Clear the air. If you’re painting, look for a product with low or no volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. That means the paint won’t have as strong an odor. Look for Benjamin Moore’s Eco Spec line and the brand Yolo (yolocolorhouse.com). Add a ventilation system that will reduce your dependence on air conditioning in summer, or simply install some ceiling fans, which will pull hot air up and out.
Insulate. If you’re replacing your windows, go with either energy efficient wood or vinyl over aluminum. And choose dual pained glass for extra insulation. As temperatures cool, add weather stripping to the bottom of doors and wrap any mechanical ducts with insulation.
Use the sun. Add solar panels. “They’ve come out with ones that look just like roof tiles, so it’s hard to even see that they’re solar panels,” says Kaufmann. “I’m hoping that sometime you’ll be able to go to Home Depot and buy them” (see premierpower.com).
Buy green materials. If you’re buying new kitchen cabinets or hardwood floors, look for wood that’s been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (see fsc.org), which ensures that fragile ecosystems haven’t been destroyed in the harvesting of trees. If you’re building a deck, look into companies like TimberTech (timbertech.com) or Trex (trex.com), which offer composites made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastics. “It can cost a little bit more in the short term,” says Kaufmann, “but in the long term it will cost less because you won’t have to refinish or re-sand it. And it looks great.”
For kitchen counters, a company called Richlite (richlite.com) makes them from recycled paper. “It’s really durable,” says Kaufmann. Also check Paperstoneproducts.com
Reuse, reuse, reuse. If you demolish a structure or even take down a few walls, consider donating the material to charity. The ReUse People (thereusepeople.org) will take your debris and donate it to Habitat For Humanity. Because what goes around, come around.
