In the current environmentally aware world, eco house design is an increasingly popular trend. A “green” home, as it is often called, is constructed in a way that not only heats, cools and purifies the air, but also has minimal environmental impact. Today’s Eco homes take the best of many different styles and designs from traditional house plans to the most cutting edge eco innovations. If you are considering building a new home or renovating an existing home, it’s important to get all the information possible about each house building to make sure your home is friendly to nature. Here are some tips and ideas to help you design your home the way that’s right for the environment:
Most eco homes are built with renewable resources. The best way to start eco house design is by incorporating renewable resources into your plans from the beginning. For example, instead of choosing an earth bagged window frame for your new home, choose a fabric covered one instead. By using eco-bags as your window treatments, you can reduce your energy use and thus your heating and cooling costs. Another way to go is to choose a fabric for your doors that are made from natural fibers, such as bamboo. Use natural products and avoid harsh chemicals whenever possible.
One of the most important parts of eco house design is the way you heat and cool your home. Many homeowners simply turn down their windows and leave them open, assuming that the windows will take the heat and cold air from the sun and prevent them from costing them money. This is simply not the case, however. Real estate experts say that while your windows may absorb some sun, this absorption is actually causing you to use more energy than you would otherwise. The solution to this problem is to have your house build an insulation around your building to trap the heat or cold air inside during winter and to let it escape during summer so that you don’t overheat your home.
In addition to insulating your house, you also need to make sure that the walls and ceiling are properly ventilated. You can do this by using a green roof and installing efficient heating and air-conditioning systems. Even if you have to spend a little more on eco products for your house, it will be worth it in the long run. The thermal mass of the house is also reduced due to the green roof, which helps keep thermal mass lower and reduces the amount of air going through the house as well. A thermal mass allows heat to stay closer to the ground, which makes your house warmer while allowing cooler air to rise into the house.
The third and final step in each home design is to make sure that you use recycled materials whenever possible. The materials used in building a house are not all equal. Some of them have a lot of energy consumption when they are being manufactured. While this is the case with all types of materials, the materials used in eco homes are usually recycled papers, wood fibers from pine trees and other renewable sources, which cut down on both energy consumption and the amount of natural resources that are consumed when manufacturing furniture, appliances, and other products. By choosing recycled materials, you are actually helping to save Mother Earth.
Energy consumption is a major cause of environmental pollution. By choosing eco friendly products, you are not only reducing your household’s energy consumption but you are also helping to reduce the amount of pollutants that are being released into the atmosphere. With these three simple steps, you can easily turn an eco house into an eco home!