Five steps to optimise your home to become an ecological estate
Although there are lots of properties built following the principles of ecological or sustainable architecture, the majority of the population still live in estates that have not been designed according these parameters. The good news is that with minimal adaptations, any estate can be transformed into a much more respectful environment. Please find our five steps to optimise your home to an ecological estate.
Ecological housing is available to everyone
When being aware of the environment care and want to have an eco-friendly house, everybody can make small actions and changes, that will allow not only to safeguard the planet and guarantee a better prospective for future generations, but also will save money and resources . From Hermes & Mathew we propose improvements to be incorporated with a minimum investment.
Five steps to optimise your home to an ecological estate – Start by isolating your property
It is one of the first points that must be taken into account. A poorly insulated home implies a waste of energy that will end up affecting the bill amounts. The better insulated your estate is, the more efficient your air conditioning and heating installation will be and the less air will be filtered through doors and windows.
Opt for double-glazed windows with an air chamber, weatherstrips the doors and, if you consider it necessary, use insulation ecological home made materials with all-natural raw materials such as hemp, wood shavings or cork which will guarantee good thermal and acoustic insulation. In one of our past posts “After purchasing a property… Fit it out for the cold!”, please find how to improve the isolation.
Use sustainable paint in your ecological home
Conventional paints contain chemical ingredients, such as petroleum, heavy metals, etc. In addition, these paints are flammable, not perspiring and highly toxic to the environment and people. When having to paint, start by incorporating ecological paints free of chemical solvents. These are made from vegetable oils and can be used in any indoor environment. In addition, they are more resistant and durable and protect from moisture.
Eco-friendly lighting
The cost of electricity bills represents 20% of the total monthly expenses of a property. To make the consumption much lower and above all, more sustainable, our tip is to change incandescent bulbs for LED lights. Traditional bulbs spends 80% of energy giving heat, and the rest in illuminating, the opposite with LEDs.
LED bulbs are double eco-friendly. On the one hand, the material used is free of mercury and, on the other, the light does not require gases or filaments. Other advantages are, that they last 20 times longer than a traditional bulb, and helps reduce light pollution.
LED lights also try to incorporate habits that sometimes are neglected, for example, turn off the light whenever everybody leaves a room or remove lights that have no utility.
Water flow under control
Ecological estates should have control of water flow in order to avoid its waste. Water is essential for the survival of life, therefore, any sustainable home must incorporate a method of saving this precious asset.
Start by gradually incorporating water flow reduction systems in your home faucets. Nowadays, the market offers different alternatives. One of them introduces air into the water jet, another limits the opening of the control and, finally, there is also another which narrows the pipe. Any of these devices would save between 20% and 50% of the water.
Furniture and ecological decoration
Every time you want to renovate a piece of furniture or incorporate a decorative element in your home, think green and opt for eco-friendly solutions. In general, it should be a type of furniture or decorative element free of chemicals which besides being healthy with you, is respectful with the ecosystem. The existing alternatives and designs are very varied. The materials used are produced by the nature itself such as jute, bamboo, wood, wool, silk or cotton, among others. Regarding wood, it is important that it is not treated with toxic substances.
Another alternative is to resort to the recycling of wooden furniture, or resort to pallets or cartons to create pieces of sustainable furniture. Ecological furniture guarantees that there is no toxic emission into the atmosphere.
Along with these tips given, do not forget either to incorporate efficient appliances, tile floors, wood, ceramics or cork, biodegradable cleaning products, efficient heating systems such as underfloor heating, or any other solution which will contribute to maintain a green planet.
At Hermes & Mathew we are committed to the protection of the environment. We will always offer the best advice to optimise an eco-friendly home. In fact, many of our apartments for sale have been adapted to make them more sustainable.