If you’re running out of space at home but you love the location and you don’t want to move, building an extension is a great solution. You can get all of the extra room that you need and keep the home that you love, so you get the best of both worlds. Keeping it as sustainable as possible is important if you want to make sure that your home gives back a little. Choosing to have solar power installed with a home backup battery, too, will really help you to improve how green your home really is. That is something you should do from the beginning of the build so that you can continue living in a way that keeps your home running well.
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But when you’re building an extension and increasing the size of your home, you need to think about sustainability. If you don’t, your energy bills will skyrocket and your impact on the environment will be drastically increased. So, if you are about to start planning your own home extension, keep these sustainability tips in mind.
Choose Sustainable Building Materials
If you want your extension to be eco-friendly, you need to start with the right materials. That doesn’t mean that you need to choose materials that are 100% recyclable, but it does mean that you should avoid some of the worst offenders. For example, particle boards are not very green at all, so avoid using them when possible. You should also stay away from plastic products. They may seem like a good choice because they are lightweight and easy to install, but they won’t be worth the impact on the environment in the long run. Look for wood or metal instead of plastic if you can.
Install Lots Of Insulation
Keeping the home as warm as possible will help you cut your energy bills and reduce your impact on the planet. Installing insulation in your extension is the best way to do this. If you have an attic in your home, you can put insulation up there. You should also use spray foam insulation in the walls too. The spray foam insulation installation process is very simple, but it makes a huge difference. Insulation will give you a warmer home while reducing heat loss, which means that you’ll be able to use less energy because you won’t have to keep putting the heat on so high all of the time.
Create A Design That Harnesses Natural Heat
If you want to cut down on the amount of energy that you use in your home, you should create a design that harnesses natural heat. You can do this by positioning the windows on the south side of the house and thinking about where your sunlight is coming from when it comes through these windows. Using materials that absorb and store heat, releasing it later on after the sun has gone down, can also help you naturally heat the home.
Bring In Plenty Of Natural Light
Natural light has a huge impact on how much energy you use in your home. When the sunlight comes through your windows, it lights up the room and heats it naturally at the same time, so you’re less reliant on artificial lights. If you have an extension, try to bring as much natural light into the room as possible by positioning the windows in places where they will catch as much sunlight as possible for as long as possible throughout the day.
It’s important that you consider these things when building your extension so you can make sure that your home is sustainable.
