When it comes time for a home renovation project, more and more owners are interested in making it an eco-friendly renovation.Eco-friendly renovations can make for a healthier living space, in addition to protecting the environment from polluting materials. ESPÉ is proud to be one of the first renovation companies in Montreal to offer an eco-friendly renovation service.Here are some tips from accredited eco-contractor ESPÉ to help you get the most out of your eco-friendly renovation project.
For a Healthier Interior
For the health of inhabitants, the first piece of advice that ESPÉ can offer to our clients is to make sure that your general contractor knows how to safely remove radon and other toxic emissions. While this natural radioactive gas can infiltrate buildings, it is easily removed with the help of passive sub-slab depressurization.
Don’t hesitate to ask your renovator if the materials being used for the eco-friendly renovation are recycled and if the paint is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
If your home has an asbestos problem, your general contractor should also be able to perform a completely safe decontamination of these areas.
For Smarter Consumption
Another advantage of an eco-friendly renovation project is that it allows us to reduce the energy and water consumption. For instance, in the case of a bathroom renovation, the standard plumbing accessories can be replaced by others that minimize water use. Sustainable water consumption levels are considered to be less than 4.9 litres for the toilet, 5.6 litres per minute for the faucet and 7.5 litres per minute for the shower.
In terms of energy consumption, for an optimal eco-friendly renovation, the contractor should be able to offer:
— Energy-efficient lighting solutions such as LED lightbulbs.
— Air-sealing solutions to reduce your heating costs and energy consumption. An air leakage test should be done to make sure there are no problems in this regard.
When a contractor works on a large-scale renovation project, he should be able to prove that he has improved your EnerGuide score by at least 5 points.
Encourage Recycling
As an eco-contractor, ESPÉ understands the importance of recycling during an eco-friendly renovation project. There are several ways to recycle, but the most important, obviously, are using recycled materials and having overall better waste management. In the case of ESPÉ, we always make sure to use the most scraps in addition to sorting waste to send to the ecocentre, so that the majority of unused materials can be recycled.
Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about the eco-friendly renovation service at ESPÉ. A member of our team will be happy to answer your questions.