Archive for the ‘upgrades’ Category
WaterSense Label Identifies Green Fixtures
Look for the new label from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called WaterSense, it addresses the need to be water smart as well as dollar smart. This program’s mission is to protect the future of the water supply by promoting water-efficient products and services.
You will find the label on a variety of plumbing equipment scheduled to roll out this year and next. WaterSense partners for high-efficiency plumbing equipment include some of the biggest manufacturers in the business- Kohler, Delta Faucet, Hansgrohe, American Standard and Crane. Kohler and its sister brand, Sterling, already have eight toilets that have earned the WaterSense label, meaning that they use at least 20% less water than standard toilets.
According to the EPA, the average American home uses more water for flushing the toilet than running the shower. A family of four could save 16,000 gallons of water a year by replacing a traditional toilet with a high-efficiency model. This is a big savings in dollars as well as droplets.
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Alternative Floors that Don’t Kill Trees
Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important in consumers decision making process and bamboo flooring is a perfect choice for the environmentally conscious consumer according to expert Mark Western.
Bamboo is actually a grass. A harvested bamboo plantation can regenerate without replanting within 3 years whereas traditonal hardwood plantations can take up to 75 years to regenerate. Bamboo has been known to grow as much a 1 metre in 24 hours. It is often grown in areas which have been previously damaged by soil erosion, overgrazing and commercial agriculture and its extensive root system helps restore the stability of these areas and removes nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals from the soil. Bamboo is a sustainable resource.
Bamboo offers multiple benefits:
1. With bamboo flooring you can creat a stylish and homey environment-bamboo provides warmth like wood.
2. Bamboo works well with any decor- bamboo offers several design options because it has a very rich visual texture and a unique pattern. It is naturally blonde in color but some varieties are stained to provide different color choices. Example: Bamboo can undergo a smoking process to give it an amber hue.
3. Bamboo can be treated to prevent damage-most bamboo flooring is pre-finished and ready for installation. Maintenance is usually the same as pre-finished wood products, so be sure to follow manufacturer instructions.
4. Bamboo flooring offers unparalleled strength, durability and moisture resistance when compared to traditional hardwood floorings. It is ideal for kitchen areas where normal timber flooring is not recommended and does not wear as quickly as any other timber flooring.
For more information on alternative floorings check out Lumber Liquidators at www.lumberliquidators.com
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Going Green is more Mainstream Today
More than ever before, going green is about how we live our daily life and make small improvements that have a big impact on the earth. Going green in the home is no exception.
Here’s some simple tips to make your home more eco-friendly:
1. Start by making your kitchen greener by upgrading to energy efficient ENERGY STAR appliances. These will provide savings of up to 30% in greenhouse gas emissions and will save energy costs.
2. Go green with style-install a kitchen faucet that has sustainable features and turn it off when you step away from the sink. The Muirfield with ChoiceFlo filtering kitchen faucet is a great eco-friendly addition. It provides both filtered and tap water from one spout. The activated carbon block filter reduces many impurities, such as lead and chlorine. This also allows you to eliminate the environmental strain associated with bottled water packaging and delivery. Muirfield with ChoiceFlo is available at Lowe’s stores nationwide.
3. Incorporate more green fixtures in your bath. After toilets and washing machines, showers are next in line as residential water hogs. Low flow showerheads offer a 30% water savings from the industry standard showerheads.
You don’t have to go to extremes to be green, just make some small changes and you can make a big impact today.
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Beat the Real Estate Bubble: Make Your Home Energy Efficient and Green
It’s a tough time to sell a house. But what if you really need to sell your home….right now? If you can’t wait until the market improves, the good news is you can gain a leg up on the other houses for sale in your price range by making smart and quick eco-renovations.
Here are ways to make your house stand out from the rest by going green:
1. The key is to make improvements to your home’s energy efficiency, and document how the monthly bills change over time. Highlight the savings to your potential buyers and provide comparisons to typical bills for similar-sized houses in your region (call your utility for details or visit the Dept. of Energy’s Energy Infomation Administrations at eia.doe.gov)
2. Replace as many lightbulbs as you can with CFLs (compact fluorescents). CFLs use a quarter of the electricity as regular bulbs, and lighting accounts for 20% of home energy use.
3. Upgrad any old or questionable appliances with new Energy Star-certified models. The EPA’s blue and white label indicates models must be 10% to 50% more effcient than standard offerings. A good idea-install a programmable thermostat and motions detectors.
4. Make sure cracks are tightly caulked and leaks are sealed. Just doing that can drop your annual heating bill by $100, according to Dept. of Energy figures. Consider if your insulation needs beefing up as insulation can be a selling point.
5. Make your home as healthy a space as possible, going healthy sells. There are many people with allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities, etc. who consider top indoor air quality a necessity. Putting on a fresh coat of the new and now-widely available “low-VOC” paints can go a long way toward attracting buyers.
6. Old carpets can be a real turnoff, and can emit allergens and toxins. Expose the hardwood floors if you have that option, if you don’t have that option consider new, eco-friendly carpeting.
7. If your home is older, you’ll want to a check on the possible situation of lead paint and asbestos-issues much better left to qualified professionals. The best thing you can do when considering selling your home green is to call in experts to make recommendations, such as an energy audit.
Remember that you may qualify for federal, state or local tax credits by going green. www.dsireusa.org , www.energystar.gov
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