In keeping with our focus on green building, like that being done in New Orleans, we thought we’d highlight our own green-building retailers in this short shopping blog about home improvement. We hope they will excite and inspire you with respect to your own household projects and be a helpful resource overall. While we’re highlighting four retailers below, don’t forget that we have Home Depot listed under the Shop Green, Home Improvement category. Home Depot has come a long way over the years from being targeted by many environmental organizations to now having a very impressive Eco Options department committed to the environment and to transitioning the general building industry toward sustainable practices and products. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, then check the BuyGreen.com site. They are an excellent resource for all things green, from building supplies to organizations and information to media and events. So take a lesson from the Holy Cross project and start making changes to your living by taking your building cues from our featured retailers below…
Greenandmore.com wants you to succeed in your efforts at ‘green’ home improvement. To do so, they’ve put together six dedicated categories designed to aid in the selection and education process when building green: Air Purifiers, Garden, Energy Efficiency, Solar, Lighting and Green Gifts. Both the long time eco-aware set and the ‘newbie’s’ will be impressed by the innovative products Greenandmore.com has to offer. I consider myself in the former group but was pleased to find new green solutions for my home that I’d been unfamiliar with to date. For instance their selection of air purifiers, rated both for performance and eco-friendliness, are recyclable, have biodegradable components that filter allergens, chemicals and pet dander while filling your living space with clean air. Another product I especially liked, for both its simplicity and ingenuity, is the Smart Strip energy saving power strip. Don’t hesitate just buy three of four of these little gadgets! They are the easiest and most affordable way to save energy (and money) around the house. And while you’re at it, take another small step and add the Indoor Kitchen Composter (small enough for apartments and condos) that will turn your kitchen scraps headed for the landfill into rich soil for your patio garden. Now that you have the basics covered, when you’re ready for some additional green-improvements, you’ll know where to go!
If a full-blown renovation is the task at hand then you’ll want to become acquainted with Green Nest. They have a wonderful site that provides all of the resources you’ll need to renovate, furnish and clean your home in an eco-friendly way. They pride themselves on creating healthy homes, free of pollutants and chemical toxins. Their non-toxic building supplies include paints, sealants, adhesives, carpets and other products that are designed to keep toxic chemicals out of your home while still providing unsurpassed quality and value. From all-natural carpeting and rugs to organic, plant-based sealers, Green Nest takes the hazard out of your home and improves the health of your family at the same time. A few must-haves for your renovation project include the Safe Coat 3-in-1 Adhesive that gives an equivalent performance to the hazardous and chlorinated solvent adhesives but without the toxicity. Additionally, it makes an excellent carpet adhesive, which can be used with the Bio-Floor Collection Custom Carpeting, the only truly nontoxic, all natural carpet made in North America. Add the beautiful finishing touches of this reclaimed, sustainable and organic Betula chair and then sit down and relax, job well done!
Whether you’re greening your house all-at-once or step-by-step, eventually you’ll come face-to-face with your wasteful water heater. Water heaters are a staple in everyone’s home, making the gas & electric bill something to be dreaded on a month-to-month basis. Low Energy Systems offers a variety of tankless water heaters to ease your gas & electric bill while being energy efficient at the same time. Tankless water heaters never run out of hot water because they only use energy when hot water is being consumed. These water heaters will likely save you more money, over their expected lifespan of 20 years, than they will cost you to purchase initially. Besides energy efficiency, tankless water heaters take up less space, are easy to maintain, and are more convenient to operate. Taking a short, hot shower just got a heck of a lot CHEAPER! And we can attest to their efficiency because we have one in our own home…
Now that we’ve sparked your green building interest, it’s off to the drawing board! Become your own architect with PUNCH! – the home design software that acts as your guide for home improvement projects of all sorts. From the initial design phase through the final landscape layout, PUNCH! is at your fingertips every step of the way. Their software is designed to incorporate 3-D graphics and cutting edge technology to assist in making the best design and home improvement decisions possible, offering multiple options and styles that give you solid visual ideas before you invest any time or money into the project. PUNCH! Software creates a virtual reality of personalized home design ranging from: Home Design, Architectural Design, Landscape Deck & Patio Design to Interior Design. A perfect product to help you design your dream home from the comfort of your current home!
