Winter is a surprisingly good season for home improvement projects. In spite of the fact that it’s the coldest season of the year with the worst weather, we tend to have lots of free time on our hands, after all. Meaning that as long as you are smart about picking them, there are lots of sustainable home improvements you can make this winter.
Installing proper insulation
The first of the sustainable home improvements you can make this winter is installing insulation. Now, this is a project you likely want to start at the very beginning of winter. Simply so you can get the best effects out of it. Installing insulation is also something you want to leave up to professionals since it is hard for beginners to pull off. However, once installed, it should significantly improve the energy efficiency in your home!
Eliminating drafts
Drafts are yet another enemy of energy efficiency in your home. They happen because of the warping and damage of your windows and doors. Especially their frames, since any damage to them means you can’t properly close the door or window in question. In fact, if the damage is too widespread in your home, it can be nearly impossible to properly warm it up. Meaning that your heating system, whatever it may be, must blast at max only to produce little to no results. Thankfully, this is mostly simply to fix if the damage is not too bad simply by using calk. So, out of all the sustainable home improvements we can recommend you do this winter, it is likely the easiest and fastest to complete.
Durable new flooring
It is important that your flooring can last and is easy to clean. If you have carpets installed in your home, you need to replace them in particular. They get dirty very easily and very quickly. And in order to clean them, you require a ton of water and even a bunch of chemicals for the more severe cases. Meaning that they are just about the most unsustainable flooring you can possibly opt for. Instead, hardwood floors, tile floors and even vinyl floors are all very durable, last for a long time, and can be cleaned without the use of chemicals or even electricity very easily.
Water conserving fixtures
The next of the sustainable home improvements you might be interested in are water conserving fixtures. They come in the form of faucets and shower heads which have low-flow consumptions. Meaning that they can maintain a decent water pressure in spite of requiring less flow power. This is pretty much an ideal DIY home improvement idea, since while somewhat difficult at the start, you can quickly get the hang of it without needing to rely on professionals.
New lighting fixtures
Something you should quickly have installed in your home are energy-efficient light fixtures. They work just as well, if not better than, traditional lights. However, they consume a lot less energy and even offer boosted performance. There is really only one potential downside to them. The fact that they typically need to be replaced more often than normal bulbs. Even then, they can be recycled fully, and a perfect example of how if you are looking to make your home eco-friendly there are green alternatives for nearly everything.
Working on sustainable energy
While somewhat tricky to pull off in the dead of winter, installing solar panels on your home is a perfect choice. Not only does it contribute towards sustainable living and make your home more eco-friendly, but it will also significantly lower your electricity bills. Especially since the recent strides in renewable energy sources can cover nearly all our electricity needs! With solar panels becoming more efficient and affordable, refusing to have them added to your home means missing out on a major opportunity.
Eco-friendly paint refresh
It is not possible to purchase lots of versions of eco-friendly paint that’s perfectly safe for the environment. They come in some very nice colors, too, so the selection is no worse than ‘traditionally’ made paint. If you are stuck in your home during winter and have some time on your hands, you can consider refreshing your home’s paint. Now, in order to pull this off during winter, you will want to do one room at a time. Simply so you can give it proper time to dry and air out without making your home ice cold. But it is still perfectly viable as one of the sustainable home improvements you can make this winter!
Energy-efficient appliance replacements
If you want to make your home more energy-efficient overall, then you should definitely consider updating your appliances. Improvements are constantly being made to ensure appliances work in optimal condition while consuming much less energy. With some companies making especially large strides in this field of research! Just remember that, as the storage experts from Zippy Shell NV like to advise, if you want to save your old appliance for an emergency you want to make sure to store them the right way. Otherwise, if you need a temporary replacement in the future, they won’t be in good enough condition to use them.
Plotting out a garden
While you can obviously not start planting anything in the dead of winter, plotting out a garden in your yard and preparing the area is one of the best sustainable home improvements you can make. The advantages of having your own garden are many, whether you opt for planting flowers or veggies. If you do opt for the latter, you will even be able to treat yourself to some delicious, home-grown vegetables! Which is good for both your health and your wallet. It can also be one of the perfect ways to be a true eco activist and spend some quality time in your garden with your kids.
Final comment
With our list of sustainable home improvements you can make this winter, you should be able to pick out a few projects you like. Keep in mind that some are more difficult to pull off than others, so you want to be careful with your selection and realistically account for your abilities.
