Making your house more environmentally friendly can help save money, save the environment, and save your health at the same time. On top of that it can make the value of your home go up, especially in Southern California. Palos Verdes real estate professional Katie Muck shows you how.
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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 incandescent, lasting 10 times longer.
Plumbing
when replacing your toilet, conserve water by purchasing a low-flow toilet, which can save around 4 gallons/15 liters 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. Many major paint manufacturers offer low- or no-VOC paints to help you avoid those potential health hazards.
Flooring
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly substitute for hardwood that provides much of the hardness and convenience of traditional wood flooring at about the same price. It’s important to look for a formaldehyde free pre-finish and low formaldehyde adhesives. For carpets choose wool—it’s renewable, biodegradable, and often more durable than synthetics.
In addition, take a close look at your appliances. If your washing machine is more than 10 years old, you can save up to $100 a year by switching to a new, efficient model.
Given the continuing popularity of “green” homes, these improvements may increase your home’s appeal when it comes time to sell, this holds especially true in Southern California. If you are a part of the Palos Verdes and South Bay area of Southern California please contact Katie Muck for more helpful home tips or visit her site www.katiemuck.com.
Katie Muck is a consistent top producer of sales and management specializing in Palos Verdes real estate as well as new home sales, multi-family and commercial real estate. You can learn more about her on her Palos Verdes homes website.
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I believe that you are way underestimating the importance of formaldehyde in wall insulation, carpet underlayment, laminate flooring, molding, interior doors, furniture, hangers, personal care products etc.
Being in California, have you seen the California Air Resources Board December 15, 2009 report on formaldehyde exposure in homes? The abstract reads in part:
“Nearly all homes (98%) had formaldehyde concentrations that exceeded guidelines for cancer and chronic irritation…”
The executive summary:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/apr/past/04-310exec_sum.pdf
The full report:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/apr/past/04-310.pdf
The principal researcher’s power point presentation:
http://iee-sf.com/resources/pdf/ResidentialVentilation.pdf
The introduction of fiberglass wall insulation, double pane windows, and/or vapor barriers such as Tyvek for energy conservation combine with laminate floors, MDF doors & trim, plywood and particle board for improved resource utilization in either original construction or added during subsequent ‘upgrades’ contributes significantly to the problem. Combine these practices and you have the perfect storm. This is what we have been doing over the past decade.
I think the key question is; How green is a home that exposes the occupants to cancer causing and chronic irritation levels of formaldehyde or any other chemical?
You may also want to get a had of the February 2010 Synergist, a peer reviewed magizine. The cover article was how the formaldehyde level in ‘green’ homes is actually HIGHER than the standard built homes.
Hi Rich
I am sure that the author of this post will read your valued comment and advice with great interest – we certainly did and we are sure that our readers will too … thank you.