By William Rodarmor

Whether you’re concerned about global warming or soaring gas bills, you may be able to do something about both. Lowering a home thermostat isn’t going to save Greenland’s glaciers, and remodeling with “engineered” lumber won’t make the redwoods any taller. But thinking “green” in the way we build, remodel, and occupy our homes is one area where local action can make a global difference.

Steps large and small that spare the environment are within everybody’s reach. Try a drying rack for wet laundry, get rid of toxic cleaners, and use paint that won’t give you a headache. On a larger scale, plant trees for summer shade and winter sun, install solar panels on the roof, or remodel an old house instead of building a new one. In fact, the green field is now so vast, a short article can’t do much more than note a few of its many leaves. In this piece, we will talk about overall green goals, consider what makes a house healthy and energy-efficient, and list steps you can take around your home or when building or remodeling. (Because landscaping offers so many green possibilities, we will cover it in a future article.)

Whether you’re building from scratch or remodeling a house, thinking green is just applied common sense. The aim is to conserve natural resources, increase energy efficiency, save money, and create healthier surroundings.

Let’s start with natural resources, and specifically wood, an area where conservation has made great strides. We can now spare old-growth forests by using what's called engineered lumber in wood I-joists, wood-fiber laminates, and oriented-strand boards. These use fast-growing farm trees, and are typically stronger, straighter, and lighter than solid-sawn lumber. You can resurface a deck with a material combining wood waste and recycled plastic resins that lasts five times longer than a wood deck and never needs to be treated or painted. Indoors, you can lay a beautiful new stone or bamboo floor, or cover the old one with recycled-content carpet.

What about energy efficiency? This is where the money is, because conservation pays off at the checkbook. The first step to saving energy better is to not lose it: add insulation and weather stripping wherever possible, install double-pane windows, and choose energy-efficient appliances. If you’re planning a serious remodel or an addition, consider installing a solar water heater or photovoltaic panels. In addition to helping to cut emissions and avoid power outages, this will put you in line for tax credits and rebates.

Finally, we can make our houses healthier, starting with the air we breathe. Do you ever wonder where that “new house” smell comes from? You may be shocked to learn that it's the off-gassing of volatile organic components (VOCs) in many paints and floor finishes, which can cause health problems. The EPA has reported that the air in new homes can be ten times more polluted than outdoor air. One of the most common indoor pollutants is formaldehyde, released from some kitchen cabinets, countertops, and shelves made from particleboard held together by formaldehyde-based adhesives.

The single biggest factor in a house’s energy efficiency is its orientation. Ideally, a home takes advantage of the sun’s path, prevailing breezes, and tree shading to be warm in winter, cool in summer, and offer good cross-ventilation. Of course, if you own your house, you’re pretty much stuck with its orientation on the lot. But many other features can reduce its energy use: ridge and soffit vents combined with a radiant barrier to cool the attic; well-installed insulation; high-efficiency heating, cooling, and water-heating equipment combined with a properly designed, air-tight duct system; a good lighting design and efficient light fixtures; and light-colored finishes inside and out.

It’s smart to buy a home made of durable, low-maintenance materials. Having to replace rotten siding or do frequent repainting, for example, can add a lot to the cost of owning a home. Inside, a tile or stone makes a durable, low-maintenance feature that usually adds value to the house, and may never need to be replaced.

Buying a new, totally green house, or even putting solar panels on the roof, may be out of reach, but there are a number of ways we can make our homes safer to live in and cheaper to run. Here are three of them; see the sidebars for many more.

Tankless Water Heaters
It’s expensive to keep 40-50 gallons of water hot 24 hours a day, even when you're sleeping or not at home. A tankless water heater provides hot water only when you need it. Some designs are the size of a medicine cabinet, and leave room for a water softener or extra storage. Like other energy-efficient appliances, these water heaters qualify for the new $300 energy tax credit that started January 1, 2006.

Hypoallergenic Cleaners
Using traditional, hypoallergenic cleaners instead of premixed chemical concoctions is healthier for everyone, and less expensive. Here are some alternative cleaners and how they’re used:
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner and stain remover.
Borax (sodium borate) eliminates mold and mildew, removes stains, and can be used as a bleach alternative.
Castile and vegetable oil-based soaps are all-purpose cleaners.
Cornstarch absorbs oil and grease.
Citrus Juice removes grease and perspiration stains, and can be used as a bleach alternative.
Salt (sodium chloride) facilitates scrubbing.
White vinegar (acetic acid) removes grease, stains, mold, mildew, and wax.
Washing soda (sodium carbonate) helps clean clothes, removes grease.

Double-Pane Windows
Most people install double-pane windows because they think they will cut noise and condensation, and save on heating and cooling bills. That’s true, but only to a degree. Since Bay Area winters are mild, they may save less money than you think. Also, a standard double-pane window helps even less in summer. But there is a way to use those windows wisely. A double-pane window with a special low-e (for emissivity) coating applied to it will greatly reduce heat gain from the hot summer sun. To work well in warmer areas, the coating must be applied to the outside surface of the inside pane of glass. In cooler areas, the low-e coat is applied to the inside surface of the outside glass to keep heat inside. Be sure an uninformed salesperson doesn't order the wrong kind!

If you want to find green products, local suppliers, and service providers in the Bay Area, go to www.build-green.org. You can search by product categories, product names, and building measures.

In Berkeley, you can get a list of green businesses from www.expert@BuildItGreen.org. Call 510-845-0472 or 888-40-GREEN (888-404-7336) for the “Ask an Expert” hotline. If you live in Oakland or Albany, remember that you can now put food scraps in the green garbage bins. The Alameda Waste Management Authority has information on recycling hazardous household waste, and publishes a great free 60-page booklet called Home Remodeling: Green Building Guidelines. It also has materials on energy retrofits and more: www.stopwaste.org; 510-614-1699. To check a California contractor's license, insurance, and bonding, go to CSLB.ca.gov.

Finally, here are two out-of-state sources of good ideas. Austin, Texas, also has a green builder program. Go to www.greenbuilder.com/general/articles. And the Center for a New American Dream helps American consumers protect the environment and enhance quality of life. Check out energy-saving tips at www.newdream.org.

William Rodarmor is a writer, editor, and French translator in Berkeley, California.

Green alternatives when building or remodeling.

High-quality, environmentally sound products
• Recycled-content decking
• Engineered lumber
• Interior steel studs
• Solvent-free adhesives and paints
• Floors: natural linoleum, bamboo, tile, stone

More durable, cheaper to maintain
• Exposed concrete flooring
• Resource-efficient landscapes and gardens
• Long-lasting (40 years) roofing

More comfort, lower utility bills
• Wall and ceiling insulation
• Double-pane windows
• Passive solar heating
• Natural cooling
• Energy Star appliances
• Attic ventilation systems

Ways you can make your house healthier and more efficient.

Household products:
Use nontoxic detergents and cleaners.

Plumbing: Wrap a jacket around the water heater and insulation around hot and cold water pipes. Put flow reducers on faucets and showerheads. Install chlorine filters in showerheads and water filters on faucets (you’ll be exposed to less chlorine and contaminants).

Electrical: Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They cost more than incandescent bulbs, but last much longer and use less electricity. Install a ceiling fan. By circulating the air, it can make both heating and air conditioning more effective. An attic fan can cut heat gain dramatically during the summer.

Appliances: Choose an Energy Star dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, or dryer. Install a tankless water heater. Defrost food in the refrigerator, not the microwave.

Insulation: Upgrade the wall and ceiling insulation to cut noise and utility bills. Install floor insulation above the crawl space to keep the house warmer. Use recycled-content fiberglass and cellulose insulation with no added formaldehyde.

Windows: Install double-pane windows and put film on single-pane ones.

 

Do you notice fumes while you paint, and sometimes several days after? Those are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and they become a breathable gas at room temperature. Some examples are benzene, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride, and mercury. VOCs in paint usually come from additives such as fungicides, biocides, color, and spreadability agents. High levels of VOCs in paints can cause headaches, allergic reactions, and health problems in the very old, the very young, and those with chronic illnesses.

When buying paint, work with a knowledgeable sales person at your local paint or hardware store. You can determine the VOC content of paint by reading the label. It is usually expressed in terms of grams per liter. The most environmentally friendly choice is to buy a paint with no VOCs. But if the paint you need for the job contains VOCs, try to choose one with no more than 250 grams per liter for latex, and 380 grams per liter for oil-based paint.