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Many homeowners are considering green alternatives when completing home improvement projects, but only a small number are actually going green. What does going green mean? For most it means using environmentally safe and efficient products.
Some green home improvement ideas are replacing old windows, doors, appliances, heating and air-conditioning units, hot water tanks, and toilets with energy efficient alternatives. Use natural fiber insulation in your attic and walls. When remodeling a kitchen or bath choose green countertops made with materials such as compressed paper fiber, concrete, or terrazzo. When replacing flooring go with bamboo flooring, natural linoleum, cork, recycled and reclaimed hardwoods or eco-friendly carpets.
What are some other ways to go green? You can install low energy light bulbs such as compact fluorescent lights. They last longer and use less energy. Planting low maintenance plants that are native to your area and require little watering and weeding helps save energy and water. Use organic fertilizers to help save the environment. Use natural products when decorating such as woods like bamboo and teak that grow fast.
If you are thinking of completing a home improvement project that is green, be sure to check around for a local contractor that focuses on green products that help the environment and save you money. They can provide you with the best green alternatives that are right for you and your family.
I think it is more "green" to replace systems as they go bad with more efficient ones rather than throwing out what still has perfectly good user life. YMMV.
Oh, no, CFLs are not proven to have a longer life. My experience thus far is that they are far more expensive and have a very short life compared to my incandescents. When LEDs are improved that will be the better energy saver for lighting.
Many woods are harvested using renewable forestry methods. To choose woods that are largely imported such as bamboo and teak is not "green". Why not use woods harvested and processed in one's own state instead?
Location: Went around the corner & now I'm lost!!!!
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Originally Posted by TamRE
Many homeowners are considering green alternatives when completing home improvement projects, but only a small number are actually going green. What does going green mean? For most it means using environmentally safe and efficient products.
Some green home improvement ideas are replacing old windows, doors, appliances, heating and air-conditioning units, hot water tanks, and toilets with energy efficient alternatives. Use natural fiber insulation in your attic and walls. When remodeling a kitchen or bath choose green countertops made with materials such as compressed paper fiber, concrete, or terrazzo. When replacing flooring go with bamboo flooring, natural linoleum, cork, recycled and reclaimed hardwoods or eco-friendly carpets.
What are some other ways to go green? You can install low energy light bulbs such as compact fluorescent lights. They last longer and use less energy. Planting low maintenance plants that are native to your area and require little watering and weeding helps save energy and water. Use organic fertilizers to help save the environment. Use natural products when decorating such as woods like bamboo and teak that grow fast.
If you are thinking of completing a home improvement project that is green, be sure to check around for a local contractor that focuses on green products that help the environment and save you money. They can provide you with the best green alternatives that are right for you and your family.
I am a HO and I think most HO feel it's too costly to go green which in most cases it is at first glance. But if they start with the simple things like CFL blubs, homemade cleaning products, composting,use organic fertilizers ( yes even your dog and cat poop buried near your flowers; not vegetables), xerioscape by planting native plants and get rid of all that grass and put in a SF garden with a couple of homemade rainbarrels instead. Also use solar outside lighting instead of low voltage then they would see the results on a small scale.
Next move to insulating the attic which you can get a couple of teens to do that for you. Then install water effecient shower heads along with shower shut off when the water hits a certain temp followed by rechalk your existing windows then install storm windows.
Major appliances should be bought as they break down. In my case I bought an older home so everything was about to go. So I first bought the kitchen appliances and got new H2O saver tiolets, then the AC/furnace and the next year the tankless water heater which was a big drop in the bucket but I have not regretted it.
This year was changing the color of the house from a dark color to a much lighter color and got a solar generator for simple use back up...just in case the lights go out or a rotating brown out occurs.
The only thing that needs to be done is solar panels and solar attic fans on the roof but I won't do that until the roof needs changing so that won't happen soon.
HOs need to know it takes time to change; doing it slowly is the best method.
Bamboo is a quick growing resource, therefore it doesn't take long to replace what is used. As opposed to hardwoods, of course.
In order for bamboo to grow it is marinated in pesticides and fungacides..
Once it is cut down it is processed into a panel product with huge pressing machines which need A LOT of electricity to run. This "green" product is held together using a urea-formaldehyde glue.
Bamboo panel products outgass not only formalhehyde but all of the pesticides and herbacides used to initially grow this "green" product.
This is not green, this is a deadly and very heavely proccessed product that should NOT be used , much less considered "green"
I haven't investigated the bamboo flooring industry. Thanks for the heads up on what sort of conditions you are aware of.
But bamboo will grow without being marinaded in pesticides and fungicides. It happened for years and years before the agri-chemical business came along. It is also a quick growing grass with many potential uses. Bamboo - New World Encyclopedia
Painting a roof white can result to cooler surroundings and even a cooler home. Dark colored rooftops only absorb heat.
While you're at it, you can consider having a living and breathing green roof by housing plants on your rooftop. It can regulate indoor temperatures which leads to using less energy.
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