The buzzword of the present-day is sustainability. However, most homeowners think that a sustainable household is just another way of saying they are going to have to spend more on maintenance. This is simply not true, as an eco-friendly home is actually cheaper to maintain than a conventional household.
However, you’ll need to learn 8 house maintenance tips to reap benefits from a truly sustainable home.
More than one way to preserve heat
Heat loss is a real problem, both in residential and industrial structures. However, adding a thick layer of insulation on walls isn’t the only way to prevent heat energy from escaping your home. For example, concrete walls and floors act as natural insulators.
Furthermore, a simple inspection of all the cracks in the walls, doors, and windows ensures your home is almost airtight. If the sealant is missing from windows replace it and consider installing a rubber gasket at the bottom of the front door.
The fan trick
We hope that you have installed a large ceiling fan instead of the AC unit. Although the fan is ideal for summertime, in winter it might get cold inside the kitchen. The trick is to make the blades spin the other way or a “winter” setting, as it is also called. This way, warm air will get pushed downwards, making sure you aren’t cold while preparing dinner.
Installing solar panels
If your area is on the list of cities with the longest sunshine duration, then installing solar panels is a wise thing to do. You needn’t cover the entire surface of the roof but just enough to generate power for your household alone.
Mind you, this investment costs a pretty penny but after a decade, solar panels will not only pay off entirely but they will start earning you money by producing extra power you can return to the grid for a fee.
Clearing the gutters and more
While we are talking about the roof, you need to regularly maintain the gutters. The main reason for this is preventing water damage, so inspect the gutters at least twice a year and especially before winter. When there is damage to fascia and downpipes, gutter replacement is necessary so you should call in professional roofers.
However, in most cases, you will just have to remove tons of leaves from the gutters and the roof. Don’t throw these piles of leaves away, as they make for a great composting material if you have a garden. As an alternative, you can use a rake to spread them across the lawn to protect grass against frost.
Reuse rainwater
Speaking of the garden, it’s going to need watering but using potable water is a huge waste. However, if the gutters are 100% watertight, you can hook them up to a rain collection barrel. These large barrels would fill up every time it rains and then you would hook them up to a garden hose and use the rainwater to water the garden during droughts.
Air-conditioning is overrated
One of the biggest energy-guzzlers in the typical household is the AC unit. They have spoiled us to the extent that we turn them on even if we are slightly hot at the beginning of spring. If you want to prolong the lifespan of your AC unit, then use it less often and revert to a natural cooling solution.
For instance, cross ventilation is an effortless method you can use to cool your home down. If you install fly screens, then you can use this method at night, when it’s the most efficient because of the cold night air. There is nothing more soothing than feeling a pleasant breeze through the house after a long, hot summer day.
An easy-to-maintain green barrier
Used across the globe, green barriers are natural bulwarks against all sorts of pollution. For people who live near busy roads and streets, a fence adorned with climbers and vines protects their home from fine dust particles and noise pollution. The best thing about a green wall, apart from its eco-friendliness, is the fact it’s super easy to clean: you just point the garden hose at it.
Reusing is better than recycling
We have already pointed out the benefits of reusing rainwater but you can reuse pretty much everything. In the short run, this will save you a couple of dollars but in the long run, you will be helping protect the environment.
For example, grocery bags can be reused as garbage bags (use paper bags whenever possible). Shampoo bottles can be revived by pouring warm water inside them and then using the shampoo to mop the floors. When shopping for clothes or furniture, you’ll be able to save money if you head to a secondhand store.
Every household can become sustainable if the owners put in an effort. Start small, by inverting the ceiling fan or recaulking the windows but after a while, you’ll grow fond of sustainability. Before you know it, you will have become an eco-aware homeowner and the world cannot enough of them.