Eco Friendly House And Garden

Take inspiration from the tricks of historical homes – and reduce your impact!

If you have ever visited a historic house that retains a certain amount of it's true furnishing – then you could be inspired to try the same.

Now obviously, many historic houses have things that any modern eco friendly home should avoid – like extensive glazing on northern facing walls, trophy animal heads from overseas and dinner parties with 11 courses – but they also have some great ideas that you might need to investigate a little further to see the eco benefits to.

One recent idea that took my fancy was a room decorated with curtains instead of wall paper.  Now at first glance it seemed totally overwhelming and somewhat odd – but on speaking to the room steward it all made sense.

Eco Friendly Furnishings:
It turns out that this 'curtain' room was infact a money saving (and personal preservation) idea that incorporated great eco design – stolen from Norman castles and Tudor mansions!

Now, stone walls were no fun – and were very cold infact – so people from history used to create great tapestries that they would hang on the walls of their castles to keep the heat in!  Yes, these tapestries were beautiful in their own right and may well have portrayed a great battle or a great hunt – but they were really for stopping the cold.

If you have ever watched period dramas, they were also used to hide 'secret' doors and to create an image of wealth and prosperity!

And – the eco friendly part – could be changed to suit the mood without being destroyed.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life:
Say you wanted to change your bedroom design.  You would no doubt have to change the wallpaper, paint over existing walls and even the curtains or blinds would have to go.

Now, say you were able to 'peel off' the inside of your bedroom and keep it somewhere safe until you wanted it again – wouldn't that be a great idea?

Well, that is exactly what these wall 'curtains' allowed the home owner to do.  They wanted lighter, brighter and fun designs for the room in the summer; and maybe heavier, cosy and darker colours in the winter to help keep the place warm through the colder months.

So rather than having to destroy one interior to replace with another – and spend money and resources in the doing – they just got the winter curtains out of the loft and changed them over instead!

An instant change of room could be achieved without wasting any more money or materials.  Great for important meals, important visitors or for added wear and tear if it was a kids room!

photo credit: SimonCMason

Modern Twist:
I know you might look a bit odd in your city apartment if you started hanging curtains in every room, but you could use modern tapestries or other materials to cover large sections of wall and still look 'normal'.

Kids could have their rooms painted in a neutral colour and then have removeable embellishments to suit their fancy – like giant curtains on the window wall that don't just stop at the window's edge but continue to the floor and walls – or curtains they can draw on with washable inks.

Maybe they could have great big removable stickers that they could move around the room as and when they fancied a new scene – or even use wipe-clean pens to draw their own wall designs.

You shouldn't need to destroy a whole interior to change your rooms – and obviously any materials hung over doors and windows (and external walls) can help to reduce heat loss at the same time.

We all like change – just do it responsibly!

Lighting your home for low energy consumption is an important part of modern eco living.

But don’t forget that it is also very important for all your other hoursehold activities too - like reading, entertaining and general safety.  So do think about these when trying to change your lighting for the better.

If you don’t plan for the correct number of light fixtures in your rooms – or bulb brightness; then you may end up having to make adaptations to the room, or changing room uses – which could all be avoided with better planning.

For example, if the lights are not bright enough in your lounge, you may want to read and use your laptop in the kitchen instead, where seating is usually more uncomfortable - and you may have to keep moving out of the way for others to eat.  And why heat the front room if noone ever really uses it anyway?

But then what if your kitchen is open plan to the hall, the stairs or the conservatory – heating that space is going to cost you more money and energy than having fitted a suitable light in the lounge in the first place!

No Need To Compromise:
Planning for a greener home doesn’t mean you have to ask for less stylish fittings - and you can still take advantage of contemporary designs like modern alessi Designs or AXO’s avant-garde approach in your home.  ‘Eco Friendly’ doesn’t have to mean ‘boring’ – just plan ahead and choose the eco options where possible, for example fittings that work with low energy bulbs and lighting that makes a room in your home fit for the purpose you want to use it for. 

I mean, you can still have glitz and glamour in your home – but make sure it is with a purpose: like some delicate chandelier lighting in the dining room!  If you have a dining room that you want to glam up for special occasions – then go for it!  Energy-efficient light bulbs can be used for most fittings these days – and you still get to enjoy that special treat for yourself without having just a boring single lampshade in your room!

And, as you use it regularly for entertaining – it will be fit for purpose and so make better use of that space, those fittings and your energy choices.  It can also help to keep that room ‘kid free’ so it stays as a special place for grown-ups or special events.

Planning Ahead For A Night In:
Another idea is to have 2 sets of independent lights in a room – for 2 different purposes.  Take your lounge: day to day living for the family, or quiet night in for the grown-ups? 

If you are like me and want the lounge only lit with low light while watching an evening movie – then consider a pendant light – or three.  Rather than leaving the bright kitchen or hall way lights on to create that ambiance; why not light the room with low wattage (and low energy) tiny lights – maybe with colored covers for some warmth. 

And don’t forget – keeping the lighting in the room you are actually in means you can close the door and keep the warmth inside in the winter – rather than it all leaking out of the open hallway door!

So, plan ahead – way ahead – and make sure that the time and energy you spend on planning your new light fittings will fit with your hopes and uses for each room. 

No more having to sit somewhere stupid just because it’s brighter, no more having to move the furniture around to fit in a new lamp – and of course no more compromise on having an eco friendly house!

I know we don’t like salespeople calling us at home - but you might like what you hear these days!

Double & triple-glazed replacement windows are really looking like one of the most effective ways for your home and business to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

It’s all very simple really – stop heat escaping from your home and reap the rewards – both environmentally and financially.

Why Triple Glazing?
Well, double glazing works by trapping a layer of gas in between 2 panes of glass and so stopping the air from your home escaping into the outside world. 

Now, the atmosphere likes to balance itself out if it can so the cold air will be wanting to creep into your home anyway it can, and as a result will make your home cooler.

This double-pane approach will make this movement of air very difficult, and so keep you home on average warmer than a single glazed room.

This transfer of heat across a surface (the glass panel – from outside to inside) is called the ‘U Value’ and the lower the better in terms of energy loss from your home.

Single panes of glass have a value of around 5.8, with curtains pulled it drops down the 3.6!  And if you add secondary glazing you could drop as low as 2.9.

However, if you switch to air-filled double glazing  - this figure can get as low as 1.7 – and all the way to Argon-filled triple glazing can drop your U value right down to 1.4 – that’s 75% more efficient at retaining heat. 

Fitting The Windows:
Obviously, the first thing to do is decide what type of replacement windows you want – maybe have taken photo’s of neighbours windows for reference.

Then make sure you contact an agent that is a member of a recommended guild of association – like the Glass & Glazing Federation in the UK, like Everest Windows; or the Master Builders Association in the US, like Penguin Windows.

This way you can make sure that not only have the installers passed certain certification and are up-to-date with all current regulations – but that you will be getting a 100% effective Guarantee for the works carried out, something that you can pass on to the next owner of your home.

You can of course fit new windows and doors yourself, but you must fulfill certain criteria that you will have to find out for yourself first.  For example, to change any external windows or doors in your home you will need to apply to your local building regulations office for approval, as there are minimum requirements for the performance of the material used and thermal qualities!

And of course, if you fit them yourself you will have no guarantee of any kind.  The work and it’s lifespan are totally resting on your choices and your handiwork!

photo credit: comedy_nose

If you live in what is called a ‘hard water’ area, you may consider changing to ‘soft’.

Now it’s not like you can change the bedrock of your house, so it would mean fitting a water softener to your existing water pipes to make the change.

But why would you go to that trouble and expense if you didn’t really have to – I mean the water still runs like normal, is clean to drink and washes dishes etc?

But there is a massive difference between the 2 types of water – and the soft water option can help you to live a more eco-friendly life.

How Can It Really?
Well, hard water contains magnesium and calcium that it picks up from the rocks on it’s path from falling as rain until it reaches your tap.  And these minerals can cause some serious damage to your plumbing and smaller white goods in the kitchen – not to mention your boiler and washing machine!

This build up of minerals in the water is then transferred into your pipes as it sits there waiting to be used – and can reduce the amount of water getting into an appliance, and cause permanent damage to the pipes as well.  Replacing either is a squeeze on natural resources and a costly exercise to boot!

And, with the capacity for water flow reduced, this can sometimes cause the appliance or boiler to have to work harder to keep the same level of function – or use more energy but give a poorer performance!

Soft water doesn’t contain any of these minerals, so leaves your pipes clean and working at their best!

How Can I Tell The Difference?
It isn’t immediately obvious which water you have got based on watching your boiler or feeling your clean clothes – but just using the water from your tap will show which water you have.

These minerals show themselves in water residue in the form of ‘lime scale’, so if you have a white patchy deposit on your shower head, grey residue left on your glass shower curtain, blobs of white ‘chalky’ stuff in your kettle, the list goes on…..

Sound familiar?

Now think of all the chemicals, cloths, scourers and time you have to spend keeping your bathroom and kitchen clean – then think of all that chemical waste!

And, think about washing your hair, hands and body.  Washing in soft water creates a lather more readily using less toiletries – and gives a more thorough clean.  People say that washing in soft water makes their skin feel better and hair look shinier!

How Big Is A Water Softener?
They will easily fit under your kitchen sink in smaller flats, or anywhere in a larger home – even a garage will do.

Basically it works on the main water pipes going in to your home or offices and changes the composition of your water before it enters your home.

Most water softeners are easily fitted and will pay for themselves within around 5 years due to the better efficiency of your heating and hot water systems, as well as in the reduced reliance of cleaning chemicals and toiletries!

And your appliances will last longer and stay efficient throughout that lifespan – and don’t worry about your appliances if you have been using hard water – as the softened water running through will eventually clear all the existing limescale!

So, taking the minerals out of your water could save you a lot of time and money.

A friend recently fell in love with my bathroom after a nights sleep-over!

I have underfloor heating in there, and she just loved stepping out of the shower and onto a lovely warm floor!  The heating was installed in the bathroom and the kitchen after we moved in, and I love it!

We originally had it installed when we moved into an old Victorian terraced house - with little space for a modern kitchen – and no discernible bathroom!  The bath was sitting in a lean-to at the back of the property, with pipes running down the wall for taps and a creaky and gappy wooden door out to the garden!

We had to re-design the back of the house to fit a real bathroom and didn’t want to waste an inch of what space we had with radiators – so did a bit of research on our options for heating the 2 rooms.

I was very pleased with the result, and have not regretted it at all.

So, How Did We Do It?
Firstly, we consulted a plumber as we were needing to fit a new condensing boiler at the same time.  He said that he had been fitting more an more underfloor heating systems in the past few years – and he even had it in his house too!

It’s really simple to do as well if you are laying a new floor – as we were – and you just need to lay enough flexible cable under the surface to create an even spread and then lay the floor as usual.  We had tiles in the bathroom and bamboo in the kitchen – not a problem he said.

It also turns out that there are many other benefits to underfloor heating other than not needing to cover your walls in radiators when you really need another cupboard there!

The Main Benefits:
Where shall I start – there are so many? 

Well, for starters it is more energy efficient to run this type of heating over conventional central heating, and the average home could increase efficiency of the whole system by between 10-25% – this can rise to around 60% more efficient in offices with high ceilings. 

Think of the money and energy you could be saving – plus being warmer in your own home or office!

The main reason for the savings is because radiators heat the room by convection; that is all their hot air is forced out of the radiator and then it rises up the wall towards the ceiling.  It only descends into the room after it has cooled slightly – and then heats your head while keeping your feet cold! 

Added to this, it is standard practice to place radiators underneath windows to counter the draughts – but inevitably helps you lose heat out of the windows before it even hits your ceiling in the first place!

Also, the pipes leading to the radiators are usually running along your walls are boiling hot - losing heat as they go (well, if the pipes feel hot, then they are releasing that heat before they get to the radiators)!  Finally, your radiators need the temperature of the water inside to be around 60-70 degrees to be effective - a temperature that can only be reached by burning gas and fossil fuels.

The exact opposite is true of underfloor heating.  Firstly, the heat rises slowly out of the floor creating an ambient temperature and no draughts.  It doesn’t move warm and cold air around the room, taking dust and allergens with it – it just creates a warm room and warm toes!

Secondly, all the pipes are under your floor so are only ‘losing heat’ up into your home – which is just where you want it.  And, there is no risk of children or the elderly scalding themselves on the pipes or radiators – all the heat is safely underground.

And thirdly, underfloor heating can run at a much lower temperature, therefore can be powered by energy sources such as solar and both air and ground source heat pumps instead of burning coal, oil or gas.

Further Benefits:
There are other benefits to this form of heating other than just more efficient heating and money saving running costs, and they include:

Reduced Allergies – With no convection currents circulating around your home, you will have less trouble with floating allergens and dust.
Better Design – With no bulky, hot radiators around your walls and hallways, you can change the layout of your home to suit you – not to simply ‘fit’ in.
Reduced Maintenance – With no fiddly radiators and pipes to clean, dust or paint, you can keep your home clean and tidy – or even repaint it – without having to spend extra time, energy and resources working around these space-wasters!
Less Stress On Your Boiler – Running at lower temperatures will be better for the life-span of your boiler.

So, don’t put ‘new slippers’ on your shopping list for gifts – put ‘underfloor heating’ instead!

Finding Energy Efficient Appliances Should Be Easy…

It is now easier than ever to find yourself and energy-efficient electrical appliance without compromising on quality or service.

Basically, manufacturers these days are trying to improve the energy efficiency of their electrical items to win your purchase. In Europe there is now the ‘Energy Rating Scheme’ (EU energy ratings from A (most energy efficient) through to G (least energy efficient)and that this is displayed on their and their competitors appliances. And in the US there is the Energy Star rating system doing the same thing.

Needless to say, many manufacturers want you to buy their products – and so they need to make sure that theirs matches up or betters the competition!! All good for the environment and the consumers pocket.

How To Get It Right:
Below are 4 simple steps to make sure that you are getting the best in terms of energy efficiency in your new appliances. They include just the basics – as obviously there are performance and branding issues that are specific to each household – as well as different budgets.

You also need to be aware that more energy efficient models are not necessarily better at washing your clothes or not breaking down all the time! The energy rating schemes only cover energy requirements – not the machines themselves – so you still need to research the products before purchase and read reviews or speak to the sales person in your store or on-line.

1) Research your products in advance.
Make sure that you have decided exactly what you need out of the appliance, for simplicities sake – a toaster that does 4 slices at a time or a dishwasher to fit in a small space in you kitchen, etc.

Once you have narrowed down your options, take a look at customer reviews to check usability and to line it up with your budget. Don’t forget that the price you pay will not always reflect what you get for your money and buying the cheaper model may cost you more in repairs than the slightly more expensive version that has a longer working life.

2) Look for the Energy Saving Logo/the Energy Star.
By checking which of your short-list have been labelled as more energy-efficient can help you make the right choice in terms of reduced running costs for yourself.

Buying a lower rated item in the EU (D-G) may well mean you end up using more electricity per wash – theoretically making the machine/appliance ‘cost more’ over the year:

Cost of Item + cost to run per year + cost of any repairs = actual cost of item to you.

Energy Ratings are now available on many appliances including TV’s, set top boxes, heating equipment and fridges – plus many more. Some items have more than 1 ‘score’ in the EU so make sure you check each one.

3) Ask In Store.
As more and more consumers are wanting to know about ways to reduce their energy costs – retailers are better informed of their options. Staff take training in this area to make sure that they are advising you on the best product for your requirements.

They should be able to explain how the energy rating systems work in your country and for every appliance you are interested in. They should also know how to find out and compare details on all their models – for example showing which perform best on standby and whether certain items come with energy saving features like automatic ‘sleep mode’. Up to 8% of UK TV energy is wasted while on standby!

If you have done your research before you arrive in the store, then you won’t be overwhelmed by the choices available when you get to the shelves – try not to be swayed by appearance if you are serious about energy saving. Wanting that pink version that is D-rated is only a passing phase!!!!

4) Consider Doubling up!
Integrated appliances are the way forward with energy-saving. For example buying a TV with built in digital receiver – only buying 1 product rather than 2. Fridge-freezers and washer-Driers do the same.

• Less raw materials to create – it’s all in one casing
• Less packaging – only one item instead of 2 or more
• Less transport – only 1 item to get to the store/your home
• Less products in total – less plugs and cabling needed
• Less electricity when on standby – only one power source

You may already have the second appliance – but when it is no longer required or breaks down – you then don’t need to replace it!

I hope that these few steps have been useful, and there will be more about appliances coming soon to help you make the better choices for the environment!

PS - cut down on games console usage if you can – they use loads of energy to run! A well used console can add around £160 EXTRA onto your electricity bill!!!

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