Are you looking to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle? There are a lot of things you can do to make your home greener. For example, you can change old windows so that less energy is used. According to the Attachments Energy Rating Council, if you replace those windows, you could save 25% of the cost of yearly heating and cooling costs. That’s better for the environment, too. There are countless other companies that can make your home greener as well. Here’s how you can find one!
Think of What You Want Done
Take a look around your home. What could you replace in an effort to become greener? One structure plays a big part in how much energy you use. Yes, you guessed it, it’s your roof. According to the Roofer’s Guild, a roof typically lasts between 25 and 50 years, though some materials can last even longer. If your roof is getting toward the end, you could have a company replace it with something more eco-friendly, like metal. A metal roof can reflect sunlight and help keep your place cooler and also save on your energy bills.
You might want to have other parts of your home worked on, too. Think of everything, and then you can start your research on companies that could help fit your home to make it greener. Now you can take the next step.
Ask Your Friends and Family
You can start by asking people who might have adopted a green lifestyle already. They might know about companies that do that and have one or more to recommend to you. This would be excellent, and it could considerably shorten this portion of the research. Of course, you need to trust these people’s judgment, and they should know exactly what you like and what you don’t. If that doesn’t work, then you can move to the next step.
Look Around Your Neighborhood
Your neighbors might be ecologically inclined like you, and they might be having work done on their place. It could be as simple as walking around your block and spotting a truck with the business name on it. You could then talk to one of the workers or just take a photo on your smartphone and contact them later.
Search Online
There are a lot of businesses out there. Let’s say you live in Kentucky. Right now, there are 335,000 businesses registered. You want to find the ones that suit your needs. That’s where the internet comes in. You can type in ‘green contractors’ and your zip code. That will narrow the results down. But your work doesn’t end with that search, though. Now comes the more in-depth research phase.
You want to look at the reviews that previous clients of theirs have left about them. Did they do quality work? Did they communicate things well? Were their prices fair? These are just a few of the things you should be looking for. Also, look at the company websites, too. Look to see what their license and insurance situation is like. If you like what you see, you can go ahead and contact them, too.
Now you can ask them more pointed questions. Once you tell them your situation and what you want to do at your place. Make sure that they specialize in those things that will make your home greener. Check that they will actually do the work themselves or partner with equally reputable subcontractors. See what kind of estimated timeline they give and make sure it’s realistic. Ask them about payment as well. The quote should be itemized, so you know what you’re paying for.
Once you’ve done the above, you can feel confident about hiring them. See what they need you to do to set things up, so they can do their work safely. Then there’s nothing else to do but watch as they make your home greener.
