green Building Materials

Sustainable Kitchen and Bathrooms More Popular

jchait — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:42:15 -0400

A fairly recent AIA Home Design Trends Survey shows that kitchens and bathrooms remain a popular key design area in the home, and that includes green additions and green remodels and features.

Bathrooms have gone slightly down in popularity, in that more people are making do with smaller and fewer baths - to me that's a good deal. However, they still remain higher in focus than other home areas.

The growing interest in green features includes items like renewable flooring, such as cork and bamboo; renewable counter top materials, like bamboo and concrete, and energy efficient appliances. Water filters for drinking water have also remained a semi-popular feature in kitchens.

If you're looking to build or remodel green and kitchens and baths are at the top of your list, the first step is to consider what you need vs. what you think you need. You may be able to manage just fine with a smaller kitchen or bathroom. Size is one big green issue, but next you'll want to look at materials.

Here's where to find some decent green features, fixtures, and materials.

Low flow toilets

Composting toilets

WaterSense labeled faucets and aerators

Smaller bathtubs

Low flow shower heads

Endurawood Butcher Block Counter tops

Safecoat 3 in 1 Adhesive

Bathroom counter tops

Non-Toxic & Natural Paints and Finishes

Recycled metal tiles

Recycled glass tiles

Efficient Hot Water Pumps

Eco friendly kitchen counters

Of course this is just a good start. There are plenty of green bath and kitchen materials available currently - once you start looking, you'll see all sorts of supplies to adore.

Best Green Educational Product and Information Website

jchait — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:46:58 -0400

Recently, the Green Log Home website was voted "'Best Green Educational Product and Information' website. It hit the winner's circle when consumers voted it into the top tier as one of seven finalists in the Environment News Service (ENS) competition for best education site. Soon, experts at ENS will choose a final, single winner.

I hadn't actually heard of Green Log Home before, and that's a little surprising considering all the green and home sites I frequent. So I checked them out, to see what they offer consumers.

Basically, Green Log Home is aiming to inform consumers about how to build an affordable green home, how to green a current home, and how to be sure your home is safe and healthy. In the words of the website:

"This website has been created to educate you, the consumer, by helping you differentiate fact from fiction. Most information on the Internet isn't regulated, nor is it checked for inaccuracies. Many companies spin clever marketing campaigns to sell their products and services. There are so many 'Green-Washing' campaigns, and catchy 'Green' advertisements to draw your attention. Who are we all supposed to believe? Our website will provide you with facts based on real-life occurrences, as opposed to 'mis-information' driven by shareholder dividends and sales people looking to make commissions."

Now, here's what I found that is cool:

In their "Why change" section, they offer easy to digest bites of green know-how. Why to go green, why build green, government incentives, and a little bit about LEED (They're LEED supporters it seems). This is a great site for green building newbies.

What it looks like is a real green home is being constructed and the website is the process in motion. I like their "Considerations When Buying Land" section. It's not in-depth, but like I said this is a great site if you're new to green building. the land consideration section offers some nice ideas that you can learn quickly.

The "Well-Being in the Home" section is also good, and goes into topics that promote human health as well as home health, which I also like to see. We're all intertwined. They also offer a good starter costs checklist, and the green choices section is very nice too. Most everything offered at the site is easy to navigate.

Cons:

I don't like their products, or materials page. They note that they're trying to avoid green washing and green catchy stuff yet seem to have many sponsors, which in of itself is not bad, but each product page reads like a commercial; with no other options offered. Also, the hardware section is Home Depot; which I have mixed emotions about (long story for another time). But I will say that I think local is better than a mass produced and shipped eco-label.

So far, I'd skip the blog. There's some decent info there, but it's not as interesting as the website, or the most eye friendly blog ever, and the links are all typed, that annoys me on blogs - if it's a pet peeve of your's stay clear.

Visit Green Log Home.

Earth Friendly Building Materials

jchait — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:40:27 -0400

Green is fairly subjective. We do have LEED and independents (folks not following LEED but who do set and follow green building standards), so there is green building and green material use. It's complicated because so far no one has been able to ultimately agree on what's the greenest list of building products. Some people think that a lower VOC paint is just fine, while some think truly green would be no VOC. Some think reclaimed is better than sustainable harvested woods, and some people think you shouldn't build at all new, no matter the greenness of a product.

If you do want to build or renovate green, how then, with all the opinions, do you choose green building materials?

Environmental Building News (EBN) published a useful list that I read a while back with some great tips about how to choose green building materials. Technically it was what makes a material green, but same idea; it helps you choose. Summed up, EBN notes the following traits of green building materials.

Products made from one or more of the following - recycled materials, salvaged materials, or agricultural waste content. This seems pretty basic, but check your products carefully. Some reclaimed or recycled products have newer materials added to them. If your goal is full on green, you'll want to aim for a high percentage of reuse or recycled material.

Materials that preserve natural resources: Materials that last a long time (thus not needing to be replaced), use less of a natural resource than a conventional brand, or materials that we can reproduce rapidly are examples.

Materials that don't produce harmful toxins or emissions, or reduce toxins and other problems (like pesticides) by a decent percentage.

Materials that contribute to a healthy and safe environment: For example, products that help to remove indoor pollution, or block the production of something harmful like mold.

Each of these material issues is made up of many smaller factors and examples. Eventually we'll look at each more in-depth, but now at least you have a good basic check off list.