Trees Can Truly 'green' Your Home

Go outdoors and take a look at your landscape

, if you'd like to make your home more energy efficient.

While trees can be a slow addition and change, they can have a tremendous impact on your home's energy needs. An improvement to the environment, trees can lower your carbon footprint as well.

Whether you live in a warm or cool area, the type of trees you have around your home and where they are located can make a difference in the environment inside.

Trees are what you need if you think air conditioning is one of life's necessities. A deciduous tree that shades your roof or casts shade over walls that would have been baking in the sun - particularly in the afternoon - is a good thing, although many people are quite cautious of having trees too close to the house.

Although poplars ranging from tulip to hybrid offer quick growth and shade, they also are known as softwoods, which means they are easier to break and more likely to be damaged in the winds of a summer storm or the ice of a winter one. Some of the more reliable variety such as maples, are fairly fast growing and could be a more sensible choice. Noted slow growers, oaks are very durable once grown however.

Since the temperature may begin climbing in the spring well before the sun is rising in the northern part of the eastern skyline, these trees will do the most good if they are to the south, east and especially the west of your home. On the western area, the trees will keep the hot afternoon sun off your house and contribute the most to help keep temperatures down.

In the landscape for summer cooling, you should include evergreens, such as pines or hemlocks but do not place them on the south side of the house. They can help to keep the heat down in the west while other trees are still growing their foliage. On the south side, however, they would block the warm rays during the winter as well, when a solar heating is a good thing.

Planted on the north side of your home, evergreens can be beneficial year round. You will not want them too close to your house, however, as they are all softwoods and susceptible to breaking. They can also, at the very least, lessen the impact during winter of even the iciest northern breezes or perhaps eliminate them altogether. When the sun is at its most northern point at mid summer, they may offer a little shade even if they may be placed quite farther from the house for safety considerations.

Trees on the east side of your home are less important as the sun isn't typically as hot in the morning. Still, a little shade can help keep temperatures down, so consider mainly deciduous trees there as well.

by: Billy Moss

POST COMMENT

Commercial Real Estate Training – Your First Big Investment Pests In The Home Cause An Astounding $4.5 Billion In Damage Every Year Flagpoles And Outdoor Nylon Flags Benefits Of Wood Furniture Research is the king before purchasing any carpet cleaner Tired Of The Fad Diet Revolving Door? Weighing Your Options On Finding The Right Home Loan There's Big Money In Real Estate Reverse Home Loan Reverse Home Loan - Is It A Big Risk? New Kitchen Island Design Tips Folders Are Prime Indoor Marketing Products Reasons For Using Plastic Cover Chair Pads