GUEST ARTICLE: Quick Tips for an Eco-friendly House Build

Building a sustainable house may be easier than you think. As well as having a positive impact on the environment, there are a number of other benefits to building an eco-friendly home including lower fuel bills and creating a healthier living space.

If you’re looking to build your own eco-friendly home, consider some of these top tips by Chris Duckworth, MD of SIP Build UK.

=====================

Location First

If you truly want to make a difference to the environment, your first step to achieving an eco-friendly house build is purchasing land convenient to public transport and local amenities. This will reduce the necessity to travel by car. Where possible also consider a spot that will get the most sunlight to make your home feel naturally warmer and lighter.

The Importance of Insulation

Both cooling and heating your home will account for half of your overall energy consumption and poor overall insulation can be very costly in the long run. When taking on a new build, discuss SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) with your contractor. The panels, which are made up of a core of insulated material sandwiched between layers of structural board, can speed up construction and free up more living space in the home – especially compared with traditional wall packing after construction.

Sustainable Door Options

In addition to the structural decisions, don’t forget to carefully select your doors. Fiberglass is one of the most energy-efficient materials available and requires little energy to produce too. As fiberglass doors do not need reinforcement they are lightweight too. Alternative sustainable door options include doors include reclaimed wood, dynamic glass and woodchip. You can also reduce visual pollution by opting for subtle door colours to blend in with your surrounding environment.

Natural and LED lighting

Although LED bulbs can be more expensive to purchase initially, they will last longer and use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Where natural light is concerned, why not consider a rooflight? Research has proven that roof lights, when installed correctly, will help to dramatically reduce the amount of Co2 emissions your home produces. You can now also install triple glazed roof lights which help keep the heat in but still allow optimum levels of natural light.

These are just a few ways to ensure your home has the greenest footprint it can. Remember, being eco-friendly is not only good for the environment, it can also help you save on those rapidly increasing household bills.