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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
Green magazine’s editor Tamsin O’Neill gives her top tips for renovating and designing sustainably. 1. Look for finishes with low toxicity. There are many beautiful waxes and oils that enhance…
Painted brick houses: 3 readers share before & afters
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…
Award-winning house makes an architectural statement with brick
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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Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
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