strain on your HVAC system and energy bill.

6. Upgrade Your Lights

Light bulbs have come a long way in recent years. Most energy-efficient LED bulbs on the market today are better than the beloved incandescent bulbs of yesterday in terms of the quality of light they produce, durability, cost-effectiveness and energy savings. This is a simple but effective way to go green in your home.

7. Start Composting

Composting might sound like a foreign concept, but this process has been benefiting the environment for ages. All you need is a designated area in your yard to start a compost pile or you can buy a special compost tumbler. When you have food scraps or other organic waste that would normally end up in a landfill, such as cardboard or yard debris, simply toss it in the compost pile. When the materials break down, they will become rich, soil-like organic matter that you can use to fertilize plants.

At Gallery Homes, we’ve been building inviting, comfortable and energy-efficient spaces for our customers in Volusia County since 2007. Get in touch with us today at (386) 260-2378 to find out how we can help you create the eco-friendly home of your dreams!