Going green has been a popular topic in recent years, and most people are familiar with the term. But how much do we really know about what it takes to successfully go green? A recent poll regarding going green showed that 34% of the people surveyed had not made green changes to their lives because they did not know where to start.
Just because you have the right intention does not mean you know the right way to go about it. That’s where we can help! Here are 3 ways to get you started on your journey to a greener garage.
1. Insul-great!
Insulation is a great fix to cutting down on your energy output. Garage doors are not typically built to be an impenetrable barrier from the elements. If you happen to have an attached garage, as so many Americans do, adding insulation to your garage will increase the energy efficiency of your entire home.
There are multiple types of insulation to choose from. Some of the more common options that could be utilized in a garage are foam, fiberglass batts or reflective barrier. Depending on what type of insulation you choose, you can plan to spend approximately $200 on insulation for a 9-foot garage door.
You can also amplify the energy efficiency of your insulated garage by placing weather stripping around your interior garage door. Doing this not only cuts down on your energy bill, but also increases the comfort factor of your garage.
Insulating your garage will protect your home
from the environment and also help the environment.
2. Bright Idea
One of the easiest ways that you can make your garage greener is changing out the light bulbs. LED lighting saves you money in two ways: the bulbs themselves last up to 25 times longer than their incandescent counterparts, and the bulbs use 20-25% less energy while active. Not only can you use one light bulb longer, meaning purchasing less light bulbs throughout the course of a year, you also are paying less money to have these light bulbs work.
LED light bulbs are 100% recyclable and contain
no harmful chemicals or elements. Switching your bulbs is
a very green way to go!
LED light bulbs are now cheaper than ever, with most retailers selling them for less than $10 each. In fact, if you replaced the 5 most frequently used light fixtures in your home with bulbs that are Energy Star rated, like LED’s, you could save $75 a year on your energy bill!
3. Less Is More
Don’t be a pack rat! Garages are great places for some extra storage, but don’t take that idea and run with it. Saving unnecessary items out of convenience can easily lead to an excess of consumer waste. The best part of this green solution is that there is no cost involved, only a little time and effort in sorting your items and determining what you can do without. You can actually benefit others by selling or donating these belongings instead of throwing them in the trash.
Not all trinkets are treasures, but not all trinkets
are trash. Don’t throw out what could easily be used
by someone else and help reduce the amount of waste from your
household in a year.
These are just some of the several ways you can begin reducing your carbon footprint while improving your garage. Want to come up with a few of your own, or have questions about the 3 presented here? Contact us and see how you can make going green work for you!
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