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These tips on living a more energy-efficient lifestyle, courtesy of the U.S. Green Building Council, are perfect for anyone planning on building a new home or remodeling their current home. Recycle materials
You can add some green to your lifestyle, while saving green, by choosing salvaged, secondhand or antique furnishings, doors, trim, fixtures or other items for all or part of your project. You may even be able to salvage lumber and other materials from your own home for reuse when you remodel. Use lumber from cypress sinker logs salvaged from our waterways to add an uniquely Louisiana accent. But steer clear of single-pane windows, old toilets and used appliances: they waste energy or water compared with their newer, more efficient counterparts. Cool roofing
New roof products come in a variety of colors and materials (including ceramic or concrete tiles, metal and synthetic membranes) to reflect more of the sun’s rays and lower roof temperature by up to 100 degrees, cutting your cooling expense. Free lighting
Brighten dark hallways, bathrooms and other spaces with tubular skylights. These skylights let in daylight without the excess heat and are relatively easy and affordable to install. |