Over the last few years, buying environment friendly products for the home has become an increasingly important consideration for homeowners looking to make “green” improvements to their living space. To address this growing need, products such as flooring, lighting and paneling, as well as materials like paint and varnish are now readily available for virtually every remodeling project and every room in the house.
Numerous States have now also adopted legislation that limits the use of products that contain harmful fumes or chemicals. The good thing about this is, other than the obvious Green benefits, that many of the products that adhere to the new legislation are also becoming more affordable and are therefore more likely to be found on the shelves in our local hardware and home improvement stores.
See The Light! And Still Save on Energy Bills
It’s no secret that energy prices have soared and if you are planning a home improvement project, one of the simplest ways you can protect the environment – as well as save money – is to use less electricity.
Lighting and major appliances consume the most electricity; simply by switching to fluorescent bulbs, you can save up to 30% a year on your electricity bills. You can save a noticeable amount of money on your lighting costs by painting walls a lighter color, thus distributing light more effortlessly as well as making rooms appear brighter.
Leaking ducts can account for a surprising amount of wasted energy – up to 30%. If you are planning to caulk around ducts, vents and windows be sure to use a product that complies with recent regulations concerning the use of less VOCs in its manufacture. These are volatile organic compounds which contain pollutants that damage the ozone layer, and also contribute to producing smog.
Paint may be your biggest cause of concern if you are planning a home improvement project. Read the small print on the tin to make sure it complies with VOC standards – almost 30 brands are now readily available. Typically, lighter colors of paint tend to contain fewer VOCs.
Tip-Top Countertops
Kitchen countertops are an area where it is possible to help the environment. A recent innovation is a countertop made entirely of recycled paper and water-based resin. You can also install countertops made of paper and cement so that the production involves no quarrying that damages the land.
The bathroom is one of the most important areas where you can help protect the environment. Around 75% of all water used in the home is used by the bathroom shower, toilet and sink combined. Low flow or adjustable showerheads are easy to install and a dual flush toilet – offering a full or half-flush – can potentially lower a typical water bill by up to $75 a year. An estimated 4 trillion gallons of water would be saved every year in the United States if every household installed a dual flush toilet.
The Japanese are well known for their inventive labor-saving and technologically advanced devices. One of their latest innovations may soon be commonplace in the United States – an ingenious combination toilet/bathroom sink – you wash your hands in water that is then used to flush the toilet.
Get Floored! In The Utmost Style of Course
And one of the biggest trends in home improvement? Many people, especially those moving into a new home, consider installing a new floor covering as one of their most important projects. Cork, bamboo and reclaimed wood flooring all have a strong visual appeal as well as helping the environment, and in recent years, these alternative materials for flooring have become popular.
Cork flooring has excellent insulating qualities and can save on energy costs; it also reduces noise and can help keep a home free from allergens. What’s more, it is surprisingly tough as well as being water resistant.
And one other thing to keep in mind if you are “going green” when remodeling or improving your home. Always dispose of old or unwanted materials safely – many materials can be donated for people to reuse, or otherwise recycled. If in doubt, check with your county recycling program.
The next time you are making improvements to your living space be sure to do your bit to protect our precious planet… Go Green!
By: Tom Willmar
Posts Tagged ‘Home Improvement Stores’
Going ‘Green’ with Environmentally-Friendly Home Improvement Products
February 9th, 2010Home Improvement On A Budget
February 2nd, 2010
You can make improvements to your home without busting the bank. You can even make the improvements yourself, just use an extra amount of care and go slow – two things that will serve you well when you’re doing your own home improvement projects.
For some specific ideas, how old are the lighting fixtures in your dining room or bathrooms? These are fixtures that most people live with and use each and every day but often ignore. Changing these lighting fixtures can make a huge difference in the appearance of your rooms.
Look around at home improvement stores and lighting stores to get an idea of the style that you’re looking for. While a lighting store may be priced higher than what you want to spend, it’s a great place to get ideas for lighting fixtures you may be able to find at less expense retailers later during your budget friendly home improvement project. If you have any second thoughts about the color of the lighting fixture, ask the sales associate to move the fixture to a part of the store that most resembles the level of lighting in the goal room.
Visiting upper scale lighting and home stores is a great place to “window” shop for the style you want for the goal room. When trying to plan home improvements on a budget, shopping around for deals is the first and most time consuming step.
Once you have finally settled on a style that will fit within your home decor and decided on the big purchase, you can move on to step two of your home improvement project on a budget; installation.
Local home improvement stores are constantly offering classes on electrical wiring and lighting installation. To save the most money during your budget wise home improvement project, wait for a class on fixture assembly and installation and install the units yourself.
Saving money while improving your home is all about cutting costs. If lighting fixtures are your current project, shop first, shop second and install last!
By: Julia Vakulenko
Loew’s Home Improvement – Have You Shopped at Loew’s?
February 1st, 2010
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to Loew’s Home Improvement stores with my grandfather, who was a general contractor. I would go into the store with him once or twice a week to pick up the materials he needed for a job, and to this day whenever I walk into a store I’m reminded of pushing a huge cart. Even though I’d sometimes run the it into people or display racks, my grandfather always let me push the cart when I asked him to. I remember him having a great rapport with the people who worked there, and we were constantly stopping to talk to one employee or another. They always seemed extremely knowledgeable and kind, and I genuinely looked forward to visiting with them whenever we went shopping there.
To this day, whenever I need materials for a project (which isn’t very frequently, I’m not very handy), I look forward to walking through the automatic doors and breathing in the scent of the wood that is sold there. Like the days when I was a child, the store employees are still very nice and they always seem to know what they’re talking about. Unlike at other chain stores, I never hesitate to ask an employee a question. Without fail at Loew’s Home Improvement stores, if the employee I ask doesn’t know how to help, he or she will find somebody who can.
I really get the feeling as though Loew’s Home Improvement stores are bigger versions of the small town shops you see in old movies. Everyone’s friendly and willing to lend you a hand. For me, Loew’s Home Improvement stores are the only ones I’ll go to for home related things. The store has really built a relationship with me, and I’m happy to take my paycheck there (even if it isn’t with my grandpa).
By: Jeff Bagley
