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Greening Your Mortgage: Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs)

October 23, 2008

With all of the recent gloom and doom mortgage news in America, I was surprised to hear soft murmurs about a dim light on the horizon.  Green mortgages, or energy efficient mortgages.

My journey to find the mythical green mortgage was not an easy one.  My fingers ached from repeated online searches and from dialing far too many phone numbers.  Truthfully, today it is tough to know which banks are in business, which banks have merged with each other and which banks have decided to suspend their mortgage programs.  My personal mortgage has been sold countless times over the past three years and even paying the bill can be tricky because it is tough to know just what company I should be writing the check out to each month.

First, I began my journey by contacting mortgage brokerage firms.  Larger banking corporations filter their products down through brokers, so generally mortgage brokers are the last to receive a new product.  Still, they are able to provide competitive products from a number of banks.  The mortgage brokers I spoke with had heard of green and energy efficient mortgages, but had yet to Read more

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Written by Kerry Doherty Laberge · Filed Under Bldg Materials, News · 2 Comments 



10 things you must know about CORK FLOORING & informative cork sites

October 20, 2008

If you’re looking to buy or install cork flooring, this article is a comprehensive guide to the top ten must knows of cork flooring, and it will also provide you with 20 informative sites on cork.

10 things you must know about cork flooring:
1.      Cork flooring is made from the Bark that is harvested from the Cork Tree (Quercus Suber), the only tree able to regenerate after the harvest.  The bark can be re-harvested every 9-10 years without damaging the tree.  Regulated forests within the Mediterranean, mainly in Spain & Portugal, are the producers for the cork industry.
2.      Whether you use cork as your subfloor or main floor covering, if properly sealed/finished, the flooring will not rot, mold or mildew, for in its natural state, it is impermeable to liquid and gases.  Water-based seal/finishing such as urethane are recommended.  Because it does not release toxic gases on combustion, it is fire resistant.
3.      Cork is a wonderful insulator.  It is resistant to temperatures, so go ahead, take off your shoes and walk barefoot.  You won’t find the same cold experience as with most tile flooring.
4.      Just as the wine stoppers made from cork are light, your cork flooring will have this same amazing property.
5.      Cork has ‘give’.  It will bounce back as you move across the floor.  Cork is a wonderful alternative to ceramic tile if you have bad knees, joints, back, etc. 
6.      Similarly, cork has ‘memory,’ and will return to its previous form if a heavy object asserts pressure.
7.      Cork is extremely durable.  It will not collect dust, and in its natural state, it is fire resistant.  (Read up on your sealants/finishing making sure you are satisfied).
8.      Thanks to the absorbent value in cork you will find the sound in your home amazingly contained.
9.      Though it’s always a good idea to have a professional install flooring, cork floors are known to be simple to install and the perfect project for the DIY (do it yourself) crowd.

10.  The easy maintenance is another benefit of cork flooring.  It will not collect dust, and is therefore, hypo-allergenic.  It is an insect repellant, and anti-microbial, making it a great choice for your kitchen, bathrooms, and children’s play areas.

20 sites that are cork informative:

Jelinek Cork Group - A great history of cork and its uses, as well as a large list of cork products in addition to cork flooring.

Simply Cork /flooring - The one stop source for articles about buying & installing cork flooring.

CorkDirect – Has an About Cork section that offers a visual guide to the cork manufacturing process.

About.com – Tutorial on cork, its benefits, background, and construction information. 

BuildDirect – Site that offers quality building materials for less and publishes articles helping you make your decisions regarding cork flooring. 

AmCork – A great site for sample cork colors, patterns, and a wonderful photo gallery that offers many cork design ideas. 

WECork – Company with a long list of cork flooring installations, even high traffic areas.

iFLOOR- Purchasing information for DIY installers.

floorbiz – Information on the different choices in cork floor style (plank, laminate), as well as a good site for background cork information.

Natural Cork – Floating floor systems, as well as laminate cork flooring.

CorkStore – Buy cork rolls & sheets, wall coverings, fabric, closures, etc.

Green Building Center – Learn why they supply Expanko and Vida Cork.

Expanko – Glueless and floating cork floor systems.

Environmental Home Center – Learn how to install your own cork floor planks/tiles.

Sustainable Industries – Article exposing cork myths and giving more detailed information on cork flooring.

Global Sources – Suppliers and manufacturing resource list.

Flooring Area – News Articles on cork flooring.

Flooring – Online Guide to flooring, including cork floors, articles and tips.

Apartment Therapy – Article on protecting your cork flooring.

Wood Floor Guide – Cork flooring reviews.

Team Wicanders - this blog includes all kinds of innovative uses for cork besides flooring.  Some of the uses include furniture, home decor, purses, cottages (made of cork), and prefab building blocks for homes. 

(The photo was taken at Balance Massage & Wellness Center, located just outside of Park City, UT.  The Owner Marty, made ‘green’ choices when renovating the old home.  Balance is a wonderful example of green remodeling.)

 

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Written by Katrina Berg · Filed Under Flooring, Kitchens · 13 Comments 

GetWithGreen Tops with Green Eco Services

October 19, 2008

Tickle us green when we discovered that Green Eco Services listed GetWithGreen in their Top 10 Recommended Green Building Blogs.  Number two to be exact.

Green Eco Services is a comprehensive website complete with a green services blog and green services listings by state and category.  They bill themselves as “your one click source for all things green.”

Thank you to Green Eco Services for recognizing us as an exemplary resource for homeowners and builders alike who are interested in using more earth-friendly and sustainable materials for their projects.  All of us here are happy to be recognized by others like us who are happily promoting sustainable practices.  Aw shucks.

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Written by Kerry Doherty Laberge · Filed Under News · Leave a Comment 



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