Sustainability That Increases The Value Of Your Home
Sustainable elements and organic materials form a large part of 2020’s design trends. We are continuously reminded to leave a smaller carbon footprint and for good reason. Carbon dioxide levels today are higher than at any point in the past 800,000 years. It’s time to put sustainability at the top of your home-improvement list.
If you have not started preparing your home and family to strive towards a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, then you are falling behind. There are many popular ways to incorporate a sustainable lifestyle into your household. We share a few here.
A Living Wall
Vertical gardens are an excellent way to transform the look of your home. It takes up minimal floor space while boosting our health and well-being. Research has shown that including a mix of plant species in a vertical garden provides many physical and physiological benefits. Positive effects include enhanced cognitive function and creativity. Living walls are a great trend as far as sustainability is concerned.
Sustainable Counter Top Materials
If you are considering a revamp for your countertops you might want to consider a few sustainable options.
Lapitec Sintered Stone is a favourite amoung designers this year because it produces a sintered stone slab with health in mind. Lapitec contains little to no crystalline silica in its composition. It is long-lasting and resists heat and scratches. The best thing about Lapitec is by far its lack of porousness making it resistant to moisture and bacteria.
Another sustainable material used as a solid surface is Altrock. It combines byproducts of marble manufacturing like marble dust, chips and chunks along with a pigmented resin. Slabs are cast by hand which results in a terrazzo-like effect made of recycled materials.
Durat is another trendy solid surface that contains up to 30% recycled plastic. The waste is granulated, which gives Durat its one-of-a-kind speckled look. The final product is also 100% recyclable. This solid surface is resistant to heat and all kinds of chemicals and household substances.
Solar Panels
An obvious one when it comes to sustainability. Getting your home off the grid is something homeowners strive for. Along with the current electricity problems in South Africa, this cost-effective way to live eco-friendly is the way to go. In a warm climate like South Africa, it is quite surprising that we have not cashed in on solar energy more effectively.
Green Building Certification
Some homes look eco-friendly while others actually are eco-friendly. Green Building Certifications can help you make the impact you want. It helps buildings focus on efficiency. It also creates an environment that consciously makes an effort to reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
The Green Building Council of South Africa can assist you. Their work in the residential sector includes the development of rating tools that allow people to build and occupy their homes more efficiently. The benefits touch everyone involved. For the homeowner, voluntary certification can increase accountability for quality checks on the construction site, ultimately decreasing the frequency of building mistakes.
If you ever need to sell your home, know that a Green Building Certification will increase the value of your home.
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