Environmentally Friendly Homes

Many people who are interested in green living strive to have environmentally friendly homes. What makes a home eco-friendly and how easy is it to achieve?

There are many different aspects of a home that have an impact on the environment. Each one has a different role to play. While no single step offers the solution to the sensitive eco-balance of the earth, taken together these can all help to make a difference.

One of the most important features of a home is the building materials. Right from the depths of the foundations to the tips of the chimney pot, every part of the fabric of the home has an impact on the earth's resources in one way or another. For building materials to be eco-friendly, some of the following considerations need to be taken into account:

• Sustainable – Many building materials can come from a sustainable source or are created using renewable resources. Timber, for instance, is now available from wood that has been grown and harvested under strict conditions. Buying wood from these sources ensures that deforestation slows and helps to maintain the future of many important forested areas.

• Recycled Materials – There are many items used to build a home that can come from recycled sources. Wooden floorboards, tiles and bricks are all perfect for reuse and can also give a unique feel to a home. Using recycled materials has the dual benefit of keeping rubbish out of landfills while also preserving important virgin resources.

• Eco-Friendly Products – As well as building materials, it is important to check that items such as paints, wood preserver and other decorative products are eco-friendly. Some materials are created using harsh chemicals that can damage the environment. Green home builders can offer plenty of advice about eco-friendly building products.

Another important aspect of running environmentally friendly homes is ensuring that the home is energy efficient and has a minimum negative impact on the environment. This includes:

• Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy – The ideal green home will be energy efficient and use alternative energy sources if appropriate. This does not mean that the household need to shiver uncomfortably in an unheated house! This simply means that energy is used carefully and conserved where possible. Good insulation helps to keep in heat and adds to the energy efficiency of a house. This can also help to save money in the long run. Other simple measures to help energy efficiency and save energy include fitting automatic light switches, that switch off at a given time, and eco friendly light bulbs, buying Energy Star electrical appliances and ensuring that heaters have thermostats attached.

• Water Conservation – Water is an important earth resource and one that often gets overlooked. The fact that clean water comes from the tap on demand is often taken for granted, however a long process takes place just to get water to a household, much of which is flushed straight away. Becoming more aware of water usage is an essential part in running a green home. Low flow toilets and front loading washing machines are both interesting alternatives.

• Environmental Impact – A house that has been built on cleared woodland or on an estate that has concreted over fields will have an impact on the environment. In some instances this can change an environment forever. Building on fields, for example, can introduce a risk of flooding that has not previously been experienced as there is nowhere for flood water to escape to.

A home is more than just the fabric of the house, it is also the people within the house. An environmentally friendly household can help the environment in numerous ways. This includes:

• Recycling where possible
• Thinking twice about using a car for a journey
• Considering other forms of vehicle, for instance a hybrid car
• Buying locally. 'Cheap' products from elsewhere in the world may be low in cost when measured in dollars but of a high cost to the environment
• Look for the 'green' option, for instance environmentally friendly decking instead of traditional decking

An environmentally friendly house is part of green living and will help to ensure a better future for all of us.

• Ways to Prevent Global Warming
• 50 Specific Actions of Green Living
• Examples of Sustainable Development

• United States Recycling Statistics
• Types of Pollution
• Air Pollution Statistics
• Effects of Water Pollution
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels

• Eco Friendly Wood Floor
• Category:Low-Impact Living
• Green Home Builders
• Contemporary Green Homes
• Environmentally Friendly Decking