Extending your home doesn’t just add valuable space for a growing family. It can also increase the property’s value by at least 20 percent. However, it is worth remembering that construction is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases. Here, we look at some simple and actionable ways to make your home extension project as sustainable as possible.

Reuse as much as possible

When preparing the site for the extension and clearing the area, think deconstruction instead of demolition. Try to keep bricks and timbers complete and think about ways they can be used in the new construction or even reused in other ways. As well as being a more sustainable option, this will save you money and help your extension to appear more in-keeping with the rest of the house. Even seemingly unusable materials like concrete and rubble can be used in foundations.

Use sustainable equipment

There are more options than ever when it comes to the construction equipment you can buy or hire. Think sustainability and properly evaluate all the options. For example, if you are using an excavator, rubber tracks are more environmentally friendly than the standard steel ones, as they generate less noise and vibration, thereby inflicting less ground damage. The SkidHeaven.com website shows some of the options that are out there.

Think Passivhaus in design

Discussing the principles of Passivhaus could keep us occupied for hours as it encompasses so many aspects of sustainable design. Just to take one example, it includes designing overhang above windows to provide shade when the sun is high in the sky, but capturing more light and heat when it is lower.

Insulate, insulate, insulate

Wherever you live and whatever the climate, insulation has a role to play in promoting sustainability. It reduces the need for AC in hot conditions and for heating in winter. The idea of insulation is to increase thermal efficiency, so when it works well, the indoor temperature only changes by a few degrees from one season to the next without you switching on heaters or AC. It is worth noting that there are assorted federal and state incentives that can help with the costs.

Undertaking a construction project can make you feel like part of the problem from a sustainability perspective. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you think smart and use the most sustainable methods, materials and strategy.