Sustainable Ideas For Home Improvement

he market for home improvement products continues to grow every year. Part of the trend towards sustainable home improvement is being driven by businesses implementing practices that can then be followed by consumers. Many sustainable ideas for home improvement also allow the homeowner or tenant to save a great deal of money.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Many people forget the garden when talking about home improvement, however in terms of sustainability this is perhaps the best place to start. There are many initiatives you can undertake outside of your home which will be equally as lifting to the building itself.

The biggest change you could make immediately is to make your garden completely organic. Grow your own vegetables, use a water butt, and buying a composter are three huge steps you could take to add to the sustainability of your garden.

ETFE foil is a material widely used in the design and construction industries for making buildings with greener credentials. It is now possible to construct a greenhouse using ETFE foil. ETFE weighs only 1% of the equivalent area in glass, and will give a much more pleasant look to your garden. ETFE also works as a natural insulator, so the “greenhouse effect” inside will be much greater, excellent for keen gardeners looking to grow warm climate fruits and vegetables. Much more light can also get through ETFE in comparison to glass, so the plants growing inside will benefit from a vastly increased brightness level and be able to grow quicker and larger.

Heating Your Home

No doubt you have had a salesman from the energy company at your door at some point trying to sell you “cheaper” electricity or gas. Do this yourself by investing in either cavity wall or loft insulation. This work will have been carried out on many new homes as standard, however if you live in an older building you will most probably need to check.

Everyone is familiar with the “energy maps” which show the vast majority of a buildings’ energy lost through the ceiling, so starting at the loft will be the best idea. This will make your home much more energy efficient, reduce carbon emissions, and save you a truckload of money in the long term.

Painting

This sounds a strange one, but there is a huge and still growing market for environmentally friendly paint. This spreads from your normal, decorative paint that you would use around a home, to specially formulated and engineered paint which can be specifically applied to wood to make it last longer. This can be especially useful to those living in country-style homes with exposed wooden beams, or those with natural wood floors.

Make your home better, be greener and save money, with such a desirable combination, what are you waiting for?

Prepping Up Your Bedroom With Some Summer Additions

Summer is all about fun. It is the time of the year that creates spaces for you to live leisurely. Sure you
might be thinking of crafting a long weekend and head on to the nearest lake or ocean to unwind. But,
what if you just want to enjoy some lazy summer afternoons inside your bedroom? Have you dressed
up your own retreat to complement the season? If not, this is the right time to refresh the look of your
space and let it emulate the warmth of summer. With some tweaks and addition of a few key pieces,
you are sure to have a fab bedroom that will remind you of the little pleasures that summer brings.

Add a dash of color

Adding a fresh coat of paint to your bedroom walls is one of the best ways to embrace summer. Aside
from the fact that it is an inexpensive solution, you can easily finish painting within a day or two
and be able to achieve a new looking space. Choose light colors that will give your bedroom a hint
of vibrancy. Yellows, greens and blues in lighter shades are definitely ideal selections that go well
with the season since they are reminiscent of the sun and sea. You can also never go wrong with earth
tones. Create a color scheme according to your preference and start painting your walls following your
scheme.

If you are little skittish about painting your entire bedroom walls because you feel that you would be
changing your design in the future, then just paint one accent wall. To achieve the best impact, choose
the wall behind your headboard and paint it with your desired hue.

Use breezy fabrics

Your bed is certainly the very first thing that you and other people see when walking inside your
bedroom. So change the sheets and pillow covers. Opt for pieces that wick moisture away and they
should come in lively colors. Or, pull the overall look of your bedroom by picking sheets and pillow
covers that blend well with the color of your walls.

The same advise goes to your curtains, window treatments and rugs. Tuck away the heavy fabrics in
your closet and decorate your bedroom for hot summer nights by hanging two layers of sheer curtains
in complementary light hues on your windows. These curtains will not obstruct natural light and will
flutter in the summer wind. You can then place bamboo rugs on both sides of your bed for that added
summer charm.

Cool accents

Put on the glitz of summer fun to your bedroom by using cool accessories. You can hang a wind chime
from the outside eaves or inside frame of your bedroom window. The sound that your wind chime will
produce will certainly lend a soothing mood to your bedroom.

For your bedside tables, you can drape them with woven beach mats. On one table, arrange glass
candle holders of varying sizes. You can even choose to decorate the candle holders yourself. Simply
wrap each of them with decorative papyrus. Join the edges together using a double-sided tape. Then,
wrap around a length of twine or linen thread. For the other table, choose pictures of yourself and your
family during one of your summer vacations. Pick frames that adhere to your bedroom's summer theme
and arrange them accordingly.

If none of the said centerpieces appeal to your fancy, you may simply opt for small potted plants, or
pour tinted water inside a high vase and add a tropical foliage for a beautiful centerpiece.

Summer evokes both enjoyment and relaxation. Hence, your bedroom should channel these
characteristics to adhere to the season. When you are able to design your bedroom accordingly, you
will be able to drift off to sleep, dreaming of piña colada in hand with the sweet sound of a nearby
rolling sea and white sand between your toes.

Avoiding Indoor Air Pollution with Clean Air Ducts

People usually associate air pollution with smog, factory emissions and exhaust from vehicles.
However, it is also possible to get air pollution indoors due to accumulation of dirt and poor air duct
maintenance. You need to get your air ducts cleaned especially if there are moulds in your cooling
and heating system, your air ducts are infested with pests and your air ducts are clogged with dust and
debris.

How does it work: air duct cleaning

Air duct cleaning is the process of cleaning of the parts of the cooling and heating system which
includes air ducts, grilles, drip pans, fans and the housing. The cleaning process is a meticulous one and
it involves plenty of procedures and equipment. Some of the paraphernalia used in cleaning air ducts
include industrial vacuum cleaners and scrubbing tools. The places where air exchange occurs is also
cleaned and sanitized.

Why clean air ducts are important?

The air quality inside your home can affect the health of all the members of your family. Accumulated
dust, dirt and debris in your air ducts can circulate around the house which can cause asthma and
trigger allergic reactions. Filthy air ducts are also perfect breeding ground for mould and bacteria that
can become airborne and will eventually enter your system and cause adverse health reactions.

Proper maintenance and cleaning of heating and cooling systems can also improve the efficiency of
your home cooling and heating systems. This translates to a lower electric bill and more savings for
you. Lowering your energy consumption is also beneficial to the environment.

Selecting a professional air duct cleaning service

Experts recommend that you get your air ducts cleaned by professionals instead of doing it yourself.
When selecting a professional air duct cleaning service, do not take for granted that all professional
cleaning service providers have an idea of all there is to know about air duct cleaning. Contact several
companies and inquire about their services and the products they use and if they can give you an
estimate if they charge their clients by the hour. Ask them if they could provide you with references
from their other customers as well. Once you select your service provider, make sure that there is a
contract that states everything you and the company agreed on.

Air duct maintenance tips

Even if you get your air ducts and cooling and heating systems cleaned by professionals, you should

also do preventive maintenance so contamination, mould growth and dust and debris accumulation
are lessened. You should purchase high quality filters for your cooling and heating systems and you
need to clean and change them regularly. Make sure that the parts your cooling and heating systems are
cleaned when they undergo maintenance. Keep your home neat and regularly vacuum the floors and
the areas where dust tends to accumulate. Never let your air ducts collect moisture. Watch out for any
leaks or water damage in the duct system and have them repaired immediately. Lastly, replace old air
conditioning units and ascertain that your new one can manage condensation efficiently.