If you are considering remodeling or renovating your home, you are in very good company. According to Forbes, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population made home improvements in the last year. But while many Americans remodel their homes each year, many may not take into account the impact the project may have on the environment.
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There are many obvious ways remodeling can be done in an eco-friendly manner like using energy efficient appliances. But one way you may not have considered is to use organic and natural dyes.
Natural and organic dyes are more earth-friendly than traditional dyes, and also work just as well as regular ones. Here are three easy ways to incorporate natural dyes in your remodeling efforts that you may not have even been aware of.
Paints with Organic and Natural Dyes
Painting the interior or exterior of a home is something that many people decide to do when they remodel. However, when most people decide to paint their homes, or have a professional do it for them, they usually don’t put much thought into what is actually in the paint that they use.
Traditional paints have been known to emit toxic chemicals not only for the environment, but for your health as well. Some examples of these toxic chemicals include xylene, ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, and glycol.
To remodel your home in an eco-friendly way, make sure that your paints only contain natural and organic dyes, to avoid negatively impacting the environment, as well as your health.
Eco-Friendly Furniture
Getting new furniture is another popular part of home remodeling. Generally speaking, when shopping for new furniture, consumers often do not take into account what it is actually made out of, focusing instead on design and price.
However, when shopping for new furniture, you should always look for items that contain organic and natural dyes. Some examples of eco-friendly natural dyes that can be found in furniture are brazilwood, buckthorn and cochineal.
Similarly to paint, there are chemicals present in most traditional furniture pieces that are harmful for the environment as well as your health. Some examples of these harmful chemicals are acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). By shopping for furniture that contain only organic and natural dyes, you are helping out the environment tremendously, as well as limiting your risks of developing personal health problems.
Wood Floors and Carpets
Flooring is also a common part of the home remodeling process and another opportunity to consider its environmental impacts. Just like paints and furniture, carpets and some types of wood floors tend to emit toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. For example, carpets can contain endocrine-disruptors, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These toxins are not only bad for the environment, but bad for your health as well. That is why you should choose new carpets or wood floors that they contain only natural and organic dyes and fibers such as jute, seagrass and sisal.
In summary, remodeling is something many Americans do without regard for the environment.
By taking into account what’s in the paint that you use, the furniture that you buy, and the woods and carpets that you install and actively seek those with organic and natural dyes, you’ll not only positively impact the environment, but also potentially improve your health as well.
