If an old building houses your business, it’s probably time for a remodeling project. When it comes time to renovate your business, rebuilding from the ground up with sustainable materials isn’t always an option, but you can make your renovation eco-friendlier. Here are five tips and tricks to make your next renovation project better for the environment.
1. Knock Out Some Walls
If you, like most people, work during the day, then the best thing you can do during your remodel is to knock out some walls and let in more natural light. This step won’t just reduce your monthly energy bill — studies have shown that adding more daylight can improve employee productivity by up to 5.5 percent.
Add some more windows while you’re remodeling your office by cutting holes in existing walls and installing windows. Include adjustable blinds to block incoming sunlight if the glare makes it hard to work. Make sure you choose double-pane or energy-efficient windows, so your office doesn’t get uncomfortably warm during the afternoon hours.
2. Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting
If windows aren’t an option, you still have some options. Upgrade all of your lighting fixtures and the bulbs that they hold with energy-efficient alternatives. LEDs or CFLs use less energy than incandescent or fluorescent lamps and convert more of their power to light than heat. A single incandescent bulb turns 90 percent of its energy to heat, so you’re only getting 10 percent of the light. CFLs, by comparison, use 70 percent less energy than incandescent.
3. Upgrade to Epoxy Flooring
If your floors look rough and experience a lot of traffic, it might be time for an upgrade. Properly laid epoxy floors look amazing, can handle a lot of wear and tear and will last for years. Unlike paint, epoxy flooring doesn’t dry — it cures, like adhesive epoxy. The difference is in the formula — epoxy flooring isn’t designed to be sticky. Instead, it contains a high percentage of solids that remain as part of the finish, increasing its durability and aesthetic appeal.
4. Use Green Building Materials
You have a lot more options when it comes to green building materials then existed when the original company built your facility. Instead of oak and concrete, choose bamboo — which is as strong as oak but grows between five and 25 times faster — and hempcrete, which is made from woody hemp fibers.
Make sure anything you remove from your job site is correctly recycled, as well. Nearly everything you remove from your building — wood, concrete, glass, steel, etc. — can all be recycled into new products. The only exception to this rule is if the materials are contaminated with mold or asbestos that might be present in old buildings.
5. Pay Attention to Interior Air Quality
In developed countries, we’re spending upwards of 90 percent of our lives indoors, and for the majority of working Americans, a good portion of that time is spent in the office. Pay attention to interior air quality when you’re remodeling. Choose materials that don’t release volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and pay close attention to ventilation to ensure the air in your newly renovated office doesn’t become stagnant.
A Final Thought — Start Planning Early
You shouldn’t attempt a remodeling project without careful planning and preparation — and that goes double for eco-friendly remodeling projects. Take the time to start planning early and approach each step with care. If you can’t afford to shut down your office to complete the entire project in one sitting, break it down into smaller pieces you can finish while the office is still open.
As the green construction movement grows, eco-friendly construction materials and techniques will become more prevalent and more accessible to everyone.