Alejandro’s Suffocating Dilemma
Alejandro has been working from home as a BPO Graphic Designer for the past two years. The setup was initially brought about by the pandemic. In the long run, the WFH setup became a permanent condition. Alejandro had observed that his productivity rate had increased exponentially, something that his lead had even commended him for.
However, Alejandro started to notice that as the first year of the lockdown neared its close, he started feeling suffocated.
So he evaluated his workspace. Alejandro soon realized that his apartment was too cramped—filled with stuff he did not even need. He did not have sufficient lighting in all the crucial places. And probably the biggest offender of it all, Alejandro’s apartment did not have enough windows for ventilation.
Alejandro is not the first WFH professional who had been challenged with less-than-friendly working conditions. What he was forced to realize is that windows are of great significance when designing or picking out a home to live in.
Windows allow a house and its inhabitants to breathe. It lets air in and out. It rids the house of unnecessary heat and keeps the unwanted cold out. But that is if the homeowners have planned the layout well.
Apart from the obvious, the demand for more eco-friendly windows has been steadily gaining traction. With the public realizing that the environment is in dire straits, they are finding ways to ease its ever-growing issues. Alejandro is not the only one who is having a difficult time breathing; Mother Nature herself is suffocating.
3 Advantages of Installing Eco-Friendly Windows
Eco-friendly windows bring with them multiple advantages.
There are three notable benefits of making the environment-friendly shift.
1. Home Insulation Improved
Getting energy-efficient windows serves to regulate a home’s interior temperature. These windows rid houses of cold spots, reduce condensation and even decrease noise pollution. With consideration to the sun’s harmful rays, eco-friendly windows help protect furniture.
2. Monthly utility bills are uncontrollably high? Solved!
As a result of improved home insulation, your home, regardless of being in either the hotter or colder regions, would be cheaper to maintain.
3. Your Home Value – Increased!
Purchasing higher building material costs with consideration of eco-friendly utilities equates to higher home value. This means that if ever you decide to sell your property, you would get more profit from it.
These advantages configure into not just a livable house, but one that exists in complete harmony with nature.
Eco-Friendly Materials You Should Check Out
So what are the eco-friendly materials that you should consider for your home windows? Here are some of them.
1. Double Pane Windows
Double pane windows are considered standard as these foster an insulating effect for your home. These allow necessary heat to linger and will mean lower usage of a house’s heating system. An estimate of 50% of heat is saved within your house through the use of double-pane windows.
2. Low-E Glass
Low-Emissivity glass or simply, Low-E glass has a thin coating of silver oxide. This is ideal for windows as it decreases the amount of light and heat in your home. This also serves to minimize the amount of UV light that enters.
3. Eco-Friendly Window Frame
You may opt to commission a company or a carpenter who could fashion a window frame out of reclaimed wood. This type of wood serves to preserve natural resources, reduce waste, and save paint and stains.
Timber is just as durable and efficient as aluminum and PVC-u. With this in mind, you can also opt for a mixture of these materials. You may have a professional build you a window with an interior made of timber and an exterior aluminum frame. The combination of such will secure a sturdy and aesthetic window that will sure become a conversation piece among friends and guests.
Regarding composite window frames, Alu-clad is one such specific type worth looking into. This is a Scandinavia-produced frame created with the debilitating winter season in mind. Simply put, it is low-maintenance and high-performance. Given the durability and make of this material, you may look to these windows for water management.
4. Aluminum
As already mentioned above, aluminum is not only environment-friendly but is also a sturdy, recyclable, and therefore a sustainable material to explore for your windows.
5. Eco-Friendly Shades
When you avail of curtains or shades, make sure that these have been produced from natural materials. You may look into blinds that have been created from either bamboo or wood.
For curtains, look into ones made from organic cotton and hemp as these are not grown using pesticides or fertilizers. These are resources that have been harvested with sustainability in mind.
Invest in Eco-Friendly Windows Today!
Alejandro’s dilemma is something that warrants our attention. His resolve would mean total change not only in the way that he works but also in his health.
However, as Alejandro decides to make the necessary changes in his workspace, it is also imperative that he caters to its possible impact on the environment.
The materials laid out here would help homeowners decide how they would help the environmental cause while still being aesthetic. But regardless of what you may choose, know that you are helping yourself, your family, and most especially Mother Nature.
Photo by Alex Qian
