How You Can Green Your Home Immediately

Are you feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start with making your home green? So much is being published about green living, going green, remodeling or building green homes that it can be overwhelming if you are just starting to learn about eco-friendly, energy efficient green homes.

What is mostly talked and written about is installing solar hot water heating systems, wind generators, photovoltaic panels, or a geothermal heat pump. All these systems are quite costly, even if you are able to get tax incentives or utility rebates. And these systems should really only be installed, once you have minimized your overall energy usage.

Green homes include so much more than conserving energy and installing an alternative energy system. They address issues such as water usage, landscaping, indoor air quality, environmentally friendly buildingmaterials, building insulation, access to public transportation.

I am sure, you can find an area or an aspect in your home where you can start going green, without spending thousands of dollars. Here is a list of some things you can do immediately to start going green and also lower your utility bills.

Keeping Your Home Cool The Green Way
The biggest energy user in the summer is the air conditioning system. A few simple steps can reduce the cooling load, reduce the enrgy you use, and still keep you comfortable.

Minimize the use of air conditioners by opening up all windows in your home overnight to cool the home down. Close the windows in the morning, pull down awnings and shades on wondows and deck doors where you have direct sunlight.

Install an attic house ventilation fan to cool the house down and use AC only on the muggiest days

Set the air conditioning thermostat no lower than 75degF

Installing a retractable awning can make a big difference in keeping your home cooler in the summer and still letting the sun warm up your living room on winter days.

Which of the above items can you do this season? You don’t have to do them all at once. Start with one and then do the others as you can.

Heating Your Home Efficiently
Get ready for winter now! Start implementing as many of the items on the list below.

A home with drafts not only uses a lot of energy and costs you hard-earned money, it can also be uncomfortable for you. We have all been in homes or restaurants where you feel a constant draft. It’s uncomfortable, no matter how high you set the room temperature. Hire someone to perform a blower door test, which will tell you exactly how drafty your house is and where the leaks are. You can find a blower door company to perform these tests in your area. Once you know where the leaks are, download this free Energy Star Guide To Sealing And Insulating your home and follow these guidelines.

What condition are your windows in? Maybe this is the year to replace them.

Check the insulation in your attic. Make sure you have complete coverage, all the way to the edge. Add insulation if you find holes or gaps.

Insulate all walls between heated and non-heated areas such as between the basement family room and the un-heated storage in the back.

Get your boiler checked, tuned up and cleaned

If you are using a wood-burning stove, get your wood now, stack it and cover the pile to keep the wood dry.

Have the stove flue cleaned

Install a programmable thermostat. Program it for nighttime temperature setback. Also program it for temperature setback during the day when everybody is at work. Important: Allow the home to heat up for 30-60 minutes. And know that the house will coast, slowly cool down, for one hour or more. So if you get up at 6am, start the heat at 5:00am or 5:30am (try out what works best for you) and stop it no later than 6:30am, if you leave at 7:00am.

Consider not turning the heat on in the morning, when you are only up and around for about one hour

I suggest to seal all leaks, have your boiler or furnace serviced, lower the room tempearuture and install a programmable thermostat. Doing these four things will make a big difference in your heating bills! With the money you save, put additional insulation in the attic. Then move on to add insulation in the basement, and replace the windows.

Minimize The Water Usage
Minimizing your water usage is another easy green step to implement. Here are a few tips:

Fix all dripping faucets and toilets

Set the water level for the clothes washer to the minimum required for the amount of clothes you are washing

Run the dishwasher only when it is full

Pre-rinse dishes with cold water and use as little water as possible

Water your garden and lawn at dusk or dawn. Check with your local garden center about how often you need to water the lawn. Most lawns only require a deep soaking every 2-3 weeks. Watering too frequently will result in the plants having very shallow roots, which makes them more susceptible to dry spells.

Collect the rainwater and use it to water your garden

If you are planning to replace the washing machine, consider buying a front-loading machine, because these use much less water and energy than top-loading machines. Front-loading machines also spin faster, which means that the clothes come out of the washer much dryer. That in turn means less energy used in the dryer.

If you are planning to replace a toilet, or building a new bathroom, consider buying a low-flush 1.6 gallon/flush toilet. It can save thousands of gallons of water. Download this summary on ultra-low flush toilets. Another option could be to install a composting toilet.

Give yourself a challenge: Can yo reduce your water usage by 20% or more?

Use Less Electricity
You can do several things to reduce your electric usage and with that your electric bills. For example:

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or even better, with LED bulbs

Turn off the lights when you leave a room

Unplug all small appliances, TVs, stereos, etc if you are not using them in the next hour. The “off” button will often just put these appliances in stand-by mode, in which they still draw electric power. You can get a power strip for a group of equipment, such as your entire entertainment center. Turn all of them off at the power strip.

Use motion sensors for outdoor lighting

Install solar-powered outdoor lights

Replace old appliances with new, Energy Star rated, high efficiency appliances

Replacing all your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs can be costly. Do one at a time. Watch for sales and maybe you can buy 3 for the price of 2! Turning off lights and appliances won’t cost you a dime!

Green Flooring
Flooring is another area where you can easily switch to green materials. Green wood flooring is made of organically and sustainably grown woods, recycled woods, or engineered woods. Bamboo flooring, in my opinion, is not really a green and sustainable product, as long as we have to ship it from the other side of the globe, mainly China.

Carpeting can be another source for harmful chemicals in your home. We all know the nasty, sickening smell of newly installed carpeting. It doesn’t have to be. Carpeting made with recycled plastics, or wool carpeting, can be healthy, green alternatives. Look for the Green Label, issued by the Carpet and Rug Institute when you are considering buying green carpeting. And make sure that you use a non-toxic carpet adhesive!

Maybe you could replace the wall-to-wall carpeting with a cork floor, linoleum flooring, or a floor made with recycled plastic or leather. It will also be easier to keep clean. Add area rugs, made of natural or recycled materials.

Greenflooring is a great resource. They have a good selection of materials, including green carpet adhesives. I also like their educational sections where you can learn about green flooring.

Use Non-Toxic, Eco-friendly Paints
Are you planning to paint the inside or outside of your home? Use only paints with very low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or solvents. Fortunately, you can find these paints in many hardware stores, or you can order them on-line at Ecospaints.com. For a review of several green paint manufacturers and their products go to GreenHomeGuide

Green Cleaning Products
Using environmentally friendly cleaning materials and products is another way to start moving towards living in a green home. Many standard cleaning products contain toxic chemicals. These chemicals are introduced into your home when you use them to clean the stove, bathroom, carpeting, windows, etc. Residues left on the “clean” surfaces can be toxic.

Why would you want to add chemicals to the air and leave toxic residue after you are done cleaning? You and your family breathe the air, which contains the chemicals, after you have cleaned your home. Your toddlers and pets crawl around on carpeting and floors that are coated with harmful chemicals. Read about the toxicity of cleaning products in this very informative article: Good, Clean Fun. It’s an odd title, but the article if full of good and useful information.

The Truth About “Green” Cleaning Products is another good article on cleaning your home withoug hurting yourself or the environment.

You can find many of these green cleaning products in your local grocery stores or you can order them on-line at Seventhgeneration.com or simplegreen.com for example.

Green Appliances
Whenever you need to replace an appliance, look for one with the Energy Star Label. These appliances are certified to have a high efficiency and low energy and water usage.

Chose the smallest appliance for your needs. Donate your high capacity washer to a day care center after your children have left for college. Install a small, front-loading washer, which uses considerably less water and energy. Set the washing temperature to warm or cold, and the rinsing temperature to cold. Always run a full load. Never run the washer for just a pair of pants and 2 T-shirts.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
Reduce the amount of materials you use, especially new materials. When building a new green home, an addition or when remodeling your existing home, purchase as few new materials as you can. Buy wood, kitchen cabinets, countertops, etc, made from reclaimed and recycled materials. If you live in California, for example, check out the California Materials Exchange, a government-sponsored resource for finding reclaimed and recycled building materials. Do a search on line to find a local supplier for your area.

Ok, this should help you get started. Take one step at a time. Once you get a feel for it, I am sure you will discover additional ways to make your home green.

Tags: Green Start