More and more, homeowners around the country are tuning in to the benefits of building their houses with an eco-friendly frame of mind. Not only does a “green” design in your Sea Ranch house help to improve the surrounding environment, but it can also give you an opportunity to revitalize the house itself.
And who knows: maybe the project of redesigning certain rooms in the home will spark new inspiration and lead you to new ways of living. At any rate, going green in your coastal home doesn’t have to be hard to accomplish. Follow along with us as we cover the best and easiest ways to make your seaside property greener.
Use non-synthetic building materials
When you’ve got an eye on building sustainably, one of the first elements of the home that you can focus on is the building materials themselves. It’s best to plan ahead so that you don’t have to remove materials later and reinstall eco-friendly options.
Above all, you’re looking to avoid materials that emit volatile organic compounds (or VOCs). What are these materials? Primarily, they’re harmful types of chemicals in the air that can lead to health concerns for humans and animals. VOCs are often found in paint strippers, pesticides, construction materials, paint, and more. Improving air quality is a big part of being green, so you should opt for organic, sustainably-made materials in many areas of your home. Items that you can focus on include:
- Sofas, furniture covers, and seating
- Carpets and rugs
- Metallic fixtures
- Non-VOC emitting paints
Of course, there are dozens of objects in your home that may emit small amounts of VOCs. You can do your part to consult with your home improvement specialist of choice to make sure you’re doing your part to limit them.
Build with wood that is made to last
If you have a chance to build with any one material in your coastal Sea Ranch home, wood (or timber) is undoubtedly the best option. Timber is the most durable, timeless, and natural building material for seaside properties. Thankfully, wood is once again becoming stylish and favored among coastal homeowners after a period of time of being out of style.
When choosing your timber material, always opt for one that’s pest- and water-resistant. You can also look for a wood that’s low maintenance, especially if you use your home seasonally. Cedar is a good option either way.
Come up with an energy-saving strategy
A home that’s located right off the beach means that you have special access to lots of naturally occurring energy sources that land-bound homeowners just don’t have. Wind, plentiful water, and an abundance of sunlight are just the top three free sources of energy. Every family will have their own preferences when it comes to collecting these natural resources on the coast.
One way to harness this energy is to install a small wind turbine nearby to gather wind power, which can go a long way toward covering your monthly energy bill. Another popular option is to install a series of solar panels on the south-facing roof of the home. You can also reroute your electrical grid to include a lighting system that turns on and off based on sensors. That way, you save money when no one’s at home, and you can reduce your energy consumption by a significant factor.
Choose a paint that matches the environment
Building with durable and sustainable timber in your Sea Ranch home is certainly one of the best ways to avoid harming your coastal environment, but selecting an eco-friendly paint may just be as important. Low-quality and noxious paint can be famously bad for the health of those who live inside the property, but it impacts the flora and fauna who live just outside nearly as much.
That’s why you want to opt for paints that emit as little toxic emissions as possible. This is especially true if you live in a humid and water-rich environment where paint can flake and peel off into the water, beach, or land. Ask your neighborhood paint expert to choose a paint with low VOC emissions. Plus, make sure you buy paint that matches the building material you have at home. Homes with masonry cladding will need different paint than those with a timber exterior.
Select glazed doors and windows
Living on the coast means that you’ll likely have access to a maximum amount of sunlight. Since ambient light comes so easily to coastal homeowners, you need a strategy to let in as much light as possible and reduce your electric bills.
Choose glazed doors and windows to maximize the amount of light that enters the home. In many cases, it’s easy to install these glazes to your existing glass. The glazes often come as thin, semi-transparent sheets that go right on your existing windows and doors. The glaze will simultaneously moderate the amount of heat and light that comes in. Hotter coastal properties can heat up quite a lot in the summer, and glazed glass helps to regulate those temperatures.
Plus, these glazes help to free homeowners on the coast from relying on excessive air conditioning options. These systems can sometimes harm the surrounding environment with dangerous chemicals.
Refresh your flooring
Lastly, the final way that coastal homeowners can make steps toward being more eco-friendly is to install flooring that does as little harm as possible to the environment. Look for green flooring materials like bamboo, linoleum, or cork that come from sustainable sources.
Another choice that’s becoming more popular for coastal properties is rubber flooring. This material affects the environment very little since it can often come from recycled rubber sources like automobile tires.
Don’t forget about your decking material, too. If you can install some of these eco-friendly features around your home, new flooring is one of the best ways to update your property to have the lowest impact on your area possible.
For more eco-friendly home tips, read our article: Tips for a Beautiful (and Sustainable) Coastal Landscape
Get in touch with a local real estate agent today
With that, we’ve come to the end of our list of the top ways to make your coastal home eco-friendly. If you have any questions or concerns about your coastal property, or if you’d like to look into Sea Ranch real estate, reach out today! Contact the expert team at Liisberg & Company for more information.
*Header courtesy of Hanne Liisberg