London Loft Conversions
London Loft Conversions
As we become more and more aware of the effect we have on the environment, there’s a lot of pressure for each of us to cut back and live a simpler life in order to reduce our carbon footprint and move towards more sustainable living.
With this in mind, deciding to increase the size of your home through a loft conversion can seem like a controversial decision, but there are many ways to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of your build, both at the construction stage and for years to come. Having the treetops at eye-level doesn’t have to be the only thing that’s green about a loft conversion!
First of all, an ever stricter array of legal building regulations exists with the health of the planet in mind, and it goes without saying that each one of Modern Attics loft conversions are of course fully compliant with these protective measures.
If you want to go beyond the norm, however, you can also opt for a number of innovative green alternatives to regular materials and building standards, each specifically tailored towards lightening the environmental burden of your attic conversion.
As the primary material component in any loft conversion, the origin of the timber used to construct the basic frame for your build plays an important role in determining the size of the environmental impact your project has. Choosing a sustainable source, as Modern Attics does for each of the loft conversions we perform, is one way to majorly reduce the negative environmental impact of your build.
Similarly, selecting natural materials such as sheep’s wool to insulate your attic conversion, instead of non-biodegradable man-made fibres such as polystyrene which are traditionally used, will have a lesser impact on the natural habitat surrounding your home in the long-run. Of course effective insulation also reduces heat loss from your attic conversion, saving both the planet and your precious pennies.
In fact, if diminishing the size of your energy bill is a big concern, you can even choose to have solar panels or wind turbines installed to harness the power of the natural elements around your property. What’s more, if you don’t find yourself using all the renewable energy produced by these devices, you may be able to use it to profit from your environmentally-friendly investment by selling it back to the National Grid.
In addition to energy consumption, there are also measures you can take to cut your water usage, such as systems which redirect the used ‘grey water’ from your showers, sinks and washing machines and use it to flush your toilet.
With all these measures in place, an extra room in the house need not mean a heavier load for the environment, so you can relax and enjoy your newly converted loft guilt-free.
