Green Home Improvement Young / New South Wales / Australia

In this article, we’ll talk all about sustainable green home improvement and renovation services. First, we’ll explain a bit about what that term means. Then, we’ll explore some of the reasons for choosing sustainable and green home improvements, renovations, and systems. Next, we’ll talk about planning-based or design-based services that these home improvement companies offer. Further, we’ll look at actual construction and implementation work for many of the sustainable green home improvement and renovation services projects that are available. Lastly, we’ll look at some of the systems and technologies that are being used and installed as part of the work of sustainable green home improvement and renovation services today. 

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION SERVICES – DISAMBIGUATION

One of the things to note from the beginning is that the companies that perform the kinds of services we are discussing may go by many names and have specialties in many areas. Generalized companies focused on these types of improvements may go by sustainable green home improvement and renovation services, but many other companies also fit this bill. For example, HVAC companies that install geothermal heating and cooling systems most definitely fall into the category of providing an environmentally-friendly home improvement for customers. But that may be only one part of their business, and they certainly may not do many of the other kinds of things needed to improve or renovate a home for energy efficiency or environmental friendliness. So, take the term sustainable green home improvement and renovation services with a grain of salt, as many different types of companies perform work in this area.

At the same time, very few green home improvement companies do the kind of detailed planning and design work for a whole-home renovation or improvement that true sustainable green home improvement and renovation services do. It can include energy and temperature audits, planning comprehensive upgrades and renovations (which may have many sub-contracted aspects that are completed by more specialized green home improvement companies, such as the mentioned geothermal heating and cooling installation, and other green home improvement service providers. So, consumers are advised to seek out the best service companies for their green home improvement projects or needs, which may include others aside from just a sustainable green home improvement and renovation services company. 

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION SERVICES – REASONS FOR CHOOSING SUSTAINABLE AND GREEN SOLUTIONS

There are many reasons for consumers to choose sustainable and green solutions for their green home improvement or renovation needs. The apparent reason, being environmentally-friendly, is important, but indeed not the only driver. As the most sustainable green home improvement and renovation services will explain in their sales pitch, consumers can benefit in many ways from these kinds of home improvements and renovations. Some examples include:

• Lower energy costs, sometimes by almost unbelievable amounts, due to more efficient sustainable systems, structures, insulation, seals, etc.
• Many sustainable and green solutions are far friendlier in the home environment, producing less dust, allergens, made with fewer toxins, etc. That is especially important for new parents with young children, or for those who are naturally environmentally sensitive.
• Some environmentally-friendly home solutions also provide more features than their traditional counterparts, or work better with less maintenance, have a longer service life, etc.
• Prices are now such that many sustainable and green home improvements and renovations are on par with, or slightly more expensive than, traditional equivalents, and most tend to save homeowners significantly in the long run, meaning the total cost of ownership can be far below their conventional counterparts.

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION SERVICES – PLANNING AND DESIGN SERVICES

One of the first steps to any sustainable green home improvement and renovation services’ job is planning and design. Whether a consumer has a single project in mind or is looking for a whole-home improvement, analysis of the existing construction, design, layout, materials, and other factors in a home is critical to finding the most cost-effective and efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions. This stage can often involve a lot of measuring and testing work in the house. Some of the planning and design capabilities that sustainable green home improvement and renovation services provide include:

• Smart Home Energy Audit – designed to figure out where your home is losing heat (or letting heat in), what local climate or weather conditions impact your home, how heating and cooling occur throughout the day in your unique environment (e.g. does the afternoon sun hit this wall, or that wall, or both, or neither), and much more. This data often gathered via measurements and testing devices, as well as computer simulation data. It can also include actual power use data (not just for heating and cooling, but for appliances and similar), water use, sewage/waste output analysis, and many other factors.
• Smart Home Plan – regardless of what actual construction or renovation steps may be warranted, or what systems may be recommended for installation, one of the easiest ways that sustainable green home improvement and renovation services can help consumers is through the deployment of a smart home device plan. Networked thermostats, remote app controls, and other features can help consumers to more precisely target and control their climate and energy use in the home.
• Ultimately, from all the data and with some new smart home controls in place, sustainable green home improvement, and renovation services can offer a full range of plans and designs to target many of the physical construction/implementation tasks and systems installation tasks that are possible to turn your home green.

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION SERVICES – CONSTRUCTION AND IMPLEMENTATION WORK

Some simple construction tasks and renovation or implementation tasks can be undertaken, either by sustainable green home improvement and renovation services or general contractors working with them. These tasks are aimed to effectively and efficiently modify your existing home to be more energy-efficient and use fewer resources. Examples include:

• Caulking and sealing of floors, walls, windows, gaps, cracks, and other fissures in the home or home structure. That can also include new weather stripping, new seals on windows and doors, and related tasks. It is estimated that in many homes, upwards of 20% of the energy they use in heating and cooling is lost through cracks, leaks, and sub-par seals.
• New energy-efficient doors and windows. Older windows are inefficient, and as windows age, their seals tend to break down, they leak more, and you waste more and more energy in heating and cooling. New, energy-efficient windows and doors are available for installation, many with 30+ year warranties, that can let you save on your energy bills.
• Roofing improvements, using new and different types of materials, can help reduce the absorbed heat from sunlight.  Roofing can also help to reduce hot and cold seepage into the home from ambient air.
• Landscaping is often overlooked but is an important part of sustainable green home improvement and renovation services’ arsenal. The planting of trees, bushes, and shrubs in strategic locations can both beautify a property and provide a natural shade, insulation, and other features to reduce home energy needs.

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENT AND RENOVATION SERVICES – INSTALLATION OF GREEN HOME SYSTEMS

The area of sustainable and green home trends that have seen the most innovation in recent years is that of green and sustainable systems. Sustainable green home improvement and renovation services point out that these come in two varieties – systems that replace older, traditional, inefficient systems, and systems that augment or provide new capabilities to the home. Some examples of these green home systems include:

• Geothermal cooling and heating and systems that use the natural constant temperature of the underground to provide efficient, sustainable heating and cooling of a home.
• Solar panels and the integration of a solar array with your home’s electrical system.
• The rainwater collection system, either for gray water uses or to lead to purification for fresh drinking water and bathing purposes.
• Drain water heat recovery device, which recaptures some of the heat from water that goes down the drain to heat new water on its way to a storage tank, water heater, or end-user like a shower.
• Low water use toilets, tankless water heaters, and other water-saving appliances.

These are solely a few of the many green home innovations that the experts from sustainable green home improvement and renovation services can provide, to give homeowners the energy-efficient, cost-saving, environmentally-friendly green home they’ve always wanted!