Top 5 Ways You Can Make Your Remodel Environmentally-Friendly
How to Make Your Paint Job Environmentally Friendly
1. Get the Lead Out
In our previous blog, “The Hazards of Lead Paint,” we discuss how homes built before the 1980s are more likely to contain lead and how the presence and ingestion of lead can cause health problems such as nerve damage, behavioral issues, hearing loss, and more. Indeed, there’s a reason lead paint became outlawed in the U.S., even if it took a long time to get there. In addition to threatening one’s health, lead also pollutes the air, harming the environment. If the property you’re remodeling contains lead paint, you must have it properly removed or encapsulated by a lead-based certified contractor (some home painting services are qualified to remediate lead paint) to ensure that the lead isn’t released into the air and is no longer a threat to those inside, either.
2. Remove Your Popcorn Ceilings
Like lead paint, popcorn ceilings are another relic of a bygone era, though several homes still contain these rough overhead surfaces. While not a major environmental threat on their own, popcorn ceilings can reduce indoor air quality by harboring dirt and dust and gradually flaking away on surfaces below. More importantly, popcorn ceilings installed before or during the 1980s may contain asbestos, a toxic substance that’s harmful to humans and the environment at large. As is the case with lead paint removal, asbestos remediation must be carried out by an expert if they detect this material in your home, as simply jostling a surface containing asbestos can release it into the air. If your popcorn ceilings do not contain asbestos, you can have them removed or skimmed and painted over with multiple coats of ceiling paint.
3. Use Low-VOC Paint for Interior Rooms
Speaking of paint, the paint products used inside a home also contribute to its eco-friendliness (or lack thereof). For various reasons, most older paint products contained several volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that can induce short- and long-term health effects in exposed individuals. Fortunately, indoor house painters now have a greater selection of low- and zero-VOC paint options to coat interior surfaces. Still, some paints contain more VOCs than others, so it’s important to pay attention to the products, or your interior painting contractor uses during your remodeling or renovation process.
4. Install Energy-Efficient Windows
Making your remodel environmentally-friendly goes beyond house painting decisions. The quality and condition of a home’s windows are leading factors in its energy efficiency. Older windows are usually not very insulative, allowing heat to easily transfer both ways. As such, maintaining a consistent, comfortable interior climate requires more energy output with these outdated panes -- more energy output equates to a larger carbon footprint, which is bad for the environment. These days, brand new windows are designed with energy-efficiency in mind. When properly installed, these windows can save homeowners hundreds of dollars each year on energy costs, reducing their carbon footprint.
5. Invest in Modern Appliances and Systems
Lastly, no remodel is truly complete without the installation of new appliances and systems. Not only is it nice to outfit your property with fresh plumbing, ventilation, and electrical systems -- these modern systems are more efficient and have less of a negative impact on the environment. A smart HVAC system, for instance, can be calibrated to save energy when you’re not home and respond more accurately to changes in your internal climate. And new plumbing systems save water via recirculation, “water sense” flushing buttons, performance showerheads, and much more.
Making Your Remodel a Role Model
Even if you’re not one to “go green,” making your property more eco-friendly can significantly boost your property’s value, promote better indoor air quality, and save you money. At Endure Painting, we’re committed to serving our customers and our shared environment with eco-friendly processes and products that benefit everyone. For more information regarding our skills and services, call us at (510) 458-2120 or send us an email at hello@endurepainting.com.
