Archive for 'Home Improvement'

Looking to save on your home energy bill while taking that hot shower? Think longterm.

Investing in a tank-less water heater may involve more green up-front but you’ll be saving green in the long-run. Stop re-heating water all day in a hot water tank and just heat it when you need, which is estimated to [...]

Our never ending search for innovative home energy solutions has uncovered San Francisco based, Sun Run Solar Service. Sun Run has developed a unique approach to residential solar installation that enables people to take their homes solar and off grid without buying and maintaining their own solar power installation.

You sign an agreement with [...]

Undertaking a home building project? Sustainable, eco-friendly materials are the only way to go — they’re better for you, as well as the planet. According to GreenBuilding.com, “the US EPA ranks indoor pollution among top five environmental risks, and unhealthy air is found in up to 30% of new and renovated buildings.”
A couple [...]

Save energy in your home without sacrificing style by simply installing an energy-saving dimmer. Dimming your lights 25% saves 20% in energy. Learn about your light bulb options from Lutron, and how one of their dimmers will impact your energy savings. Check out the handy bulb type comparison guide and how to save [...]

Thinking of putting in a deck, patio or fencing in or around your humble estate? Consider using Trex composite deck material instead of toxic, treated lumber. Trex is a composite alternative wood material created from a combination of recycled wood and plastic. The plastic prevents moisture, rot and insect damage and spintering [...]

California has set the ambitious goal of creating 3,000 megawatts of solar power by 2017 and has put $3.3 billion where its mouth is. Anyone considering taking advantage of these incentives is faced with the challenge of researching vendors, technology and design choices. Bay Area-based, Sungevity, has created an interesting online option [...]

Bottled water has got to go. Every day millions of status thirsty consumers gulp-down water shipped from far flung places like Mt. Fuji, France and the Poconos. The fossil fuel consumed in shipping and the bottle manufacturing process is almost criminal. Add to it, the fact that 8 out of 10 plastic bottles [...]

Both confirmed junkaholics as well as newbies to the wonderful world of junk will delight in Sue Whitney and Ki Nassauer’s latest book, Junk Beautiful. These clever and prolific purveyors of cast-offs and pre-loved items (yes, junk) demonstrate how to tackle the art of decorating your home room by room — utilizing what [...]

Fantasizing about building a bamboo home, but not sure if you’d like living in it? Here’s a place that you can try before you buy. Take a much needed vaca to a Maui resort (swim to the island if you must), and rent a bamboo jungalow to experience what it would be like [...]

Don’t look now but it appears residential renewable energy systems and wind power technology are getting cheaper. California based Freetricity’s E2D Windmaster is a roof-mounted small residential wind turbine that comes with an affordable price tag. Though it sports a small propeller that could prove hazardous to hummingbirds and the like (though its [...]

Mythic Paint makes non-toxic, ultra low odor paints that provide the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that emit years after drying. Mythic’s paint products meet or exceed the performance standard set by Green Seal and the Masters Painters Institute and they come in [...]

Now here’s a good use of solar technology. A 30 watt halogen, motion sensor light for those walkways, driveways and unlit locations without power.
DIY installation and no electricity bill. The motion sensor covers 180 degrees and up to 35 feet.
on sale now for $105.95 @ earthtechproducts.com

If you’re looking to upgrade the cabinets in your kitchen, and love to live eco-friendly and toxin-free, check out EcoCraft cabinetry. These products are created with finishes that are healthier than most other cabinet companies, made with sustainable materials and built to last.
Much of today’s cabinetry is a source of indoor air pollution. Plywood and [...]

Before it turns into runoff and carries fertilizers, oil, and other pollutants to our rivers and oceans, capture that water with a waste water capture system.
Pictured above is a Larry, a Do-It-Yourself-er who’s watering his yard and getting exercise at the same time. A great way to up your eco-quotient! Check out this bicycle [...]

Stay organically warm this winter with natural insulation for your home sweet home. Birmingham, England based Natural Deco makes insulation from sheep’s wool, hemp, or recycled paper, that doesn’t harm the environment in the making. These recyclable products will regulate humidity and temperature, absorb air pollution, and provide acoustic insulation.
Apply a finishing touch [...]