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Sustainable living: 6 ways to build a greener home

July 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

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Building a more sustainable and low maintenance home requires careful planning but the payoff can be huge. From style to cost-effectiveness, longevity to eco-sustainability, it can often be confusing and overwhelming to consider the right materials.

A stylish and sustainable home in Merri Creek, VIC

To help us navigate the road to sustainability, Brett Ward from Brickworks takes us through six simple ways you can build with sustainability in mind. Implementing passive solar design principles with the right materials can be all it takes.

  1. Prioritise thermal performance

Thermal mass (the ability of a material to absorb, store and slowly release heat energy) is key to creating an energy efficient home. Building your home with heavy, dense materials such as brick helps to insulate it by absorbing and storing heat energy to slow down its transfer. The thermal mass of brick has the potential to keep a home cool in summer and warm in winter, minimising the need for artificial heating and cooling.

Brick acts like a thermal battery that can moderate internal temperatures, as well as averaging out day and night extremes to maintain a comfortable air temperature. By using less energy, this can help you save up to two tonnes of carbon pollution each year. By combining the thermal mass of bricks with insulation, you can lower the carbon footprint of your home, with the added benefit of reducing your heating and cooling bills by up to 40%.

2. Use concrete or terracotta roof tiles

Roof tiles boast an incredible amount of environmental benefits, from their thermal
performance, to their low embodied energy and recyclable capabilities. The roof is one of the largest external facing surfaces of a home, and so the choice of roofing material plays a major role in determining the internal living temperatures, household energy usage and the overall energy efficiency of a home. According to the Australian Greenhouse Office, 39% of household energy costs come from heating and cooling the home, so by opting for roof tiles you can expect to save on your electricity bills, all while saving the environment!

3. Design for your climate

Designing your home to suit your climate is a great way to minimise energy use. This
practice, known as Passive Solar Design, takes into account your local environmental
conditions, including the buildingโ€™s site, climate and materials, to create a home that
optimises the sunโ€™s natural energy. The orientation of your home plays a huge role in the way sunlight enters your home, thus impacting the internal temperature. North-facing windows will welcome light and warmth into your home, while overhanging eaves can create shade and provide relief from the harsh sun.

4. Install a solar system

Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that is clean, sustainable and does not emit any greenhouse gas when producing electricity. Installing a solar system allows you to capture energy from the sun and convert it into electricity, so you can reduce your reliance on the power grid and save hundreds on electricity costs.

5. Embrace products that last a lifetime

Choosing products with a long lifespan is a great way to decrease your impact on the
environment and the energy used to maintain your home. Building your home with brick ensures it remains weatherproof, durable and attractive for years to come. Unlike less durable lightweight materials, which can be costly and time consuming to maintain, brick doesnโ€™t need painting, rendering or any other coating to maintain its good looks. Choosing bricks is a smart one-off investment that pays dividends now, and in the future.

6. Use certified carbon neutral products where possible

Where possible, you should incorporate carbon neutral products into your home. You can now choose bricks knowing that their manufacture results in zero net emissions of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. A product certified as carbon neutral has been assessed and approved against the Australian Governmentโ€™s National Carbon Offset Standard.

Making sustainable decisions in the design process and material selections of your home allows you to make a big impact on the environment without thinking too much about it. With each of these steps you are investing into the future of the environment, with the added benefit of creating a cleaner, more comfortable and cost-efficient home for you and your family to enjoy.

-Brett Ward is the general manager of international marketing at Brickworks, a group of Australian companies that specialise in building products for residential and commercial markets.

7 tips for a sustainable renovation
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Having recently taken the plunge and had our sixties red brick house painted grey (Haymes Paint Rockslide if you’re interested!), I’m a bigger fan than ever of theย transformative effect this…
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Brick has come a long way in the last few years. No longer simply a building material, architects are turning to concrete masonry to make bold design statements. The visually…

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When interior designer @sarah_yarrow was renovatin When interior designer @sarah_yarrow was renovating her 50s home to sell she was determined to move away from the cookie cutter flip to sell look and went for something warmer, paying homage to its roots.

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This is the pits. Geddit?! ๐Ÿ˜† This is the pits. Geddit?! ๐Ÿ˜†
This family home is next level. Literally! A stee This family home is next level. Literally!

A steeply sloping block isn't a typical prerequisite when building a new home. But it was for Perth architect Sam Klopper and his family who desired an elevated balcony (hello roof terrace!) AND a back yard that was accessed from the living area. And wow, they sure made the best of it!

Take the tour on the homepage now. Via link in bio.

#roofterrace #roofgardens #slopingblock #architectshome #perthhome #wahomes 

Project: @klopper_davis_architects
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Before & after goodness alert โš ๏ธ Head on ove Before & after goodness alert โš ๏ธ 

Head on over to the blog this morning to meet serial flippers @renowayoflife Back in Australia after more than a decade renovating for profit and living debt and mortgage free in the UK and USA, they're onto their 15th house, a Queenslander, and this one they plan to actually keep and live in with their 3 kids!

It's an inspiring tale and we're sharing before and afters of 3 of their previous projects. Looking forward to sharing the progress of their current house in the coming weeks and months too ๐Ÿค—

Via link in bio๐Ÿ’›

#queenslanderrenovation #houseflippers #serialrenovator #renowayoflife #queenslanderhome
How's that for a pool?! This Noosa riverfront ab How's that for a pool?! 

This Noosa riverfront abode just won Home of the Year in the 2022 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards. 

Take the tour and find out why. On the homepage now via linknin bio.

#poolsofinstagram #poolhome #swimmingpooldesign #houseoftheyear #riverfronthomes 

@jwconstructions @shaunlockyer @christopherfrederickjones
(WIN!) It's not the weather to have damp washing e (WIN!) It's not the weather to have damp washing everywhere!

Let's make your life easier with this amazing laundry prize from @hillshomeliving 

One lucky winner will get a bamboo concertina, a bamboo sorting centre and 3 bamboo foldable baskets worth almost $250.

For your chance of winning follow us and @hillshomeliving and tag a friend below by midnight Sydney time next Friday 27 May. One entry per person.

The concertina and sorting centre are available at Big W and the baskets at Bunnings.

Open to Australian residents only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram.

#laundryinspo #laundryideas #laundryday
We've entered an exciting phase in our home: non-s We've entered an exciting phase in our home: non-synthetic rug land!

With two young boys, I've always advocated for the synthetic and easily scrub-cleanable rug! Now they'reย a bit older and observing the shoes-off and no-food-in-the-living-room rules, I thought it was time! And I'm in love with our bold newย @castleryau Lorenzo Wool Rug.

You can't beat the luxurious look and feel of wool and I've also stepped outside my comfort zone with a design that stands out rather than blends in. Get me!

Can someone remind the kids about the keep-the-toys-in-the-playroom rule though?!

Would you be brave enough to go for a cream wool rug in your house?!

This rug is on display at Castlery's popup at Moore Park SupaCenta until October. 

#athomewithcastlery #rug #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #statementrugย #gifted
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