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Green is Good for our Southern Maryland Home:
Choosing the Best Eco-friendly Options

When making renovations to the interior or exterior of the home, consider green building materials.

From paints to flooring to carpeting, the options in green building materials have expanded
by leaps and bounds in Maryland. With so many environmentally friendly options available, homeowners may have difficulty determining what are the best and most cost-effective buys.

There are certain items that are "green" across the board in the U.S..  So if you live in St. Mary’s County, Charles county or Calvert County here are some environmentally friendly options Kangas Home Improvements can do for you.  

Insulation
One of the most environmentally friendly things a homeowner can do is to improve the insulation
in his or her home. Adequate insulation reduces the amount of heat and cooling loss, which then reduces the amount of energy needed to cool or heat a house. There are many materials from which insulation can be made; many are recycled materials, such as glass or even cotton. However, cellulose -- a plant material -- is one of the more cost-effective and greener options available. Look for the highest "R" factor on the insulation. The higher the number, the greater the resistance to heat flow.

Framing
Thinking about adding on another room or remodeling an existing one? Then consider using sustainable harvested wood products. They may be more costly, but they're certainly a greener option. Some construction materials are made from salvaged wood or items made from composite materials. Wood that bears the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo means it was grown and harvested without depleting or destroying natural surroundings.

Windows
Just like insulation, windows are essential to protecting against heating and cooling loss. Inadequate windows could be costing homeowners hundreds of dollars in energy waste from drafts or air leakage. New windows are generally rated on a number of factors: air leakage, condensation resistance, U-factor or level of insulation, and solar heat gain, or the window's ability to block heat from the sun. Homeowners can talk with a window professional to determine the right windows for the climate and direction the windows face.

Flooring
One of the most eco-friendly options in flooring is using a sustainable product, such as bamboo or salvaged or FSC wood. It is milled using less energy than many other flooring materials, such as stone or tile. When choosing bamboo, however, work with a reputable retailer. Much of the bamboo used comes from China, where toxic chemicals or poor manufacturing procedures can reduce the environmental benefits of the product. Wood looks good in any room, but in rooms where moisture may be an issue, such as kitchens and bathrooms, consider cost-effective materials like tinted concrete. Concrete enhanced with added recycled industrial ash, recycled glass and other materials decreases the amount of cement that has to be mixed and used.

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