Restoring History – Protecting Our Future

“What use is a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Thoreau

by Matt Grocoff, founder Greenovation.TV, contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, and the greenovation guru for Old House Web

The full article is available on OLD HOUSE WEB

When my wife Kelly and I bought our 110 year old Folk-Victorian home in Ann Arbor’s Old West Side Historic District, it was a dream come true: drafty old windows, lead paint, zero insulation, a half-century old furnace, asbestos siding, a gas powered mower in the shed and even a few pieces of coal scattered around the back yard. What more could a couple ask for?

From the start we knew that homes use an astonishing 22% of energy consumed in the U.S. In fact, your home uses far more energy than your car. Home energy costs have skyrocketed to an average of $2200 per year. Old homes use even more than their fair share of the energy pie. . . .

But using resources to build big new “green” homes to save resources just seems ironic. There are 130 million existing homes in the U.S.; half were built before 1972.

So, retrofitting America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it is indeed about protecting our future.

READ MATT’S FULL ARTICLE AT OLD HOUSE WEB

And . . . here’s helpful resources you must explore before starting your Mission Zero:

One Block Off the Grid http://1bog.org/

Joolze.com http://www.joolze.com/

Transcript

Matt: [at front of old Victorian house] Hi, I’m Matt Grocoff, the green renovation expert for Old House Web and host of greenovation.tv and this is my house.  So when my wife Kelly and I first bought this 110 year old folk Victorian house, it was a dream come true: it had lead paint, asbestos siding, zero insulation and even an old gas powered lawn mower out in the shed.  What more can anybody ask for.

Matt: [in living room] So on move in day we brought two things with us:  a crowbar to rip up all the old carpet and a box of compact fluorescent light bulbs.  We replaced every light socket in this house with compact fluorescents and then we added motion sensors to every light switch in the house.  We leave a room, if we forget to turn it off, it turns it off for us.

Matt: [in bathroom] So at the start of our renovation project, this was the only bathroom in the house.  It was fantastic.  It had pink Formica tiles, an old flush toilet that flushed 5 gallons every time.  This is a Caroma Dual Flush Toilet which only uses .8 gallons every flush and unlike our old toilet never clogs.  But not only have we made it look great, but we’ve made it way more energy efficient.

This is a 1-minute a gallon showerhead.  This is going to use a gallon and a half a minute less than an ordinary showerhead.  This will literally save thousands of gallons over its lifetime.

Matt: [backyard drilling for geothermal] I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “I thought you couldn’t put geothermal into a historic house.”  Well this house proves that wrong.  We were able to put three 150-foot bore holes vertically into the back yard on a very small piece of property.  Not only do we have a heating and cooling system that uses half the energy of our neighbors, we have a house that’s a whole lot more comfortable.

Matt: [in living room] We’re out to prove that old houses can be the Greenest houses. In fact, with all the renovations we’ve done so far, we’ve made this house ultra efficient and we’ve got a ways to go.  We’re going to take this house all the way to Net Zero.  Meaning it’s going to produce more energy than it uses.

Matt: [at the computer] So you eco geeks, get ready to get geeked out because this is our WattVision Google Power Meter.  And this will tell us how much energy we’re consuming at any given moment.  If everyone knew how much energy they were using, they would probably use a lot less.  [I'm coming to get you, I got you, I got you] Before we get the solar panels up on the roof, you can see we’ve got a lot of work to do.

Matt: [pointing to house exterior] We’ve got to paint the house, restore these old windows, then top it off with some really energy efficient storm windows.  My daughter Jane will probably still be alive when this house turns 200 years old.  So restoring America’s old homes is not just about preserving history, it’s about protecting our future.   So for Old House Web, this is Matt Grocoff reminding you that, “The Green Revolution Begins at Home”

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In home improvement projects, the popular eco-friendly products are not always the best solution.  Lester Graham has the story of a home improvement intervention.

Kevin Leeser was not happy with the floors downstairs in his one-hundred year old house.

[Transcript of Lester's story for the Environment Report on public radio - Watch video above to see Kevin refinish his floors and see the gorgeous results]

CLICK IMAGE TO LISTEN TO RADIO STORY

Kevin Leeser:  Well, weve lived here five years and just over the five years theyve started to get grayer and you can tell that the finish was in the high traffic areas—you could tell where we were walking it looks like we were hamsters walking through this place.

Lester Graham:  This is maple, right?

KL: Pfft.  Yeah, thats what they tell me.

Kevin toyed with the idea of finishing the maple floors but that sounded really involved.

And then the in-laws visited during the holidays.

KL: My mother-in-law was like “Why dont you get new floors.” (laugh)  And I was like “well, yeah”, it would be easier, cause the things I was concerned about were sawdust, and cause I have a newborn, just dirtying up the house and figured just getting some clean stuff, cutting it outside, sticking it down and be done with it.

LG: So, wanting to be eco-friendly, he thought hed put down bamboo flooring.  Bamboo is renewable and it grows fast and its pretty popular these days.

Then his neighbor stopped by.  Matt Grocoff the eco-friendly home improvement guy with www.Greenovation.TV who had some eh—thoughts about Kevin’s plan.

Matt Grocoff: And, I, like, practically smacked him in the face and I said “What are you thinking?”  This is a gorgeous floor.  Go rent yourself a sander or even hire someone for a few hundred bucks to strip the floor and then refinish it.

LG: So, you’re not a big fan of bamboo?

MG: Bamboo is a great product if you have to do something new.  You have to ask a question: do you need that new product or do you have something that works now and just needs to be renewed.

Oh, yeah.  Reduce.  Re-use.  Recycle.  So, Kevin’s wife, Lauren and their baby were away for a few days.  Kevin rented a sander and then started looking for an eco-friendly sealant for his maple floors.  Matt had an idea for that.

MG: Kevin’s using a natural oil from BioShield which is a mixture of tung and linseed oil that is so easy to use.  It’s easier to use than even a low-VOC or zero-VOC polyurethene finish and easier to maintain in the long run.

And in the end renting the sander, buying sanding pads, buying the floor sealant, paint brushes and all that stuff ended up costing Kevin about HALF of what it would have if he put down bamboo.  Not a bad deal.

But the big question what did his wife, Lauren, think of the refinished old floors.

Lauren: It looks absolutely beautiful and we didnt have to get new floors.  Win, win.  We love it.  Beautiful.

Matt Grocoff says he was sure Kevin and Lauren would be happy, because he did the same thing at his house.

MG: The first thing that I did when we finished with our floor is I took a glass of red wine when we were celebrating and I poured half a glass of red wine on the floor and my wife was like “What are you doing?!”  And I was like, “look, were going to spill wine on it eventually, lets see what happens now.”  The wine beaded up on the floor.  We took a little sponge, wiped it clean and its gorgeous, five years later.

LG: That’s Matt Grocoff with Greenovation.TV.  Thanks, Matt.

MG: Lester, this is always so much fun.  Im glad to be doing it.

LG: That’s The Environment Report.  I’m Lester Graham.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Bioshield Natural Paint & Oil Finishes (In the story Kevin uses Bioshield Hard Oil #9)

Safecoat Paints and Finishes

Home Depot Tool Rental

The U.S. Green Building Council

The EPA’s site on green building techniques

LISTEN TO THE RADIO STORY: The Environment Report

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Read more about Matt’s clean and green bath addition at Old House Web.

More cool stuff

Materials Unlimited – for salvaged material, clawfoot tubs, bathroom hardware

Habitat Restore

Permaglaze

BIO  > > > > >

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by Lester Graham (transcript from radio story on The Environment Report)

When you’re planning a home improvement project, you can be overwhelmed with decisions about the right materials, the right quality, and the right design. Trying to keep it eco- friendly on top of everything else just adds to the confusion. Lester Graham reports it can be as simple as finding a label:

Julia Weinert and her boyfriend like the idea of making their place nice, but even something as simple as painting causes concerns.

Look for Forest Stewardship Council for sustainably harvested wood

LG: “Well, you’re in luck. We’re at the local Home Depot and we just happen to have Greenovation.TV’s Matt Grocoff here. Matt, you’ve got some advice for her.”

MG: “And it’s really, really simple. When you’re trying to find a paint that’s healthy for you or another product, you shouldn’t have to be a chemist when you go to the store. There’s a really simple thing you can look for. Just look for the simple GREENGUARD label. GREENGUARD is an independent organization that lets you know with a simple label that that product is safe for you.”

So, none of the really strong paint smells that mean polluting chemicals are being released. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute sets indoor air standards for products and buildings. Julia and I sniffed a can of paint WITH the GREENGUARD label, and then one without.

LG: “I’ll let you sniff first.”

JW: Okay. Oh! Yeah! Oh my gosh! That is ridiculous. I mean, it smells so much stronger than this one. You can’t even smell that one compared to this one.”

A gallon of paint with the GREENGUARD label DOES cost a few dollars more, maybe as much as ten bucks.

Matt then herded us to another part of the store, the plumbing section, where Julia and I were confronted by all kinds of shiny chrome and brass faucets.

Greenguard establishes acceptable product standards for building materials, interior furnishings, cleaners, electronics and children’s products

JW: “There’s a whole wall, a whole aisle of faucets here and I just don’t know which ones to look for.”

LG: “So, Matt. You got any fancy labels here?”

MG: “Absolutely. Again, if you’re looking for that eco-friendly option, a way to save yourself some money and some water, it’s simple. Just look for the WaterSense label. The EPA does EnergyStar labels for appliances. The EPA also does WaterSense label for plumbing fixtures.”

WaterSense means the fixture – whether a faucet, shower head or toilet – will use less water but still works well.

As we wandered over to the lumber section of the store, Matt told us the last label he wanted to show us is the most ignored label – and it might just be the most important one.

MG: “FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. And what that means is they’ve made a commitment that they’re not going to be tearing down forest and clear-cutting them in order for you to build some bookshelves in your home. This is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases is that we don’t have these forests capturing this carbon any more. Instead of having to have a PhD in forest management, you can just simply look for a piece of wood that has an FSC label on it.”

So, labels. Julia says, works for her.

JW: “It’s going to be great, taking my boyfriend around the store and showing him all these cool things I can get to make our home improvements a little more cheap and environmentally-friendly.”

LG: “Alright remind me, go over this again. What am I supposed to be looking for?”

MG: “It’s very simple. If you’re looking for paint, look for GREENGUARD. For plumbing, WaterSense. For lumber, FSC, Forest Stewardship Council certified.”

LG: “That’s Matt Grocoff, Greenovation.TV. Thanks again, Matt.

MG: “Lester, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you.”

For The Environemnt Report, I’m Lester Graham.

TRUST THESE LABELS:

Energy Star – means it’s energy efficient

WaterSense – means it’s water efficient

FSC Forest Stewardship Council – means you can trust that it didn’t come from a forest that was clear cut

Greenguard / Green Seal / for healthy indoor air quality (read the warning labels and compare)

Cradle to Cradle – means it uses environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

SCS / Scientific Certification Systems

Consumer Reports on Eco-Labels: http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels

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We all want to do what we can to reduce our environmental impact, but green products can be hard on the budget, especially eco furniture. But you have options! Echo Wood Productions LLC provides modern, earth friendly furnishings made from recycled wood and uses all Greenguard certified finishes.

Affordable Furniture Made From Recycled Wood

Many furniture pieces use exotic or high end wood to boost value. This not only damages the delicate ecosystems where exotic wood is found, but it ends the life of exquisite organisms. We want the value of our furniture to come from the skill and effort we put into making it striking and not from the tree it was made- that’s cheating. Trees take a considerable amount of time to grow and need to be treated as the valuable resource they are, especially as the demand for wood grows.

So we upcycle shipping pallets pulled out of dumpsters to make our furniture in order to preserve living trees. A shocking amount of usable wood is tossed everyday while we continue to cut up trees. Upcycling wood, the process of reusing lesser value products to create a greater value product, is essential to saving space in our landfills and preserving live forests. The small amount of wood waste we generate is broken down further and then composted.

The standard finish for the furniture industry is an unsafe, lacquer based finish filled with high hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. Our finishing product of choice is a water-borne and Greenguard certified finish that is free of HAPs (hazardous air pollutants) and very low VOCs (volatile organic compounds). This means it is safer for you to have in your home, safer for me to work with, and safer for the environment.

Michelle Burton, dedicated to simple living, lives in Gainesville Florida with her carpenter husband, Caleb. Together, they handcraft each piece from start to finish. They enjoy gardening, their dogs, chickens, and watching PBS. Check out their website at www.echowoodproductions.com.

RESOURCES FOR HEALTHY FURNISHINGS:

Pottery Barn now offers products made from reclaimed materials

Find an Urban Wood Retailer near you for locally sourced urban lumber

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Planning to remodel? Unless your home is fairly new, only renovators certified to handle lead will soon be legally allowed to do the work. The problem: Many are not yet ready.

On April 22, the Environmental Protection Agency is slated to enact rules requiring EPA certification for contractors working 0n homes built before lead paint was banned in 1978. The rule, aimed at limiting exposure to lead, applies to carpenters, plumbers, heating and air conditioning workers, window installers and others.  Read full article at USA Today.

Read Related Article on GTV from Philip Proefrock: Do New Renovation Laws Stifle Greenovation?

Peeling Lead Paint - photo by EditorB CC 2.0 license

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by Philip Proefrock, LEED AP, GreenovationTV contributing writer

Photo by Cat Sidh under Creative Commons 2.0 license

Greener living often starts with the things you don’t do, rather than the things that you do. With home energy, the cheapest watts are those you don’t have to pay for (what Amory Lovins calls “negawatts“). It is far better (and cheaper) to invest in efficiency than to “slap on some solar panels” to run things.

Likewise, buildings and materials have “embodied energy” in the materials and effort that went into their original fabrication. This is why renovating an existing building has significant benefits over tearing down and building new, even if the new building would be more efficient than the existing one.

But, there are some new laws coming into effect that look like they may have a negative effect on renovation and remodeling projects. Rules from the EPA (PDF) on the handling of lead paint in existing buildings take effect this April, and remodeling contractors will need to ensure that they follow new procedures, which may increase cost on some renovation projects. And the new California green building code has prompted discussion about the valuation of existing buildings in green construction.

The new CALGREEN code (PDF), which takes effect January 1, 2011, is a statewide addition to the building code that joins other systems such as Green Globes and LEED that are used to evaluate the greenness of a building. But some groups feel that renovating existing buildings is being overlooked.

Preserving an old building should get more points than it does, says Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

“If you save a historic building, you can get up to three points,” Dishman says. “But if you use recycled carpet, you get one point. Is saving a whole building really the same as recycled carpet?”

The new code does not mandate the renovation of existing buildings, but there may be cases where a developer would not find enough benefit in retrofitting an existing building, and would choose instead to demolish it in order to build new. But renovation may still make good economic sense over the added costs of demolition and new construction.

New laws dealing with lead paint exposure also may cause general impacts on renovation projects. For homes, apartments, and other facilities that may be occupied by children built before 1978, special measures need to be followed to ensure that lead dust and debris does not cause additional exposure hazards.

The new measures are prescriptive practices to be followed to minimize lead contamination during the process of renovation, including steps the contractor must take to seal areas of work, protect furniture and surfaces in areas that may be exposed to lead dust and debris, and cleaning and collecting waste in a thorough and responsible manner. At Treehugger, Lloyd Alter raised some concerns about the backlash from the new rules.

Seriously, I spend a lot of time proselytizing that renovation creates labour intensive green jobs that can put a lot of unskilled people back to work. Now, on April 22, they become highly skilled and regulated jobs that require special tools, expensive bug suits, goggles and double gloves. People will just tear the things down instead.

As I understand the requirements (and, to be clear, I am not a certified remodeler), if the materials and surfaces involved in the renovation have been tested and are determined to be free of lead, then the lead-based paint renovation, repair, and painting requirements do not apply. But if lead is present, then it is prudent to deal with it in a responsible manner. The new practices will help to protect workers, as well as children under 6, who are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning. While the added steps and the certifications contractors must obtain may represent some additional costs, lead containment is a reasonable expectation for a safe renovation. And homeowners may experience a benefit of less impact on the rest of the house from the improved containment procedures.

In some instances, the cost and labor involved in extensive remodeling of buildings with large amounts of lead paint may become cost prohibitive. Hopefully, creative approaches to renovation can keep existing buildings from the wrecking ball.

Philip Proefrock is a regular contributor to GreenovationTV and a registered architect with p s proefrock architecture, based in Michigan. He is a LEED accredited professional and has taught sustainable design architectural studio at Lawrence Technological University and assisted with LEED study groups for other building professionals. He is also an architectural photographer, writer and blogger. Philip is senior contributing writer for EcoGeek.org where he concentrates on green building systems, renewable power, and transportation, and a regular contributor to JetsonGreen.com

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More and more communities are looking for better ways to manage their urban forests. Whether that means seeking more eco-friendly options, or supporting more local initiatives, or both, developing a program to reclaim community wood will assist in reaching those goals.

Urbanwood isn’t really much different from traditional wood. It’s durable, beautiful and renewable. The only difference is that it doesn’t come from typical forests or lumber yards. Rather, it grows in backyards, parks, and neighborhoods.

John "Sawmill John" Haling is an urban sawyer in Michigan. Photo by Peter Hoffman.

Unfortunately, trees removed from our cities are often seen as waste, and generally end up in a chipper. Urbanwood programs seek to end this cycle, by working to save logs. This creates a wide variety of green products, conserves resources, and supports local jobs.

Turning an urban tree into a finished product is labor-intensive, but well worth the effort. Hazardous trees are removed due to death, disease, or development. Quality logs are handpicked and set aside. Local mills process the logs one at a time to preserve each one’s unique character. The lumber from this “waste” wood becomes beautiful furniture or flooring for your home.

Furniture made from urban wood by designer Paul Hickman

The U.S. Commerce Department found that 73,000 American furniture jobs were eliminated between 2000 and 2002. During the same period, U.S. sales of Chinese-made furniture exploded from $405 million to $5.82 billion.

Municipalities and urban areas can reach their environmental and think-local-first goals with an urbanwood program in more than one way. The most important aspect is to promote the highest and best use of a community’s wood resources. Secondly, by capturing the lumber value contained in trees and utilizing it within the communities it came from, jobs are created and dollars are kept right in the neighborhoods.

According to Jessica Simons, a project coordinator for the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council’s Urbanwood program, “Southeastern Michigan’s dead urban trees could produce enough lumber to build 362 average-sized homes each year.”

Urbanwood is a natural choice for green building projects, because it conserves resources by keeping good wood from going to waste. Since all harvesting, processing, and sales happen locally, urbanwood products create fewer transportation emissions than other eco-friendly options.

In addition to the environmental and economic benefits, programs are rewarded through building connections between producers and end users. Urbanwood programs also increase the opportunity to enhance public understanding of sustainable working forests and landscapes.

Kitchen cabinets made from dead urban ash trees

To learn more about urbanwood programs that are currently in operation all over the country, visit the following Web sites:

Southeastern Michigan (http://urbanwood.org),

Mid-Atlantic region (http://www.urbanwoodexchange.org),

Los Angeles (http://www.urbanwoods.net),

Chicago (http://illinoisurbanwood.org)

Seattle and San Francisco (http://www.urbanhardwoods.com).

Jennifer Eschelbach is a GreenovationTV Contributing Writer and in charge of outreach for the The Environmental House Energy & Green Building Resource Center (EnHouse) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The EnHouse is a comprehensive resource and touring facility dedicated to furthering the causes of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Jennifer is currently working on her second bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in Urban and Regional Planning.  She loves the smell of energy efficiency in the morning.
Music featured in video by Josh Woodward (Creative Commons)

Photos courtesy Paul Hickman and Peter Hoffman

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Listen to Matt’s story on The Environment Report syndicated on NPR stations nationwide.

We know that a hardware store sells hardware.  So, what in the world does a ReStore sell? . . . . It sells any kind of RE you can imagine: REducing, REusing, REcycling .

Habitat ReStores are retail outlets which help you restore your house for a fraction of the cost while helping out a great cause.  In addition to

Bathroom made with reused material from reuse centers: mirror, clawfoot tub, sink, marble floor, picture frame, moldings, plumbing parts, cabinets, antique doors and paint Photo by Dave Lewinski

raising funds for Habitat for Humanity, ReStores help the environment by keeping quality, usable materials out of landfills and putting them back into good use.

Materials sold by Habitat ReStores are usually donated from building supply stores, contractors, demolition crews or from individuals who want to support Habitat for Humanity and keep stuff out of landfills.

When our very own Dr. Anna Marie renovated her home in Florida, she donated all of the old cabinets and appliances to her local Habitat ReStore (watch the video).  When Kelly and I needed reclaimed brick for our patio, salvaged lumber for our moldings, antique doors and a claw foot tub for the new bathroom, an outdoor fireplace, plumbing supplies, and even tools, we found it all (and more) at the ReStore and saved tons of money.

Reuse centers like the ReStore can be found in virtually every community in North America (see below to find a store near you).  They are a green remodeler’s dream come true and a perfect way to reach the goal of zero waste.

You can literally build an entire house from materials from a reuse center.

You’ll typically save 50% – 90% by skipping the big box stores and finding what you need at a ReStore.  So, use fewer natural resources, keep good stuff out of landfills, help a charity and save a little money . . . You can’t beat that.

Check out The Story of Stuff if you’re not already convinced about reuse.  You’ll definitely want to check out all the cool stuff over at the great new website www.AltUse.com if you’re looking for alternative uses for stuff you’ve got laying around the house but can’t bring yourself to drop by the ReStore.

by Matt Grocoff

Related Links:

Habitat ReStore Directory – United States

Habitat ReStore Directory – Canada

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1. Energy Efficiency:

Geothermal heating, cooling and hot water – We used Envision by Waterfurnace is 30 SEER a/c; up to 500%. (5 COP). Read the article about our system in MetroMode Magazine. Learn more about geothermal.

Find a contractor anywhere in the U.S.

Geothermal Contractors in Ann Arbor:
Meadowlark Builders, (734) 332-1500
Michigan Energy Services, (888) 339-7700
Haley Mechanical, WaterFurnace vendor (800) 871-7993
Jetstream Heating & Cooling, Geocomfort System – Tom Fauser (734) 668-8010

Fact: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said geothermal heat pumps are, “the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available today.”

Occupancy sensors Wattstopper on all light switches – turns off lights automatically in unoccupied rooms. California now requires these in all new home construction.

Installed by Dan Delzoppo Electric 734-930-1630 – Our favorite contractor!

Available at Gross Electric in 2232 South Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 665-8676

Available online at EcoHaus

Cellulose Insulation: blown cellulose made from recycled newspaper. R-50 in attic / R-18 in walls. Attics can be easy DIY projects. But, for walls we strongly recommend a professional with the right equipment and experience to ensure proper fill. Learn more

Installed by:
Farmer’s Insulation in Ann Arbor – Guy Murphy (734) 769-0066
Note: Our infrared camera test showed excellent coverage. Great job Guy!!

Open-cell spray foam insulation in basement between foundation and floor framing. Provides an excellent air and thermal barrier. This is also an excellent choice for attics and walls.
Arbor Insulation
734.786.1664

Energy Star appliances – Helpful hint: For 50% – 75% off on energy efficient appliances look for a Sears Appliance Outlet Store near you (there’s one in Livonia and Taylor, MI)

Change to appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR, and you could save hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs, while saving the environment.

Energy-saving light fixtures; compact fluorescent lights throughout

“A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.” The End of the Light Bulb as We Know It. US News & World Report, 19 December 2007.

Easy Do-it-Yourself Items to eliminate air leaks and gaps in your house:

Great Stuff foam for sealing around window casings, basement gaps, chimneys, attics, etc. When you add up all the little gaps in your house, it can be the equivalent of leaving a window open all year long. Check out the Great Stuff website “Interactive House” for cool tips on sealing your home.

Rope Caulk to help seal those pesky gaps in your old windows. Available in brown or gray. You can purchase rope caulk online or at any local hardware or home improvement store. Cost: $5.25

Reel lawn mower – German made by Brill Luxus. Weighs only 17 lbs and easier to push than a gas mower. Zero Carbon and ultra-quiet.

Check out the Brill Luxus 38 and the all new Brill Razor Cut 38

We LOVE these mowers!! This ain’t your granddaddy’s push mower. You’ll wonder why anyone uses hard to push, noisy, smelly, polluting gas mowers.

Smart Strip – WE LOVE THIS!! Power strip designed to kill that Vampire Power that is sucking hundreds of watts . . . even when you’re not using your electronics. Click “shut down” on your computer or “off” on your TV remote and it will automatically turn off all the peripherals too – DVD, Wii, surround sound, printer, fax, hard drives, or whatever. It will pay for itself in a few short months. Available online at Amazon and other retailers.

2. Water Efficiency:
The Average U.S. Home Uses 300 – 700 gallons per day! Look for the new EPA Watersense label for outstanding water savings.

High efficiency 1.5 gpm Bricor showerheads and .5 gpm faucet aerators
A family of 3 will save around 11,000 gallons of HOT water every year. This is not only a water saver, but a huge energy saver as well. This brilliant technology will pay for itself in as little as 7 months!! Every shower should have one of these. No more excuses. Simply the best shower you can get.
Online Retailers $64.95: Black Energy and EFI

Caroma High Efficiency Toilets (HET) – dual flush allows for half flush (.8 gallons) or full flush (1.6 gallons). Caroma is beautifully designed. And, with a 4″ trap, they are nearly impossible to clog. Can save thousands of gallons of water per year. They’ll pay for themselves in a few years. Other Brands to Look For: Kohler, Sterling and Toto too!

Find a Caroma Retailer: http://www.caromausa.com/distributors/
Available online: BuyPlumbing for under $400

Rainwater capture used for irrigation – We got ours made from reused Michigan oak wine barrels from St. Julian Winery. There are plenty of places to buy rain barrels or you can make your own. Believe it or not, for every inch of rain that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 square feet, you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons of rainwater. 5 inches of rain falling on a 2,000 square foot roof area will generate about 6,000 gallons of rainwater!

3. Materials:

Bioshield Floor Coatings. Antique heart pine floors sanded then refinished using natural penetrating Bioshield Hard Oil #9 for a durable, water resistant and non-toxic finish. You can often catch great closeout deals on the Bioshield website.

Find a retailer

Shower & Bath Tiles made with Recycled Content – American Olean – Available at Lowes and other tile retailers. Find a retailer

Salvaged clawfoot tub from Craigslist.org – For refinishing the interior of the tub, we used (and highly recommend) Ron Benedict of Ann Arbor Perma-Glaze
New Hudson MI 48165 (US)
Phone: 248-437-1370
Bathroom floors made from second hand marble. Highly durable.
Medicine chest mirror made from antique picture frame.

Other Materials Considerations:
Reused salvaged trimwork wherever possible

Sustainably Harvested Wood: When buying new wood, insist on Forest Stewardship Council‘s FSC Certiciation or Rainforest Alliance Certification.
Donate excess materials for reuse – Habitat for Humanity Restore or Ann Arbor Reuse Center
Compost bins for yard and kitchen scraps
1 Gallon trash can in kitchen – prevents us from creating too much waste for landfill
Compost pail at kitchen sink to collect kitchen scraps for compost – not the disposal or trash.
Reclaimed brick walkways – reuses material and minimizes stormwater runoff.

4. Indoor Environmental Quality:
Fact: Indoor air is sometimes three times more polluted than outdoor air. According to the EPA, poor indoor air quality is considered to be one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes, furniture, flooring, wood & cabinet adhesives, mold and poor ventilation are among the leading causes.

Third Party Certification for Indoor Air Quality: Look for Green Seal or GreenGuard certification.

Zero-VOC Paints: These are the best small brands are superior paints for everyone, but particularly for the chemically sensitive: Safecoat, Yolo Colorhouse,
Major brands (sometimes cost a little less and are now widely available) FreshAire Choice from Home Depot, Olympic Premium Paint (Available at Lowes), Pittsburgh Paints, Sherwin Williams Harmony (NOTE: Harmony is NOT GreenSeal or GreenGuard Certified and is only a “low”-VOC rather than zero-VOC) and others. Just make sure you ask for Zero-VOC paint at the paint or hardware store.

Wood floor finish: For our antique heart pine we used Bioshield Hard Oil #9 (see above) Different coatings are suited for different woods. So, make sure you ask what is best for your wood floor. Also, check out the premium line of eco-friendly finishes from SafeCoat. Bioshield and SafeCoat are both available online at www.EcoHaus.com

Whispergreen Panasonic high-efficiency motion sensor bath fan – improves indoor air quality, reduces mold and uses minimal energy. This fan is virtually silent and uses very little energy. We love it!

Available at
Gross Electric – 2232 South Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor, 734-665-8676
Online at WestsideWholesale ($130 – $160) Plumber’s Surplus ,

Zero or Low-VOC Adhesives: Henkel Green Series zero-VOC adhesive for sub-floor in new bathroom. You will love the ways these clean up!! No more nasty chemicals to remove the other nasty chemicals that get stuck on your hands. Best of all . . . almost NO SMELL.

Furniture: antiques or reused are the best – Craigslist, Freecycle, or eBay – But, if you must buy new make sure it is durable and free from toxic brominated flame retardants (PBDEs / BFRs), PVC or formaldehyde and is made from FSC or Rainforest Alliance certified wood. Many major brands are going green. Check these out: Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Lee, Bob Williams+Mitchell Gold. Also, look for products that are C2C (Cradle 2 Cradle) certified.

Rugs and Floor coverings made from natural materials – free from toxic flame retardants (PBDE) or vinyl

Our Wish List:
Energy Recovery Ventilator – ventilate fresh air and recover 80% of heat loss ($700 – $2,000 installed)
Solar and/or Wind Power to provide our remaining energy load ($30k-$50k)
Solatubes for natural daylighting in the closets and dark spaces. ($300 each)
More forward thinking political leaders

Tell us what is on your greenovation wish list . . .

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