In light of COP26, which was hosted in Glasgow earlier this month, we have been inspired to share some sustainable practices that we at Rollo Developments often encourage our clients to consider during their home renovation. 

First off, when you decide to renovate or remodel your home over building from scratch, you’re already making a green choice. This is because when you remodel you should be able to reuse and repurpose many of the existing materials 

According to Natural Life Magazine, residential and commercial buildings make up around 40% of the energy and materials used in the world. So when you remodel your home with sustainability in mind, you are helping create a positive impact on the world’s energy consumption. 

With this in mind, here are our top 5 ways to remodel your home sustainably. 

More natural lighting

It goes without saying that when a room benefits from more natural light, there is less of a need to rely on electricity to provide illumination. 

Not only does more natural light have a direct correspondence with improved mood and less fatigue, more natural light in your home could help save you money by cutting down your energy bills. 

What’s more, increased natural light means getting to enjoy your home’s surroundings all the more as large windows invite the outside in and create a more seamless feel to your home. So, when planning your renovation, why not consider adding a few more windows throughout your property? 

Reclaimed flooring

Reclaimed flooring not only looks great but is also much less stressful to install as you don’t need to worry about the materials warping, as you often do with new flooring.
When using reclaimed wood for your floors, a sense of history and depth of meaning is instantly injected into the space as you are allowing the material to have a new lease of life and bring something totally unique to your home. 

Reclaimed flooring is also often sold at a great price, meaning you’ll be helping the planet and your own pocket at the same time!

Insulation upgrade

When it comes to renovating your home, the first things you usually consider are communally used rooms like the kitchen, the living room, bathrooms, etc. Considering upgrading your insulation might not be high on your list of priorities at the moment but it’s an important thing to consider as the quality of your home’s insulation will have a direct effect on your energy bills. 

At Rollo, we always thoroughly recommend whole property renovations over room by room remodels as they are much more cost and time effective. But another benefit is that when your whole house is being renovated, you’re not going to be further inconvenienced by a big job such as upgrading your insulation in the attic as well as in your external walls. 

Low-e windows

Low-e glass stands for low-emissivity glass, and it was originally created to minimise the amount of infrared and ultraviolet light that comes through your windows, without minimizing the amount of light that enters your home.

When it comes to choosing the windows for your home, the type of glass you decide to go for is a critical consideration. Experts estimate that 70% of energy loss occurs in windows and doors, and that 90% of window heat loss occurs through the glass. 

Low-e glass greatly reduces this energy loss, which is particularly good for those who live in cooler countries such as Scotland! 

Eco-paints

Did you know that interior paints are the number one source of indoor pollution today? This is because most paints contain chemicals and toxic ingredients that emit harmful compounds – years after your home has been painted! What makes matters worse is that they are also extremely energy-intensive to produce.

But, thankfully, there are a lot of eco-paints now on the market that make making this sustainable choice a lot easier than before. Nowadays we are fortunate enough to be able to buy an emerging alternative to chemical solvents that use water-based solvents to reduce or eliminate the release of VOCs in indoor spaces. Plus, they’re odour-free and have a significantly lower impact on the environment.

So make sure to keep eco-paints in mind when it comes to decorating your newly renovated space! 

Get in touch

At Rollo Developments, we pride ourselves in being detail oriented. We take care of every last little detail, to guarantee that your renovation will be a reflection of what you currently envision. 

Get in touch with our expert team at Rollo Developments today. Email info@rollodevelopments.com or call 0131 210 0074 to book your appointment or for any questions or queries.