Billy Gafford is an experienced professional handyman who manages Handyman Connection, a company dedicated to bringing Birmingham-area homeowners the best in handyman and home repair services. Here, he outlines a few techniques to improve your home while remaining good to the environment.

These days, more and more people are considering green products and techniques when embarking on their home improvement projects. Going green is a term we hear thrown around a lot. Nearly every industry in the United States is seemingly trying to capitalize on the trend.

Many of my customers have expressed interest in keeping their repairs and renovations as eco-friendly as possible. Therefore, Ive decided to jot down some easy places where you can cut a few corners and save Mother Nature a bit when making changes to your house. These small practices wont cost you anything. In fact, theyll save you money. So consider implementing a few of them when you begin your next home improvement project.

Reusing Old Pieces As Possible As You Can
Just because youre renovating your kitchen, dining room or bathroom doesnt mean everything old must go. Instead of tossing every old fixture or cabinet, consider revamping some old pieces. Think about simply replacing your cabinet doors instead of chucking the whole thing. If youre dead set on getting new cabinets, shelving or storage, reuse the old pieces on the laundry room or garage. Hardwood flooring is another area where youre better of recycling. Dont replace it, simply stain it or add new gloss. An older hardwood floor that has been vamped up a bit generally looks even better than a new one.

Selecting Eco-Friendly Products
If you choose products carefully, you can make a big environmental impact. Youll have to do a lot more research to balance out all the claims. But in the long run, youll benefit enormously. Your floor is a great place to start. Instead of putting down a traditional hardwood floor, consider laying down cork or bamboo flooring. These woods grow and replenish themselves at a much faster rate than hardwoods, and they often cost less as well. Wool, although slightly more expensive, is an organic way to carpet your house that feels and looks much better than non-biodegradable synthetics.

Dont bother when your water heater needs replacing. Instead, you can opt for tankless water heating systems. Tankless heaters are a great way to cut down on home-energy costs because they only boil as much water you use. This is one of the most effective measures you can take to green your home, as traditional water tanks boil water constantly and waste immense amounts of energy. When its time to paint, choose paints that are green friendly. In recent years, most major paint manufacturers have seized on the trend and begun to develop terrific, affordable lines of eco-friendly paints. These paints are as good as or better than their more chemically counterparts.

Assessing Your Energy Use
Though you may need the help of a professional to assess your energy use, their services are worth their weight in savings. A professional energy assessor can advise you as to the most energy-efficient means to run your home. They will recommend fixes and improvements, and show you how to implement them. These can include heat-retaining windows, low-flush toilets to save water and furnaces that burn cleaner and more efficiently. I highly recommend a professional energy audit to anyone who is doing major renovations or repairs to his home. This service more than pays for itself in home-energy savings.

Fortunately, the prices of many environmentally-friendly products and services have dropped significantly and become more affordable than ever before. Your average home goods store has a plethora of options to help you in your quest to green your living space. Though not everyone has the resources to go solar or get completely off the grid, these small green improvements to your home make a significant change to the world.