7 Benefits of Having an Indoor Living Wall
I first came across the concept of a living wall a few years ago while writing articles for a particular client. Since then, I’ve always wanted to set one up in the house. But, what are the benefits of converting your wall into a garden?
Now, there are a lot of benefits to setting one of these up. However, I’m focusing on the practical uses for everyday people.
For instance, adding a green wall inside my house isn’t really going to improve biodiversity.
Remember, today, I’m talking about indoor constructs. There are quite a few practical reasons for adding an outdoor living wall, which I’ll cover in another blog post.
7 Practical Advantages of Having a Living Wall
A living wall is essentially a wall that is covered with plant life. Usually, indoor walls are established with plants that have a long lifespan. The idea is to create a healthier environment, both physically and mentally.
You can easily buy fake greenery for your home that gives the appearance of a living wall. However, most of the benefits will be lost with plastic alternatives.
At least it would look nice.
1. Helps Improve Air Quality
There are studies that show how indoor houseplants improve air quality by reducing particulate matter by up to 30%. This includes elements such as carbon monoxide, carbonyls, and other particles floating through the air.
This also includes things like reducing dust in the home, which is incredibly helpful for people in rural areas.
From breathing to cleaning, having a living wall can promote a healthier environment for yourself and the family.
2. Improves Productivity
For those of us who work from home, plants are shown to boost productivity. Of course, these studies are focusing on the office environment. However, many of us have “offices” set up as freelancers in the home.
This is more than a mental state, though. People seem to be more healthier being around plants in general. Just make sure you don’t plant something to which you’re allergic.
And to be honest, I find myself feeling better while working since growing my five-foot coleus and Norfolk Pine.
3. Noise Reduction
In reality, anything covering your wall is going to reduce noise to some degree. Whether it’s an echo traveling through the home or growling engines from outside, a living wall can help reduce the sound.
Between the potted areas, the added insulation, and the plants themselves, it creates a bit of a sound-dampening barrier. It won’t make the room sound-proof, but it will help keep the levels down.
In fact, I’m debating on adding a green wall to my office as my kids can get pretty loud while I’m trying to make a YouTube video.
4. Added Insulation
Speaking of insulation, the construction of the living wall itself adds to the energy efficiency of rooms in the home. Though, this is most notably a benefit if you build one outside.
Between the “pots” and the plants, it helps keep temperatures stable.
Now, only adding one wall probably won’t make a vast improvement in how hot the living room becomes. But, it can at least insulate certain areas if you build these on the outer walls of the home.
5. Improves State of Mind
Plants are found to improve the mental state of humans. In many cases, simply being around plants can do everything from reducing stress to promoting a higher rate of intelligence.
This also includes your emotional status. While a living wall isn’t exactly a cure for depression, it can absolutely benefit your state of mind.
And speaking from experience, I find myself in a far better headspace since planting my coleus and taking care of my pumpkins.
6. Easy to Maintain, with the Right Plants
Outdoor living walls are incredibly easy to care for. But what about the ones on the inside? That really depends on the types of plants you use.
There’s a reason why you won’t see a lot of living walls covered with various flowers. This is because it would require a lot of replanting as many flowers don’t have a long lifespan.
Most will use green plants that are hardy and require less maintenance, such as using succulents, ferns, and other non-flowering plants.
Just be careful if you decide to use something like cacti.
7. Saves Space for the Plant Lover
And lastly, setting up a living wall reduces the space needed for plants for those who like to have them. Instead of several large pots throughout the home taking up floor space, the green wall is just that.
So, if you have a small home without a lot of square footage, something like a green wall is great for the plant lover.
Is a Living Wall Practical for You?
While a living wall does require a bit of monetary investment, the benefits may actually be life-changing. From breathing better to having a more positive outlook of life and work, it’s an investment into your well-being.
And the more I think about it, the more I want to put one in my office. Not only to help me stay productive, but because the camera view in videos would be excellent.
The hardest part is keeping your cats from wreaking havoc on the plants.
Michael has been interested in the practicality of living green for quite some time. He works closely with GreenGeeks Web Hosting as the Content Marketing Team Lead and an author of various articles.