Reduce Your Carbon Footprint With Green Remodeling

The use of terms like “sustainable” and “environmentally friendly” has risen exponentially in the past decade or so. Everyone is looking to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. But what exactly does that mean? How does green remodeling work? Stick with the experts at Blackdog Design/Build/Remodel while we walk you through the basics!

What Is Green Remodeling?

The entire focus of a green remodel is to reduce. Reduce waste, reduce use, minimize negative impacts on the environment by reducing emissions—and to accomplish all of this while still providing you with a home remodel that you love. That’s an important point: A green remodel isn’t about compromise. It’s about finding a better way!

This is accomplished in a variety of ways, the most common of which include:

• Using efficient appliances and electronics – ENERGY STAR® certified appliances are top quality and are far more energy-efficient. Water-efficient plumbing can be huge as well since processing wastewater demands considerable resource use. Using fewer resources means less waste, and thus a smaller carbon footprint.
• Using sustainable building practices – Sustainable building practices predominantly revolve around conservation and resource efficiency—for instance, improving upon designs to use less material or selecting equipment based on how little fuel they consume.
• Selecting green building materials – This includes recycled building materials and materials that can be generated without permanently damaging the environment (natural stone and wood grown from responsible nurseries are great examples).

Why Is Green Remodeling Beneficial?

Simply put, the world’s resources are finite if we don’t use them effectively. We can sustain the environment, and so we should. Thankfully, green remodeling also provides tangible benefits to the homeowner, making green remodeling all the more attractive.

Green Remodeling Can Reduce Your Energy Costs

As a happy side-effect of reducing your energy waste, you also, of course, reduce your home’s overall energy consumption. This means less electricity used, less fuel used, and lower utility bills! The change isn’t insignificant, either. Here are just a few green remodeling projects that can boost home energy-efficiency:

• Upgrading to LED interior lighting – LED lights use one-tenth of the wattage of incandescent bulbs. That’s a lot of energy saved, and as a bonus LED lights last for many more years.
• Harnessing natural light – Let the sun do the heavy lifting during the day by using high visibility windows strategically placed throughout your home. This provides free home heat and light!
• Improved green insulation – Updating your home’s insulation provides multiple green benefits from reducing your HVAC system’s energy waste to letting you swap to eco-friendly materials like cotton (recycled denim) insulation, spray-foam, or sheep’s wool.

Green Remodeling Products Are High Quality

Whether you’re talking about ENERGY STAR® certified appliances, LED lights, or low water use plumbing, green technology materials are of the highest quality. They have to be to do their job correctly, which is great because it means that by going green you can enjoy longer life spans for everything green in your home, from efficient appliances to your kitchen cabinets.

Choose Blackdog for Green Remodeling in Amherst & Salem, NH

As a family-owned and -operated design/build firm, Blackdog is proud to be counted among a growing list of green builders and remodelers. With our extensive experience, comprehensive knowledge, and wide net of local green sources, we can help you plan the green remodel you’ve been looking for.

Contact us online today for a consultation, or call (603) 769-4938 in Amherst or (603) 952-3192 in Salem!