Cladding and Rendering for the Environment Conscious Homeowner.
Almost all facets of home improvement have been moving towards green practices for years now, and with good reason too. There is a lot of processes in the lifespan of a home that can be really harmful to the environment. Both homeowners and home builders are moving towards more eco-friendly solutions for wall cladding and rendering in particular.
Choosing to have rendering or cladding on the external walls of a house is a more environmentally friendly choice on its own. This is due to most types of cladding being able to improve the insulation of your house. More insulation equals means being more energy efficient and reducing the total or the overall carbon footprint of your home.
However, there are even more ways you can make your home more sustainable, and these services are offered by many home building/improvement organizations all our Australia including cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Get your timber from reliable eco-friendly sources.
Timber is already a popular option for cladding so you can go the extra mile to buy recycled timber. It is by far the most sustainable option and gives you the opportunity to get rare hardwoods that are difficult to buy (although it might be on the pricier side).You can refer Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber. These organizations make sure that the timber you receive are not illegally logged or from conservation-value forests.There are certain types of wood that you should avoid as it is very unlikely that they were logged responsibly. For example, Burmese teak andAfrican Mahogany.
You also have the option to opt for treated wood that conducts heats much better compared to other timber options, which will insulate your home. As mentioned earlier, this insulation can reduce the amount of energy that you spent (the savings will add up to hug amounts over time) and reduce the overall carbon footprint.
Use a durable option.
On the topic of sustainability, the best way to be sustainable is to have durable material that will not need constant changing or improvement. This does not limit your options. You can use hardwood, brick, fibre cement boards and so on. In any case, having durable, longer-lasting material for cladding can reduce waste and save you money in the process.
Choose natural, reusable, or recyclable materials.
You also have the option of choosing natural materials for your home improvement needs, but if you do not, the next best thing is using reusable material. Even better, use recyclable material. Even if they will not biodegrade, their usage means the product will not have to be created from scratch. Manufacturing the products takes a lot of energy and biproducts can be extremely detrimental to the environment.
As you can see there are many ways you can improve the eco-friendliness of your home. Like in cladding and rendering, sustainable options are available for almost all facets of home improvement. If everyone became responsible homeowners doing their due diligence before home improvements, we just might be one step closer to saving the planet.