FLOORING: Hardwoods remain a popular flooring option

How much wood are we using?   Where does it come from?  Where do we send it?  When we ship it out, does it come back to the US?  Building Product Digest shares some aggregated factoids/statistics…  

By David Koenig (Editorial & Production – Cutler Publishing, Inc.)
BPD-Building Products Digest
 
Use of American hardwoods has remained stable over the past five years, according to the Hardwood Manufacturers Association.

Total hardwood usage in 2006 was 10.7 billion bd. ft., the same as in 2002. Although usage in furniture has declined over the past decade, other uses have increased: kitchen and bath cabinets have grown 61%; flooring grew 56%, and mouldings, dimension, and millwork increased 38%.

Usage in furniture has declined because 53% of all wood furniture sold in the U.S. is produced overseas. However, American hardwoods are increasingly exported to countries such as Read more

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Awnings provide eco-minded remodeling options for homeowners

It?s no secret that homeowners have ?green? on the brain. With energy efficiency rebates and a number of different green products on the market in 2008, homeowners are showing concern for eco-friendly home upgrades.

In fact, according to a 2007 market research survey on U.S. Residential Awning Usage, conducted by Harris Interactive Inc., and commissioned by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), nine out of ten homeowners are concerned about saving money on energy costs for their home, while three-fourths are concerned about reducing air conditioning costs.

?Money and energy costs were top concerns for homeowners, which goes hand-in-hand when selecting new products for homes,? said Michelle Sahlin, managing director, PAMA. ?However, the study also revealed that Read more

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We Got Green: Gruppie Girl selects no VOC paint from Sherwin Williams

Zero VO What?

The battle between living green and having nice, new, shiny stuff is a theme that often runs through my life.  Blame it on all of those home shows that I am addicted to, but I have a need to redecorate my house.  Recently I discovered how green my home decorating choices can be.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that the air quality inside your house can be two to five times worse than the air outside.  Most Americans spend 90% of our time indoors.  That is a dangerous cocktail. 

Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC?s are those sneaky gasses that are contained in conventional house paints, cleaners, lacquers and some furniture.  They are responsible for much of the toxic air in our homes.  When we paint the inside of our homes with paints that contain volatile organic compounds, our family breathes them in long after the paint is dry.  VOCs can cause nausea, loss of coordination, kidney damage, repertory infections and memory loss just to name a few of the lovely side effects.

There is a better Read more

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ROOFING: Common Questions About Green Roofs

We don’t cover the topic of “green roofs” that often at GetWithGreen.com.  Our focus is on the more common upgrade to your existing roof, while doing it with products that are more eco-friendly than asphalt for example.  We do get questions from time to time about “green roofs”, and when we found this interesting article we thought we should share it with you.

The team over at Facility Blog recently wrote about the topic, and their write-up is a quick read that answers some of the most common questions about a green roof (e.g. How often do you water it?  Will it make my roof leak?).   The article is focused more on buildings, but we believe it is still educational for most GetWithGreen.com homeowners who have an interest in green roofs.  Take a look at Common Questions About Green Roofs.

Related Articles on GetWithGreen.com

- Looking for an eco-friendly alternative for your flat roof?
- Eco-friendly roofing materials

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INSULATION: How safe is recycled newspaper insulation in a fire?

7,000,000 tons of newspaper are recycled each year to make eco-friendly “green” cellulose insulation. But, can it really be safe to put newspaper insulation in the walls during your home remodel? What about fire risk?

This video tells a story that will surprise you, and they talk about the safety of less eco-friendly fiberglass insulation as well. Watch this great overview on the safety of cellulose insulation.

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LANDSCAPING: Ecosource Launches New Bio Pot Concept

Traditional options for potted landscape has been clay pottery, or plastic.  There are now new options for your new deck, or new patio following your remodel.  You can now buy back- and frontyard pottery made from renewable grain husks that are:

- Made from natural by-products of renewable and sustainable crops
- contain no wood or petroleum ingredients
- deplete no natural resources
- naturally breakdown to easily decompose in landfills or into the earth 

These new types of plant containers can last 3-5 years under normal usage, are suitable for all climates, and are resistant to freezing and thawing damage.  The pots keep their shape until their end of life, and then when discarded into a landfill they decompose into organic matter. 

ecosource Home & Garden is one supplier of these new style of backyard pottery.  The company distributes three different lines.  The greenPots are made from a rice hulls (price range: $6-21).  The Enviro Collection are made from bamboo (price range: $4-12), and the new COIR line — just announced yesterday!    

COIR is the third line of biodegradable pots, and they are made from coconut fibers. The product was unveiled at the recent Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta where the company received Read more

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APPLIANCES: We know you want Sub-Zero. What is their eco-friendly story?

We may be wrong, but we believe that just about every homeowner performing a kitchen remodel considers a Sub-Zero refrigerator.  If it isn’t considered, it is definitely envied – at least in most of California.  Seriously though, if there is a Sub-Zero in the kitchen, then at some point during the dinner party there is a conversation about it.  Whether it is the story of it being flown in by helicopter or dropped in by crane because your friend lives in a tri-level house, or simply because the clear glass door is so cool!

Well Sub-Zero believes they have an interesting story to tell about their eco-friendliness, and so we wanted to bring it to you here on GetWithGreen.com.  Here are some interesting points from the team at Sub-Zero:

1. The largest Sub-Zero refrigerator consumes less power than a 100-watt bulb, due to dual refrigeration technology.
2. Sub-Zero products are manufactured in the United States, which reduces the environmental impact caused by international shipping of materials and parts.
3. Sub-Zero has worked hard to find/use energy efficient motors.
4. All refrigerant used is non-ozone Read more

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LANDSCAPING: Ground cover & playground material solves a waste problem

Approximately one tire is discarded per person per year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003. These tires are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste, due to the large volume produced and their durability. Those same characteristics which make waste tires such a problem also make them one of the most re-used waste materials, as the rubber is very resilient and can be reused in other products. With landfills minimizing their acceptance of whole tires and the health and environmental risks of stockpiling tires, many new markets have been created for scrap tires. Growing markets exist for a majority of scrap tires produced every year, being supported by State and Local Government.

Believe it or not, recycled tire products can economically add value and safety to your home. Through a special process, tires can be Read more

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BATHROOM: New showerheads reduce the costs associated with hot water

ShowerStart Launches Line of Eco-Friendly Luxury Showerheads in Western Washington 

ShowerStart, LLC just announced the availability of their luxury-featured, environmentally friendly showerheads in the Pacific Northwest. The evolve(TM) showerhead combines European styling, drenching spray patterns, solid brass fittings, anti-clog spray nozzles and maximum flow rates with the company?s innovative ShowerStart(TM) water- and energy-saving technology.

The company says that evolve?s integrated ShowerStart technology is driven by a temperature sensor that enables the showerhead to prevent hot water from running down the drain when no one is in the shower?an event most commonly associated with waiting for the shower to get Read more

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Financing green aspects of your home remodel

We haven’t written too much about the financing aspects of an eco-friendlier remodel.  You should be aware that some lenders are starting to offer discounts on loans that are used for making energy savings improvements to your home. 

These “energy-efficient mortgages” have been in existance for a while — offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Others offer the loans as well.    The Chicago Tribune provides more details in their recent article:  Money is getting greener too.  Make sure you check it out, and ask your lender.

MyEnergyloan.com out of Atlanta also provides some good overview information on the topic as well! 

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