As warm weather ushers people outside to enjoy their outdoor spaces and yards this summer, many people pay more attention to the exterior appearance of their homes. There may be peeling siding, missing fascia, old windows or rotting deck boards that could use a bit of sprucing up or replacement.
It may finally be time to give your home's exterior a much-needed makeover. Yet, instead of using regular, everyday materials, many homeowners are seeking out more environmentally-safe, upcycled or recycled exterior products for their homes.
Choosing environmentally-conscious products for your exterior renovations provides a whole range of short-term and long-term benefits.
In addition to lowering your utility bills, you can conserve more natural resources while creating a safer environment for yourself and your family.
These products offer functionality and beauty, without causing unnecessary damage to our natural environment. In the list below, you'll find exterior home products that are environmentally-safer alternatives to common exterior home needs.
Keeping the rain away from the exterior walls of your home and your foundation can prevent water penetration that could ruin the items that you have inside as well as damage the building's structure. Gutters and downspouts can help direct the water away to offer the ultimate leak protection.
While it's always important to clean your gutters regularly and keep them free from debris, Rollex’s heavy-gauge aluminum gutters and downspouts are far more durable than other plastic gutters.
They can handle more leaves, ice and storms without sagging or pulling off the side of your home. These outdoor rainware products are ideal when you are looking for gutter systems that will not rot, rust or bend, and they can be recycled at the end of their life cycle, greatly reducing their impact on the environment compared to other gutter materials.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can pollute the air and cause health problems in people of all ages. Switching to no-VOC or low VOC paints for your exterior home projects can help the environment as well as your family while still offering waterproof and stain-resistant benefits. You can add a layer of exterior paint to spruce up siding, deck boards, railing, sheds or other outdoor structures for a fresh new appearance.
Unlike wood shingles that require the harvesting of trees and can create deforestation or silica dust made from fiber cement that has cancer-causing agents, steel siding is a strong, durable product made from one of the most commonly recycled materials in the world.
Steel siding offered by Rollex doesn’t need to be painted, is made from recycled material, and will keep your home looking new for decades.
For outdoor decks, balconies and railings, composite decking may be the best alternative when you want to have a structure that mimics the appearance of wood but is more environmentally friendly.
Composite decking is made from wood fibers that have been ground up and pressed together using high pressure, heat and resin without being treated with arsenic -- like treated lumber -- to preserve its materials. The decking will not rot or require painting like some wood products, and it can withstand the outdoor elements to provide a deck that will last for years.
Ever looked up at the overhang of the roof of your home and wondered what those panels are underneath?
Those panels are called soffits, which are designed for the eaves of the home. They allow for air ventilation in the attic space to prevent moisture buildup that can ruin items stored in the attic and help prolong the life of your shingles.
Soffits also prevent heat buildup in the summer and damage-causing ice dams in the winter.
Rollex offers soffits made out of aluminum, which is an abundant metal found around the world. It can be recycled into other objects at the end of its life and provides a range of weather-resistant and rust-resistant properties.
Aluminum soffits offer protection, strength, and durability so your home is not only beautiful but also less susceptible to damage.
Today, the home products market is filled with certified green products for the interior and exterior of your home.
Just remember to keep the style of your home in mind when choosing products. Select products that fit into the architectural design of the house and offer the benefits you want like reduced utility costs, reduced carbon footprint, sustainably resourced, etc.
You should also look into the tradeoff between initial investment and future savings.
These savings could be in the form of lower utility bills, less maintenance expenses, a higher property resale value, or a more comfortable environment for yourself and your family.
Evaluate home product manufacturers to determine how the materials in the products are harvested, produced and shipped to different locations to ensure that you are truly getting a green product that is safe for both the environment and your home.