For the home: Building an eco home theatre

Home theatres make up a growing trend in many homes that have that extra room, den or basement the calls for a larger role than merely storage space. Better yet, a home theatre room can be accessorized with eco-friendly or green components that don't leech as much energy nor threaten the family with toxic aspects. Eco home theatre building can also save its proponents money if it's done properly.

A New Green Floor Option

As with most rooms, the flooring must be addressed first. Stone tiles are better than carpet, but eco-friendly carpet tiles synthesize the carpet and tile concept into a new alternative. Eco-friendly carpet tiles are typically fabricated from roughly seventy to eighty percent recycled materials. The tile squares are easily replaced, and the tile fibres don't agitate the air allergen population by trapping dirt in them in like regular carpeting or shag rugs.

Nouveau Sleek or Retro Chic?

When it comes to seating, green and recycling are kin. Refurbished antique seats will lend a down-home old-time feel for nostalgic homeowners. This also keeps perfectly good furniture from eating up space in the city dump. Contemporary seating made from organics can be installed in lieu of retro chairs for a modern look. Both recycled and newly-made green furniture should be devoid of synthetics and toxic dyes that may irritate skin. The same applies to accessories like — preferably wood — shelving and storage, seat cushions, ottomans, curtains and anything else the movie watcher can think of to improve his or her overall experience.

LEDS: Better Picture, Less Energy

Naturally, the most visible aspect of the home theatre is the big screen in the middle of the room. Don't skimp when it comes to an environmentally conscious scheme in the selection of the screen. LED — which stands for light-emitting diodes — screens produce clarity on the level on or beyond LCD — liquid crystal display — screens. LED models expend somewhere between thirty-five and forty percent less energy than LCD televisions, and close to sixty percent less than the more recent tube models a decade ago. Best of all, LED sets are ergonomic and typically one or one-and-one-quarter inch thick and don't weigh very much, relatively speaking, which makes them perfect for free-standing mounts or hanging wall mounts.

Green Projectors

Though not as common, some enthusiasts still opt to make their home theatres projector-driven. As with televisions, LED-enabled projector models are available that exclude the use of mercury lamps, hence the absence of an environmentally toxic component. Electricity-saving stand-by mode is also a common feature with projectors. Thus, there is really no excuse to not fashion an eco-friendly home theatre environment.

Even More Control

Lighting dimmers and programmable thermostats can also be installed as additional if critical energy-saving measures. These options are electronically controlled and can independently monitor and adjust wattage, heat and other factors that affect energy use. Technology has arrived at the point where even a cell phone call from another location can communicate with domestic tech and relay command adjustments.

Even if money is an object, the rising number of cost-friendly green alternatives is on the side of the consumer. If the money is there to even begin the styling of a movie room, the rest of the project can't be far behind with proper planning and catalogue scrutinizing. Major manufacturers are gearing their products more and more toward a general energy-saving initiative. Being an avid home film enthusiast also means more gas in the tank — yet another plus when it comes to the environment.