My furnace runs less than your furnace. Are you using zones?

Like many of you, my house has (had) an old furnace that I swear was a rocket engine taking off when it started up!  Struggling with PG&E bills north of $600/mo in the winter, I was determined to change this consumption of cash and energy during my remodel.   (Granted the single pane windows and minimal insulation were also contributing factors.)

So the furnace was one of the first items to go as the house was remodeled.  I wrote earlier about Carrier furnaces, and their associated rebates.  I actually took advantage of that, and saved an additional $1,100 with that offer when I purchased an Infinity model for just south of $15,000 fully loaded, installed with all new duct work.    Anyway getting to the point here, my new Carrier furnace enables my house to have multiple ‘zones’ which enables me to save my energy consumption and stop the bleeding of dollars sent to PG&E each month.

What is a ‘zone’ you ask, and how does it work?  A ‘zone’ is an area of your house that you define with your heating/cooling installer.  A zone is heated (or cooled) to a certain temperature while leaving other ‘zones’ at a different temperature.  I went with two zones in my house.

One zone is the family/kitchen/dining living space, and the second zone is Read more

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DuroDesign: a green cork flooring supplier

In a previous gwg article, we discussed the 10 must knows regarding cork flooring.  Now to find suppliers near our readers.  Within a week of emailing DuroDesign, I received cork samples and information.  In fact, they sent me samples in each of their six collections and 54 colors.

When the samples were opened, my husband and I poured over the options and were immediately impressed with DuroDesign’s cork line.  Recently, we’ve decided to use cork throughout our future home, except the great room, (unless I convince him to use an area rug).  We found it difficult to choose a favorite, so it appears we will have a few different schemes going throughout our home.

One of the reasons we would choose DuroDesign is because their cork tiles and uniclick panels are pre-finished with water-based polyurethane sealants.  Just because it is a cork floor, doesn’t mean it is necessarily green.  DuroDesign’s water-based finish assures that the cork floor is still green.  When you order their product, the price includes enough water-base polyurethane for 4 additional coats (the stain lasts approximately 4 years), as well as Read more

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The latest on Home Depot’s Eco Options green products and Ron Jarvis

What is orange, green, and good for a residential home remodel or improvement project? GetWithGreen thinks one answer is the ever growing inventory of Eco Option products located around the corner at your local Home Depot.

This past week Ron Jarvis senior vice president of environmental innovation with The Home Depot and GetWithGreen.com, sat down to talk about the Eco Options program, and retail trends in green home product market.

Ron’s home improvement career spans 23 years, starting early on with Lowe’s, followed by 13 years at America’s largest home improvement retailer, The Home Depot. For the last eight years Ron has been tracking energy products for the retail giant, and now leads the company’s Eco Options program, among other environmental initiatives, reduced energy consumption by stores, reduced waste and increased recycles as well as increased sustainability into all business functions.

Eco Options is Home Depot’s product labeling program that allows customers to easily identify products that have less of an impact on the environment. The 3,000+ products are located Read more

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Kirei board: Recycled beauty from counters to wall paneling

Not too long ago I received a gift massage, from my husband, to our local wellness center: Balance.  I was immediately smitten by the look of their reception counter.  When I learned that it was created from Kirei Board, I was even more impressed.

Much like plywood, kirei is a composite material, though it is made from the reclaimed stocks of sorghum plant.  Sorghum are a species of grass that are widely used.  Some species of sorghum grasses are used to feed livestock.  Others are used in alcoholic beverages and bio fuel.  Many gluten-free eaters will recognize it as flour safe for their consumption.  Certain species of sorghum are considered a staple in Africa, South Asia, and Central America, as they are the fifth largest cereal crop grown throughout the world.

Sorghum is a drought tolerant plant and grown all over the world.  Instead of burning the stalks or disposing them in waterways and landfills, a new interior finishing material is created.  You’ll also be pleased to know that the Kirei is combined with non-formaldehyde Read more

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GraniteCrete: the natural path

I’m a big sucker for pavers.  The Old World look that they give, the geometry…yet, here is another green alternative to concrete that I have fallen in love with: GraniteCrete.  Whether you’re in need of a new driveway, landscape path, or even a patio area, consider using the organic feel of GraniteCrete.

One of the reasons that I love pavers is because of their porous nature.  GraniteCrete is also porous, allowing water to naturally seep into the ground and preventing unnecessary runoff to drains and sewers.  Oil and other chemicals on our driveways can be broken down naturally by the bacteria in our soil before reaching our water table.  Keeping our groundwater clean is important for the root systems of our trees. GraniteCrete will also reduce the affects of flash flooding, and lessen the urban heat-island effect.  Runoff can cause erosion to the land and your landscape over time.

With all of that said, GraniteCrete has been installed in residences as well as harsher settings such as the California coastline (which, amazingly enough, did not require Read more

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