Lauren Yarmuth shared some amazing tips with me all about building a more sustainable home. I'm filing this post under must-read whenever Dan and I own a home someday.
{photograph via apartment therapy}
What should you consider if you want to green your home?
I think the main consideration is to make sure you have a contractor or architect who is behind you with your green goal or green initiative. So much of it comes down to the little details that they’re doing behind the scenes. Make it clear what your goals are. The best way to find a local contractor is to talk to local green building organizations and see if they have a local listing. It varies by location. The U.S. Green Building Council has a directory.
Your common goal may be energy efficiency or it could be the toxicity of your home and that's linked to air quality. Another green goal is using materials that are environmentally preferable within the eco system. I think that some of these green goals actually contradict one another. You may focus on air quality and that may compromise energy efficiency. If your goal is centered around air quality, you may look to add really good air filters, which tend to be thicker and use more energy. So that counters energy goals but is great for good air. It's a bit complicated. You'll have more success if you focus on meeting your main goal.
With kitchen cabinets, think about the wood that you’re using. Is it sustainably harvested? Most composite woods are made with a binder or glue [urea-formaldehyde] that is very toxic. To avoid that, you have to specify it and ask for nontoxic wood products. Those formaldehydes are carcinogenic. Think about resource depletion — look for wood from a sustainable forest. Countertops are a big one. Marble comes with two issues, mining practices and the transportation of shipping big heavy products. With bathrooms, showers tend to be where we use most of our water. There are choices we can make to use less water and be smarter about water usage. [remember Michelle Kaufmann's q + a explaining grey water systems?]
{photograph via habitually chic}
With flooring and furniture, what are the benefits of choosing reclaimed + recycled wood?
To the extent that we can reuse materials makes an enormous difference. It avoids having to harvest those materials and you’re more likely to not have off-gassing. It also is a really good education. Reclaimed products tell a great story. Reusing products is one of the best things you can do. When you install flooring, think if someone else can take that flooring apart and use that product again. You can design for reuse of materials by not using glues or nailing things down so you can pick it up later.
How can you find out if a piece of furniture is an off-gasser?
Look at any certifications for furniture with harvesting and forestry. FSC is a rigorous certification. GreenGuard certification is valuable to indicate that the furniture is not off-gassing. Other environmental stuff to ask: where are the materials coming from and where is the furniture assembled? Understand what it’s made out of. There's a new term: cradle to cradle.
{photograph via apartment therapy}
If you're interested in turning a piece of reclaimed wood into a desk/table or using reclaimed wood as a gorgeous new floor, how can you find a local source?
Search salvage yards. Check out Green Depot and Build it Green. Next step is call them and ask them where the reclaimed wood is coming from to make sure it’s not greenwashing. I just did a comparison, reclaimed wood versus new wood floor for our apartment. They came out about the same. Sometimes it will save you money — it goes both ways.
When Dan moved in with me, I adopted a nice wool rug. In our small Brooklyn space, it quickly became apparent that it smelled like burning rubber. I did some research, found out the rug was off-gassing, and we ditched the rug. Is there a way of knowing whether a carpet will be an off-gasser?
The Carpet and Rug Institute have a program called the Green Label and that looks at off-gassing of carpets. That’s a really good certification. Mohawk, Shaw, and FLOR are good companies for greener carpets.
If your kitchen cabinets need a makeover, what are green options?
Reface the cabinets. I kept the cabinet boxes of my cabinets, but I replaced the doors and added new fronts. It was a pretty low cost way to get what I wanted. Think about the woods and the paints and where the wood’s coming from. Check out salvage yards — you can donate your old cabinets and pick up new ones. We used Benjamin Moore Natura. There's no reason to use high VOC paints. Low-VOC paint works great.
What are the greenest routes if you're going to replace your kitchen countertops?
Concrete and PaperStone and recycled glass are good alternatives. Even steel, which can be recycled. If you have an existing counter, stone can be reused or ground down for concrete products. That's true of a lot of things. You can take an old toilet and have it ground down in concrete core, which is a great way to recycle materials.
A huge thank you to Lauren for answering my questions about greening the home! If you have any questions of your own about green home building products, feel free to leave a question in the comments field, and I'll pass it on to Lauren for an answer.
{green swap photograph by charlotte jenks lewis}
what's green swap? find out more here
