From the category archives:

Healthy Home


The massive impact of an ailing environment is already manifesting in many pressing issues and dilemmas the world is facing today. Global warming, climate change, air pollution, flood and the like are just few of the problems rooted from the destruction of the ecology. For home buyers and owners, there are viable alternatives for you to contribute in the protection of the environment through opting for green features incorporated in the design, renovation and construction of your home.

There are Eco-friendly or green means and approach you can use in order to assure that your activity and investment is making the most minimal impact on your surroundings. So what exactly are some green features to look for and utilize in a home?

One of the topmost alternatives for green houses is energy efficiency which is basically manifested in choosing efficient household appliances, high efficiency water heating system, air sealing and extra insulation and advanced framing technique.

Advanced framing and extra insulation is known to reduce the construction costs hence increase energy savings through minimizing lumber demands and production. Through proper water heating system, you also cut off the pipeline energy loss. Choosing household appliances and equipment especially with the labels that meet energy efficiency criteria helps you reduce the initial costs of your appliances as well as your electricity bills.

Ensuring the indoor air quality of your home is another viable feature of an Eco-friendly home. You can do this through the right choice on your carpet, ventilation and paints. It is important to choose carpets with less allergen-attracting components and low-pile features in order to improve the quality of air in your home interior. Use low-toxic and low-VOC paints and make sure that your home is well-ventilated to avoid potential air quality hazards. You can use quiet and automatic electric fans or through heat recovery ventilators.

Lastly, it is of utmost value and importance that you deliberately use materials and equipment for your home project that is amenable in conserving natural resources. For instance you may opt for plastic lumber, engineered wood, brick and fiber cement siding. Plastic lumber materials are actually preferred as reliable construction materials for houses and buildings. This is a good alternative in building benches, decking, docks and fences among others. For engineered wood, a good example is laminated veneer lumber that composes of raw materials with superior performance quality which are equally viable options to traditional items used.

Most importantly, consider recycled building materials which are still of high quality without the hefty price tags. It is also making sure that the demand for construction materials is reduced which eventually means that you are also lessening the demand for the production of needed items from the environment particularly trees.

Green alternatives and features are naturally integrated in modern day houses and establishment due to its incomparable benefits to both home owners and the ecology. Educate yourself of the different green choices you have which are advantageous in your investment as well as sound and wise choices to nature.

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Choosing the right floor is an important part of putting together a green home. It’s about more than just picking a floor that’s produced in a sustainable, responsible manner. You also need to pay attention to how your body reacts to the floors you walk and stand on. There are lots of options out there, but not all of them are healthy and good for use, as well as for the environment. Cork flooring is one option that’s both ecologically friendly and inviting.

Conventional flooring products are neither attractive, or eco-friendly. Most of them are also bad for our health. For instance – the majority of floor covering in the US is nylon carpet. This substance wears badly, and tends to off gas volatile organic compounds, which are hazardous to our health. Once nylon carpet is removed from a home, it’s disposed of in a landfill, since it’s not biodegradable.

Vinyl flooring, such as you’ll see in many bathrooms and kitchens, has similar problems. Phthalates found in this material have been blamed for problems in child development. Synthetic laminate woods aren’t much better. While they use recycled lumber waste, this mostly goes into them in the form of fiber board, a short lived product that contains a lot of formaldehyde. Hardwood floors are healthier and fully natural, but may not have been produced sustainably. You should also pay attention to the finish that’s used on any hardwood floors – most are petroleum based and bad for air quality.

Cork as a flooring is solid, sustainable, and long lasting. This material comes from the bark of the Mediterranean cork oak, harvested by hand about once every ten years. Cork grows back without harming the tree, and the tree itself can live for over two centuries. That makes cork one of the greenest possible options, since even the excess material gets used in bottle corks. You can get different colors and textures, depending on how the cork has been treated, and the material is naturally resistant to insect damage, moisture, and fire.

Cork also has many insulating problems, both for heat and sound. It’s gentle to walk on, sparing your back, knees, and feet. Just remember to pay attention to how your cork floor has been installed. Some urethane finishes may contain VOCs, much like other petroleum based products. Wax is a safer option, but it’s less durable. For cork, installation in a glue less tongue and groove style is recommended.

Since cork is a hypo allergenic material, it’s good for use in playrooms and kids’ bedrooms, as well as for people who suffer from allergies to other materials. Remember that cork isn’t a permanent type of flooring. It can be scratched, and needs to be replaced after about ten years. High traffic areas will wear faster, and lower traffic ones may last longer. Resealing your cork floor may also be necessary, but a well sealed floor can be mopped or cleaned with gentle, non abrasive cleansers.

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