Your home should be a place where your entire family feels comfortable, safe, and healthy. And with interior designers recommend updating home decor at least every 10 years, you may be considering doing some renovations. Unfortunately, many home building and remodeling materials can contain harmful chemicals and contaminants that are not only bad for you, but for the environment, too. So how can you make your home safer for your family and the environment at the same time? Here are a few eco-friendly material options to consider for your home.

Building Materials

If you’re doing some major renovations, or perhaps building from scratch, then you need to think about what kind of building materials you’re going to to be using. You should look for a few things when choosing building materials. First, look for materials that are recycled — something like construction steel can be recycled at a rate of 76%, which makes it a great eco-friendly material. In particular, metal roofs may contain up to 60% recycled metal content and are 100% recyclable at the end of their lives. Second, look for materials that are sustainable. Wood, bamboo, and other materials can be sustainably harvested and can grow back quickly, making for a green option. And lastly, always choose non-toxic materials. Toxic building materials are filled with chemicals that can harm both your family and the environment.

Flooring Options

Flooring is important in a home for aesthetics, energy-efficiency, and comfort. It’s even important for safety purposes, seeing as how over one million Americans sustain injuries on stairs each year. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice quality to go green with flooring. You can start by considering recycled materials, like tile or rubber, which are very eco-friendly. Additionally, consider materials like bamboo and cork which are both sustainably sourced. And, of course, natural carpet options are a good choice because they won’t contain fibers made from chemicals.

Walls and Paint Choices

If you’re going to paint in your house, you need to make sure you’re choosing a safe paint. Certain paints may have high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may cause serious health problems, like headaches and even damage to the nervous system. These chemicals are also extremely harmful to the environment when they enter waterways. So make sure you’re choosing paint without VOCs so you can keep your family safe. And if you’re using something like wallpaper, make sure to choose a toxic-free glue. Choosing the right paint or glue will help reduce health risks both while the materials are being applied and for as long as you’re in the house.

It is not as difficult as it may seem to choose eco-friendly and safe materials for your home. While many people think finding these materials is more difficult, many eco-friendly options are the same price and can be easily accessed. That being said, over one-third of homeowners who completed a home improvement project in the past year reported that they regret not spending more on the project. So keep these simple tips in mind to make sure your home is both beautiful and free of harmful materials.