Home and Garden + Home Inspection and Real Estate Pro's of Olympian Home Services

Remodeling The Green Way

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As global warming becomes more and more of an issue in today’s world, many people who are looking to remodel their homes are looking to do things the green way and substitute the old for the new. While it’s important to remember that without energy and its consumption, there would be no development on the planet to day, there is a serious divide that threatens the world today between over consumption and poverty that’s using energy the wrong way. However, there is a real movement toward conservation and saving energy wherever possible and when it comes to remodeling there is a sense that the best things in today’s renovation lexicon take the environment into consideration as well.

To that end, there are several things that the homeowner can do to ensure that they remodel their way into a place that’s cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. One of the first things that you should think of when you’re renovating with a sense for green in mind is shutters. These are one of the things that can add to the value of the property aesthetically while helping you to keep the rooms inside cooler in the summer by shading the sun from shining directly into rooms.

When you’re building or thinking about adding a wall in warmer climates, it’s best, according to the experts, if you build a thicker wall. These will have what’s known as a high thermal mass to absorb the heat of the day and to keep the inside temperatures from getting too hot to be comfortable. Contrary to popular belief, there should be ventilation only at night to release the heat that has been stored in the walls during the day.

There are many other ways that you can protect you home from the harmful effects of the sun and some of these have been termed architectural shields. This is essentially a term that is allocated to a variety of things that can make a difference, like roof overhangs, to block the sun. Still, the experts caution that some fixed protection has its limitations. These protect only against direct radiation and not against any of the variety that has been diffused and they generate the same shade when the weather turns and gets colder and you might prefer to have a little more warmth.

One of the other methods of remodeling for the green effect is to plant trees and shrubs. This is another way that you can positively affect the resale value and supply an area with the needed shade that will lower the energy costs by minimizing the need for air-conditioning.

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