Green home designs use eco-friendly reusable materials, furnishings and leftovers. These kind of designs feature the use of long lasting, non-toxic materials as well as recycling. Green home designs make use of materials that are renewable and long lasting. To remodel a residence with new materials every few years is not green building design.
When you use materials to be green, you restore and salvage what you have when possible. Options for green flooring design can provide you many different choices today. You can sand and refinish or even paint and stencil without using materials containing volatile organic compounds (referred to as VOC's).
Green home designs today features the use of materials such as cork, bamboo and eucalyptus since they are earth friendly and renewable. Cork is especially good since there is no destruction of trees during extraction of the cork. Hardwood flooring can last forever and is very desirable, however, these kinds of woods are often the remnants of old growth from rain forest trees and this is not eco-friendly or green. You can select types of woods that have the approval and certification by environmental groups.
Which glues and finishes to use for floor installation are issues that should concern you since many contain toxic synthetic formaldehyde resins. It is best to use non-toxic low to no VOC sealants as well as non-toxic cleaners, polishes, finishes, refinishing and adhesive products. To do so will result in having better indoor air quality since your home produces less toxins and is a healthier environment to live in.
Even buying low to no VOC products does not guarantee your safety and good health for you and your loved ones. Since we encounter so many chemicals on a daily basis, nothing can be 100%. However, it is essential to select eco-friendly products for the green design benefits. This helps to better our environment and not expose us to as many chemicals every day.
While creating your green home designs using these ideas, be sure to include many glass window and doors as well as roof and wall skylights to allow natural lighting into your home. Skylights provide the green design benefits of reducing and avoiding moisture accumulation in a room while conserving energy consumption.
Concrete floorings have made the circle of fashion, coming back in style. They come in various colors, patterns, textures and polishes. This type of flooring is not so harmful to your health since it uses no glue, finishes or refinishing products and their chemicals.
Green home designs in the kitchen can feature the use of concrete counter tops since they are a natural appearing material and have become quite popular. They can add a modern look and style to your kitchen, bathrooms and fireplace.
Vertrazzo, which is recycled glass, is another popular choice for green kitchen counter tops. Recycled glass is attractive and comes in various colors to match your decor perfectly. You can use it as both kitchen counter tops and as a backsplash. Recycled glass tiles are another beautiful alternative in trends of green kitchen designs.
While choosing your appliances, consider their functionality, style and energy efficiency as well as your budget. When you replace appliances or remodel your kitchen, be sure to find the most energy efficient appliances available as well as those that use less water. To recycle old appliances, call your local recycling department for advice on what to do to recycle them.
Sending your appliances to a landfill or passing them on to someone else is not a good idea, since ninety-five percent of refrigerator parts are recyclable. Older models that are not as energy efficient will not save you money and they are not good for the eco-system. You should recycle all of your old kitchen appliances.
Green home designs add lots of ceiling and wall insulation to your entire home. This is most beneficial and keeps your home more energy efficient. Remember to use eco-friendly insulation materials. Always chose high performance windows and double or even triple pane windows, doors and skylights as they help conserve energy as well.
With rising energy costs, energy efficient design makes economic sense. Saving money after the initial investment, reducing exposure to toxic chemicals and helping save the environment all are goals of green home designs. Learn as much as you can about the choices you have in the green interior design products that will best serve your interests.
Copyright 2008 InfoSearch Publishing
Recently there has been an overwhelming trend of homeowners considering green design when planning a remodeling project. Not only does incorporating green design concepts in your home save you money, but they are also friendly to the environment. But the whole idea of making your home greener can be somewhat intimidating, especially if you are new to green design. However, it should comfort you to know that even making small efforts to include green design in your remodeling projects is beneficial to the environment. And when it comes to green design, baby steps are okay.
These days, there are so many green products on the market that it is easy to make green design a part of your remodeling plan. You can make your home a greener living space by simply taking conservation efforts such as replacing your current showerhead with a water saving showerhead. Striving to incorporate green design in all of your remodeling projects is important step towards reducing wasteful consumption and promoting a toxin free environment.
One of the easiest ways to add green design to your modeling project is to choose your appliances carefully. Be sure to select high efficiency water heaters, water saving showerheads, low flow toilets, and energy efficient appliances (refrigerators, stoves, microwaves).
Many times, one of the main ways people choose to remodel a living space is by painting. Did you know that you can also make green design a part of your painting project? There are numerous environmentally friendly paints to choose from. The key to selecting paint is to choose those that contain low or zero volatile organic compounds, also known as ?VOC'. The finishes, sealants, caulks, and adhesives that you use should also contain relatively little VOCs.
Adding efficient lighting is also a simple way to incorporate green design into remodeling projects. Make lighting choices like fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, and energy efficient bulbs to supplement the natural lighting in your home. You can also select lighting fixtures that are friendly to the environment ? look for fixtures that contain natural, recycled, or reused materials.
You can also integrate green design in your plans whenever you update the flooring in your home. If updated floors are going to be a part of your project, be sure to reuse existing flooring and subflooring whenever possible. Refinished wood floors look great, but be careful to use green products for the job. If you are selecting new floors, try floors that are made from naturals such as wood or cork.
There are probably a thousand or more simple ways to include green design in any remodeling project. Most are simple and relatively inexpensive, so there is no excuse for not making green design a part of the over design plan.
Both David Lee Buster & Al Zan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
David Lee Buster has sinced written about articles on various topics from Business and Finance, Bathroom Home Improvement and Careers and Job Hunting. Learn more and how to create healthier kitchens. David Lee Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster. David Lee Buster's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
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