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"Green" Do-It-Yourself projects
September 2, 2005 02:27 PM EST | Home Improvement | Email to Friend
Making your house more environmentally friendly can help save money, save the environment, and save your health at the same time! Here are some popular "green" projects that you can do yourself:
Lighting
More than 90 percent of the energy produced by incandescent lights is heat, not light, so replace fixtures with more efficient bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs fit into an incandescent socket and operate on a quarter of the energy used by incandescents, lasting ten times longer.
Plumbing
When replacing your toilet, conserve water by purchasing a low-flow toilet, which can save around 4 gallons/15 litres of water per flush. And while you're at it, add an aerator to your faucets. Inexpensive low-flow aerators are easy to install and can cut water use by half or more.
Painting
Many paints contain chemicals called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other toxic components which evaporate and can hurt your indoor air quality and aggravate asthma and allergies. Ask for low or no-VOC paints at your paint store, and choose water-based paints over oil.
Flooring
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly substitute for hardwood that provides the hardness and convenience of traditional wood flooring at about the same price. Bamboo renews itself more quickly than hardwood trees. Look for flooring with formaldehyde-free pre-finish and low formaldehyde-adhesive emissions.
Given the growing popularity of "green" homes, these improvements may increase your home's appeal when it comes time to sell.
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