There are several common myths about Earth-friendly homes that have circled around: too expensive, too ugly, too difficult. Realtor.com is here to put an end to the falsities. Creating a home that is even just a smidge more healthy for the environment is easy, inexpensive, and has major benefits, says Realtor.com. For example, changing a house’s roofing system to a recycled metal that reflects the sun’s heat will save on bills while reducing your carbon footprint. One remodeling and roofing professional says that by pairing your new roof with a well insulated attic and a ventilated roof structure, you can reduce a home’s heating and cooling usage by 34%.
1. Only new houses can be green
While you can go all out building the most eco-friendly Earthship your neighborhood has ever seen, you could also just make a few subtle changes to your existing property.
“Helping the environment doesn’t have to mean building an entirely new, expensive green home,” says Craig Ricks Jr., president of Acadian Windows and Siding. “It’s possible to renovate an existing home to become greener, such as by altering the wiring and plumbing.”
You can also go green in your existing home by installing low-emissivity ("low E") windows, reinsulating the house, or even just purchasing more energy-efficient appliances (like those made by Energy Star), Ricks says.
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