Greening your home or finding eco-friendly ways to update the house and landscaping protect the treasures of planet Earth. Consider upgrading your home with today’s technology and products that can protect our natural resources.
REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE
This trio is one of the easiest things you can do for the planet. These are some of our favorite tips to incorporate these actions into your everyday life:
- Compost your kitchen and yard waste. Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits. Do some research online to see if composting is right for you!
- Repurpose things you no longer need. For example, you can quickly turn that old t-shirt into cleaning rags and that pasta sauce jar into the perfect leftover’s container!
- Use reusable bags when shopping. Don’t forget to bring your bags when shopping at the grocery store or your local farmers' market.
- Go paperless in the kitchen. Skip the paper towels and opt for sustainable and reusable cloths to clean up your messes.
HOME DÉCOR
Taking reducing, reusing, and recycling to the next level. Repurposing things such as glassware, dishes, tools, linens, and utensils keep treasures from ending up in landfills, and it lessens the toll on natural resources. Antique store furniture has a lot of life left in it, and you may be lucky enough to discover its history. Reuse wood by building bookshelves, coffee tables, or end pieces.
LIGHTING
With all the latest lighting gadgets on the market, you can save money and energy at the same time. Energy-efficient lighting for the kitchen and bathrooms is better than those old heat-emitting incandescent bulbs. LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs are brighter, and they don’t use as much juice or throw off as much heat. If you’re building a new room onto the house, consider adding a skylight to bring in more sunshine and heat.
APPLIANCES
Consider replacing that old washer and dryer set. Or maybe it’s time for a new refrigerator or dishwasher. Energy Star appliances are noted by a bright yellow label that shows electricity savings and the cost of operating the unit.
Or if getting a new appliance is not in your budget, try washing your clothes on cold. Switching your clothes washer’s temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half. This is an easy way to save on that water bill, as is making sure to always do full loads of laundry (or using the appropriate water-level setting if doing smaller loads).
Running your AC or Heat can spike up your utility bill, especially when you are not home. With SheaConnect’s Pro Smart Thermostat, you can remotely control your home’s temperature or program a daily schedule all from your smart device. Managing your home temperature while you’re out saves energy and can save you money.
Set your HVAC system on a schedule. You can program a digital thermostat back 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day and save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills. In winter, for example, you might set the heat to 62 degrees while you’re at work, and 70 degrees starting when you return in the evenings.
WATER
Replacing faucets, toilet flushers, and showerheads with units that use less water cuts down on waste and reduces your utility bill. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates savings of $90 per year. Low-flush toilets use about 1.3 gallons of water per use, instead of 1.6 gallons for standard toilets. The EPA’s WaterSense label is a national program and can help you choose the right products for your home.
Additionally, plastic water bottles can produce a larger amount of waste. However, adding a water purification system into your home is a great substitute. Shea Homes offers a great selection of optional water purifying products. Purchasing filtration pitchers for your home is another option!
INDOOR GREENERY
Plants and flowers say “nature” whenever you walk into the room. Think aloe vera, snake, English ivy, and lady palm. According to some, plants help enhance your mood, memory, concentration, and productivity and can reduce fatigue and stress. A warning to pet owners: When choosing plants, check to see whether they're harmful to dogs and cats.
OUTDOORS
Puttering around in the yard and garden is a given for any homeowner. Organic fertilizers such as minced leaves, wood shreds and chips, grass clippings, animal manure, and decomposed vegetation feed the soil without burning the grass. Natural fertilizers take longer to absorb than chemical products, but they won’t damage nearby watersheds.
Native plants can handle the environment around them. They don’t require as much water or fertilizer, and they are disease- and pest-resistant. Native flowers, shrubs, and trees control erosion and filter stormwater. Composting, installing a rain barrel, and reducing concrete are ways to pump up the landscaping.
HERBICIDES
When using natural herbicides against weeds in your yard and garden, there are a few things to remember. One is that weeds don’t ever really go away. Chemical fertilizers kill earthworms and microbes, but organic products won’t harm the worms that aerate the soil. Organic weed killers are available and good for spot control on annual growth. Try adding corn gluten meal on weeds — it adds nitrogen to the soil and prevents seeds from germinating. Homemade weed killers made from vinegar and hot water are also somewhat effective.
We’ve all become more conscious of their impact on the world over the past decade. Getting started in small and subtle ways will help you move toward a more environmentally sound way of living. The home is where most of us spend the majority of our time, so starting there can be a great first step. Home builders have adapted to these lifestyle changes and are now starting to incorporate designs and products that can help you become more efficient while staying comfortable. Shea builds homes that fit your needs, taking your health and the health of the environment into consideration. Learn more about our SheaConnect™ and Pure Living® packages available in most communities.