Ten Eco-Friendly Home Improvements

I don't know if I will ever get the chance to improve a future home and a "green" manner. But, it is always something I can suggest to my parents who are always looking for something to either improve or add on to the house. So, I figure the following suggestions are well worth looking into from how they sound.

1. Air Quality: According to Glenn Haege, a professional handyman who hosts a national radio show on home repair, as our homes and apartments have become more energy efficient and sound, "humidity levels from cooking and breathing tend to increase, causing mold and mildew." Harmful chemicals, he says, from construction materials, insulation, furniture, carpeting, padding, paints, solvents and household cleaners, drawn by this moist atmosphere, unite to contaminate the indoor air which then stays ensnared inside.

The initial step in resolving this setback is to test your indoor air. Pure Air and Envirologix, among others, sell inexpensive and easy-to-use indoor-air quality testing kits. Once you get an idea of the impurities hanging around your home, you can get to work supplanting the offending sources accordingly. Green superstores such as the Environmental Home Center, Green Building Supply and Oikos present a large quantity of greener and better building supplies and materials. Also, BuildingGreen.com offers a free online "GreenSpec" catalog with comprehensive listings for over 2,000 environmentally favorable building goods.

2. Natural Products: Materials out of the home can also be a factor to health problems. One case in point is pressure-treated lumber, which includes a form of cyanide to keep pests absent. Kids who play on backyard jungle gyms and decks constructed of such substance can result in rashes and skin contamination. Cedar wood is a naturally pest-resistant substitute that, while more costly, is a kinder-gentler selection that will tolerate the test of time.

3. Incandescent light bulbs: When it comes time to replace that light bulb, you can make a "green" choice-one that will save both energy and money. Here are some ideas:
1) Choose compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Compact fluorescents use from about one quarter to one third as much energy to emit the same amount of light as a traditional luminescent bulb, and they can last up to thirteen times longer. CFL torchieres are also available to replace those energy-dominate halogen adaptations that increased in recognition in the 1990s.

Acquire three-way bulbs. They can operate at three different wattages (50 watts, 100 watts, and 150 watts). Permitting you to choose the lowest wattage for your needs. Great for lamps equipped with three-way sockets. Both CFL and incandescent varieties are offered.

Choose low-wattage bulbs. Utilizing the lowest wattage that meets your needs. Test bulbs of varying brightness, measured in lumens, to find the least energy-dependent bulb for your particular lighting purpose.

Select energy-saving nightlights. Replace incandescent nightlights with plug-in electroluminescent panels. Which consume 3/100 watts of electricity. The brighter mini-fluorescent varieties give off the equivalent of a 20-watt standard bulb. Photocell nightlights sense the presence of light in a room. By design turning on at night and off in the daytime.

4. Solar Hot Water Heaters: The first and foremost straightforward varieties of solar water heaters were simple metal containers, such as barrels or drums, painted black. Solar radiation is absorbed by these containers, heating the water inside of them.

The disadvantage to these early models was that they commonly took all day to heat the water to a usable temperature. Once the sun went down the tanks quickly cooled.

Modern solar water heaters use the same principle but have built-in a highly developed system of pumps, storage containers, temperature gauges, anti-freeze valves, and collection devices to take full advantage of the quantity of the sun's energy brought in, hot water produced, and energy maintained.

The hot water is rotated into a standard tank-style hot water heater, delivering preheated water, and therefore minimizing the energy burden needed to uphold the hot water.

5. Low-flow Alternative Shower Heads: The majority of showerheads use double the water needed for a absolutely agreeable shower. Each day, three billion gallons of water flow through showerheads in the United States. Half of it is unnecessary. The fee this overindulgence takes on one of our most valuable means is a setback to both the environment and your money.

To overcome this issue, switch your showerheads to low-flow models. This takes only a few minutes at a few dollars. Just $10 or less you can save $50 to $75 per year on water bills and $20 to $50 or more per year on energy bills (depending on your showerhead and utility rates). A new showerhead can pay for itself within the first year.

Several states have instructed laws that require water-saving toilets and showerheads be installed in new construction. Other pending congressional legislation would set national water-conserving principles for plumbing fixtures and require their fitting in new construction.

6. Low-Flow Toilets: On average, regular flush toilets use 6 liters, or 1.6 gallons, per flush as opposed to the usual 13 liters, or about 3.6 gallons. At first, low flush or reduced flush toilets gained a reputation for dysfunctional flushing. They failed to clear the bowl of its deposits, and started the market for used toilets in the United States, for those wishing to have "effective" toilets of the 3 gallon variety.

In 1992 President George Bush Sr. passed the Energy Policy Act. This law made it required that a toilet could not consume more than 1.6 gallons per flush. This law went into effect Jan 1, 1994. At first many people were very skeptical about the low flow toilets claiming they had to flush the toilets twice to get the job done. Joe Knollenberg, a Congressman from Michigan tried to repeal the law unsuccessfully. Since 1994 the operation of low flow toilets has bettered considerably. Research shows that low flow toilets can save a family of 4 more than 22,000 gallons of water yearly.

7. White Tile Roofs: Light colored tile roofs out perform the shingles in decreasing temperatures. In re-roofing your home, consider white tile. It's properties will help minimize heat excess to your attic.

8. Clean out your air conditioner filters or replace them regularly: A dirty filter will slow the airflow. Costing you more money. When not at home, alter the thermostat to adapt the changing temperatures outside.

9. An automated thermostat: High tech thermostats are well worth the cost. What you spend, will be returned over time in lower energy bills. It is estimated that you can save about 3% of your heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter and up to 6% for every degree you raise it during the summers.

10. Power strips: Even after you turn off your computer, power continues to flow to peripherals like printers and scanners. We've been told this many times. Power strips prevent the energy from being wasted and only cost about thirty dollars. Also, I'd suggest checking the energy (EMF's) that is exerted from all the wiring you have in your home, especially through you electrical box. Too much can cause serious health problems. Ask an electrician about fixing this problem. Not only could it save you money, but it will be easier on your health as well.

A good place to shop for these products is http://www.nextag.com/ or if you know of a good website that offers products and services, then by all means ask them for more information and assistance.

Well, there you have it. A few tips that can help out a lot. For me and the place that I live in, I can only really do suggestions 8 and 10. But, when we get our new place (hopefully soon) I could probably do most of the suggestions I've brought up. Much luck to you in saving money.

http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/green_homes.htm

http://www.toolbarn.com/blog/tips-to-be-green/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-flow_toilet

http://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/showerheads-low-flow.html

http://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/light-bulbs-energy-saving.html

http://www.hometips.com/how-it-works/water-heaters-solar.html