Posts Tagged ‘sustainability’

Treading Lightly: Green Sunroom Designs

Monday, April 21st, 2008

You can’t turn on the TV or radio, not to mention open a newspaper or magazine without seeing or hearing something about the environment.  It’s pretty clear society needs to really invest some time and effort in the reuse and recycle way of life.  Even with the concerns about green living and doing your part, it doesn’t mean you can’t have some of the things in life you want.  Let’s take your home for example.  If you are among the number of homeowners that would love to build to a sunroom, you can do so with little to no harm to the earth if you keep some green sunroom designs ideas in mind. 

There isn’t a building material sold that isn’t rated for energy efficiency and low environmental risk.  When you are planning your sunroom, look for the best materials to use.  You can find all kinds of information about these products online or by asking the knowledgeable home improvement store staff.  Include features like solar panels to reduce energy consumption and use materials that reproduce quickly like bamboo.  Not only are you doing your part for the earth, you are also ensuring that your sunroom will be built to last.

Green Sunroom Designs

It’s basic science that plants make oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide.  You can continue to do your part for the earth with an emphasis on flowers and plants placed both inside and around the outside of your sunroom.  You could be even more self sufficient and use some of your sunroom containers for herbs or mini vegetable plants. They are all very pretty and the herbs have the added bonus of smelling fantastic as well.

If you put your mind to it, there is no doubt you can come up with all kinds of ways to include more green sunroom designs into your plans.  With the manufacturers of just about everything offering earth friendly options, you can’t help but do the right thing with your sunroom addition, especially when you consider as well that there are green contractors out there who can help you accomplish your dream goals. 

For more information on green sunroom designs

The Essentials of Smart Green Home Design

Monday, March 10th, 2008

There are three things that constitute the tenets of smart green home design – recycle, reuse, and reduce. While often considered a mantra among those who want to save the planet, these ideas can also help you build a more earth friendly home for yourself and for your family. To make sure your home is living up to the green ideas of the day; here are ways to implement smart green home design in your home:

Smart green home design

The idea of recycling can be addressed in a number of ways when considering smart green home design. First of all, the actual building materials can be recycled or they can be recyclable. Finding plastics and metal pieces that have been recycled from old pieces will work just as well in your home’s construction as new pieces. You will also want to find a way to create a recycling system that will allow for the maximum recycling of items you use in your life. You can also choose to create a home that’s completely recyclable – i.e. with aluminum beams.

Reuse is another common way to make your home an example of smart green home design. The wood that’s used for the framing can be reclaimed wood that has either been scrapped by other builders or that has come from other homes or buildings that have been torn down. You might also want to use materials and fixtures from demolished homes so that you’re not making anything new in the process. You can also take items from your old home and bring them into the new home you are building to help diminish the energy used in the production of new items.

As for ‘reduce,’ smart green home design will help to lessen the energy used during day to day activities. By using solar energy and other forms of natural energy, the home won’t have to use as much electricity or natural resources in order to be comfortable and safe.