Environmentally sound solutions for home renovation and new construction

Everyone’s doing it and you don’t want to be left behind, or worse, look bad in front of the Joneses, because you renovated your home and didn’t consider the environment when you were planning and executing your home renovation or home remodeling project. Well don’t despair, you don’t have to be LEED certified to make some sensible decisions about renovating or adding an addition to your home. Using common sense and some practices you probably already implement in your daily routine are all that it takes to be “green” about your project plans.

THE THREE R’S

We are all familiar with the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. But how do you apply this to your home renovation project? First, follow the rule: “a dollar spent in planning is two dollars saved in building”, as well as a boost for the environmental friendliness of your project. When planning a new addition, or remodeling or renovating an existing part of your home, consider your real needs and try to be realistic. Do I really need three extra bedrooms or a kitchen sized for a banquet at the UN? Remember that reducing the square footage of your new construction project or renovated area, and maximizing the layout both vertical and horizontal with a design or construction professional will save you money during the renovation and construction process, as well as long term costs such as cleaning, heating and cooling, and maintenance. Reducing the footprint of your new addition also reduces your carbon footprint, so it’s an easy way to go green with your home renovation project!

Now that you’ve decided on a more efficient design for your renovation project, it’s time to think about what goes into it…as well as what gets thrown away. Before throwing out that old cast iron bathtub, consider that what was old is now new and what is new will be yesterday’s trend soon. Reusing old but still serviceable bathroom and kitchen fixtures, replacing kitchen cupboard doors, but reusing the existing cabinet structure, or simply adding a fresh coat of paint to a tired vanity, can be an outstanding feature of your newly renovated space, adding a link to the history of the home you are remodeling as well as a personal touch and link to your own history. Not to mention that reusing things already found in your home reduces costs, waste material, energy consumption, and further reduces the carbon footprint of your renovation project. So before giving away the sometimes-priceless treasures found within your home to your contractor (think Antiques Roadshow here), consider reusing them in your new addition or renovated space.

If there is nothing worth keeping, or you simply want a total change, consider first buying recycled products from someone else’s construction or renovation project, estate sale or second hand store. As well, many suppliers and distributors will have items that have been returned by clients for various reasons and with minor servicing these items can be a cheap and environmentally friendly way of greening your construction project. Not to mention that for the savvy buyer today, there are countless environmentally friendly fixtures, finishes and building materials available that are made from reused and recycled materials. As they say, one man’s (or woman’s) junk is another’s treasure!

And then, when all else has been considered, recycle. Recycling is a practice most communities have integrated into their daily routines already, and we are all familiar with it to some extent both at work, and at home in our kitchens, offices and gardens. Extending these practices to your renovation or new construction project can be as easy as making it a requirement that your contractor use a waste recycling system available in all larger urban centers and apply it to all phases of your project. Basically, this involves separating the by-products of the construction or renovation process into categories such as wood and paper materials, steel and metals, hazardous waste, as well as household items and building materials that can still be used such as washers, dryers, stoves, doors, bricks, wood beams and joists, moldings etc. Consider also hiring a recycling contractor to assist the general contractor at the end of the job to haul away the material and ensure that it gets recycled. And for those with an entrepreneurial spirit and some time on your hands, consider finding a buyer for some of those reusable materials. Though usually not very profitable, you can “green” your project and make some extra “green”backs at the same time!

Visit us at www.contractormontreal.com to find out how we can assist you in all your renovation and construction needs.