You recycle, you buy local food when you can and maybe you bike to work on occasion. But how do your homebuilding and renovating practices rate on the eco-meter? With these tips, you'll be able to increase the health of your living space-your immediate home and the planet.
1 Save water by installing a water-efficient 6-l toilet or a dual-flush model that lets you select the amount of water needed. Low-flow showerheads will also conserve water and still give you a good rinse.
2 Choose low- or zero-volatile organic compounds (VOC)-emitting paints for both interior and exterior applications.
3 Hard surfaces in urban yards increase rainwater runoff, which taxes municipal water-treatment facilities and possibly concentrates toxins in streams, rivers and lakes. Consider permeable paving surfaces that allow turf to grow but can be driven on.
4 Use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood products wherever you can. Engineered products, such as MDF and particleboard, are all available from FSCcertified manufacturers.
5 Choose sustainable sheet goods for cabinetry, wall panelling or furniture. Varieties available include panels made from sustainably grown and harvested bamboo, straw, wheat, coconut palm and sorghum stalks.
6 Wherever stone is called for, use eco-friendly options. Countertops or tiles made from recycled glass terrazzo, paper pressed in resin made from cashew shells and cement products incorporating recycled paper and fly ash are all durable, handsome solid surfaces.
7 Consider green flooring options. From FSC-certified wood and engineered wood products to natural wool carpets with no-VOC backings, bamboo-strip flooring to all-natural linoleum, there's a flooring solution to fit any decor and lighten your ecological footprint.
8 Don't send paint down the drain. Clean brushes and rollers in buckets and dispose of the solids after the solvent evaporates. Let unused paint harden before disposal at your local hazardous-waste depot, if possible, or bring it to a paint recycle centre.
9 While a high-efficiency furnace is an expensive investment, it will typically pay for itself after a few seasons in utility-bill savings. If you're going to use a non-renewable resource, you might as well squeeze all the heat out that you can. Automatic thermostats save energy by lowering the heat when it's not necessary.
10 Insulate. Proper in-stallation of insulation can reduce energy use substantially. Consider cotton insulation batts made from recycled denim, recycled cellulose insulation, soy-based spray foam or formaldehyde-free fibreglass batts, such as Ultratouch cotton insulation.
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