Savvy renovators choose to go green
Quality materials that last longer are also good for the environment
June 5 was World Environment Day, and as a contractor and builder, I have a responsibility to be green. Why? Because in my line of work I see a lot of materials, a lot of products and, unfortunately, a lot of waste.
I can’t tell you how many tons of concrete, plywood, shingles, lumber — you name it — I’ve ordered, used and demoed. It’s enough to make your head spin. And it’s part of the reason why I have absolutely no tolerance for bad jobs. Not only is it potentially dangerous (for example, a bad reno can lead to bad electrical or unsafe structure) but it’s also a massive waste of materials — new materials.
That’s why we do things once, and we do them right — so we don’t have to do them again and use twice the materials. And whenever my crew works on any demo job, we save what we can — tiles, brick, lumber, fixtures, etc. — anything we can use again, and we recycle whatever materials we can. For example, you can recycle asphalt shingles.
There are plenty of choices you can make as a homeowner, too. For example, you can collect the rainwater that comes off your roof and use it to water your lawn or wash your car; install low-flow water fixtures, use green-friendly paint, power-off when you’re not using appliances, and use alternatives to cooling, like awnings on your windows. You also can switch to LEDs and start incorporating solar lighting around your home. (Going completely solar is obviously a top choice, but it might still be too big a leap for some homeowners.)
I read an article that did a really good job of spelling it out. It said that 50 years ago, we knew we had a consumption problem. But now we have double the population and our consumption has skyrocketed. Just one generation ago, if you bought a car, that was the car you had for the rest of your life. Today we change our cars like we change our tools—almost every five years.
And what about our homes? Remember when homes used to last? Families would keep them for generations. Same with the furniture and the finishes. I’ve seen homes where the tile on the floor is the same tile that was there 70 years ago. Not only did it last, but the homeowners never changed it.
We need to think about why we renovate. What choices are we making for our homes, and why.
Are you renovating to make your home more energy-efficient, watertight or healthy? Are you increasing its durability and longevity? Or are you just tired of the paint colour, or maybe the neighbours redid their kitchen and now you’re thinking yours needs an update too?
I’m not saying don’t renovate, but what I am saying is do it smart. Work from the outside in. Make sure you have a good roof and a strong building envelope that protects your home and saves you energy before you start updating the kitchen and bathrooms. Always hire someone who knows what they’re doing. Yes, it will cost more, but cheaper is always more expensive because you will have to do it again.
And choose materials that you won’t need to replace five years down the road. That’s why I’m a big fan of materials that last, things like quartz, composite wood, metal roofs, quality insulation, etc. And why we make sure everything is installed properly, like using Ditra underlayment below our tiles. Because you can have the best materials, but if they are not installed properly they are going in the garbage, and so is your money.
Protecting the environment benefits all of us — every single person on this beautiful planet. The bottom line is that we need natural resources to survive, and that’s a fact.
So let’s be smart, use them responsibly and protect them.
We all have a role to play here. Let’s make it right.