| When the warm weather finally gets here, many | | | | usually fade the interior floor coverings, drapes |
| people like to fix up their homes, making them | | | | and furnishings. |
| more energy efficient and eco green. By making | | | | 8. Radiant Floor Heating is great for heating a |
| our homes more environmentally friendly, we are | | | | home, and if a room is not in use, you can turn |
| investing in our future. There are so many ways | | | | off the heat to that room. You have a choice of |
| to invest money in your home, so I will list the 10 | | | | two types of radiant heat - electric or hydronic. |
| most popular. Please make sure that you recycle, | | | | Electric is the least efficient heating source, but is |
| reuse and renew where you can, so you are not | | | | the choice for locations without gas. Electric |
| contributing to our landfills needlessly. | | | | radiant heat can be retro fit to existing homes |
| | | | with little effort. Hydronic is great if you are |
| 1. Installing a Low Flow Toilet, is one of the first | | | | building a home as it takes more planning and can |
| things people start with, when making | | | | be more expensive. |
| improvements to their home. Consider a dual | | | | 9. Eco green kitchen renovations usually bring in |
| flush, low flow toilet, so you are conserving more | | | | large profits when selling your home, so do your |
| water with every flush. Low flow faucets are | | | | homework before you invest your money. There |
| good for conserving water too, so try to do both | | | | are many variables when it comes to products, |
| at the same time. | | | | so look for low or no VOC paint, environmentally |
| 2. Rain Barrels are very inexpensive and great for | | | | friendly flooring, cupboards, and counter tops that |
| conserving water for your garden. If you can find | | | | fit your budget. Depending on where you live can |
| one with a copper lining, it will help cut down on | | | | determine what is available for eco green |
| the bacteria that can collect in rain barrels. | | | | products. Here are a few that I found - recycled |
| Remember if you live in a cold climate, to drain it, | | | | glass for counter tops, salvaged wood or bamboo |
| and store it in the garage or garden shed. | | | | for cupboards, and bamboo, rubber, cork for your |
| 3. Painting your place is one of the fastest and | | | | flooring. |
| easiest ways to liven up and change the feel of | | | | 10. Many people dream of getting of the electric |
| your home. Look for paints that are labelled No | | | | grid, and putting their savings towards paying off |
| VOC's or Low VOC's (Volatile Organic | | | | their mortgages. Solar panels provide clean |
| Compounds) so you are not polluting your indoor | | | | energy, and are classified as renewable energy. |
| environment. Check with your local hardware | | | | Your average Solar Panels are photovoltaic (PV) |
| store, and ask lots of questions to ensure you | | | | systems. They convert sunlight directly into |
| are getting an earth friendly product. | | | | electricity. Depending on where you live, and how |
| 4. Solatubes are installed on the roof of your | | | | much sun your part of the country receives, if |
| home, and connected to any room in your home. | | | | there are extreme weather conditions, and how |
| They are lined with spectralight infinity which is a | | | | much energy your family requires, will determine |
| highly reflective material that bounces the daylight | | | | how much solar panels will cost. You need to |
| down the tube into the room. Many people install | | | | install your solar panels on the most southern |
| solatubes in kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and | | | | facing spot of your roof, unimpeded by shade, |
| even bedrooms, as it is a great way to add some | | | | where the solar modules can be angled above the |
| natural day light and warmth to a room. | | | | horizon. It is important to note that homes that |
| 5. Electricity consumption can be trimmed back | | | | have renewable energy, sell faster and for more |
| with a Master Switch that turns the power off to | | | | money then homes that are completely on the |
| all your home's appliances with a flick. They have | | | | grid. |
| split receptacles that allow necessity appliances like | | | | There are several other things you can do to |
| an alarm clock to maintain the time, without | | | | become more environmentally friendly, depending |
| cutting the power to it. | | | | on where you live. If you don't already have a |
| 6. Properly insulating a home will make you more | | | | recycling bin, then that is another really simple |
| comfortable in cold weather, and can easily save | | | | thing to set up and start using. Organic vegetable |
| you money on your heating bills. Consider | | | | gardens are always popular, and if you live in an |
| insulation made from recycled denim that is | | | | apartment, consider a container garden for |
| treated with benign borax to make it fire | | | | tomatoes and herbs. I have a combination of |
| retardant. It can easily be cut with a sharp knife, | | | | both, and grow my lettuce in pots on my patio, |
| which makes it a great handy man project. | | | | with carrots in a flower bed, and my squash |
| 7. Heat loss through windows is another area that | | | | vegetables in the back yard, where they get lots |
| we should all be looking at. Consider windows with | | | | of sunlight. |
| Low E insulating glass options to keep your home | | | | For more information on any of these topics, |
| more comfortable. Low E is a thin, transparent | | | | please purchase "Simply Going Green In 3 Years |
| metallic coating on the inside surface of the | | | | or Less", which provides you with links to |
| insulating glass, which permits visible light to pass | | | | products and government grants available in your |
| through and reflects the ultraviolet rays, which | | | | area, which you may qualify for. |