Green Home Materials - Good to Know

Reducing Exposure to Toxic Chemicals During Home Renovations

When it comes time to do a home renovation, it’s often easy to get swept up in creating the new design and choosing all the products. But, have you ever thought about what types of dust and contaminants you could be exposed to during demolition? Or, what types of chemicals might be released from the new products?

Sustainable Advantages and Inspirations of Redwood

Redwood lumber is naturally strong and durable, shrinks and swells less than other woods, and is less likely to warp or split. This natural strength, combined with its environmental benefits, makes redwood an ideal choice for any number of landscaping designs.

How Your Roof Affects the Environment: Know Before You Buy

Did you know traditional asphalt shingles are a petroleum product and require replacement every 15-20 years (or sooner), resulting in about 20 billion pounds of asphalt shingles ending up in U.S. landfills every year? According to industry data, roughly 7 million U.S. homeowners replace their roof each year and many are looking for new 'green', energy-saving options. Here's what you should know about metal.

7 of the Most Popular Green Roofs

We’ve gone green with cars, appliances and technology. Now the movement is on to go green with residential roofing. Environmentally-friendly roofs are gaining in popularity as homeowners recognize the many benefits green roofing brings. With energy bills one of the major expenses of owning a home, eco-friendly roofs are becoming an attractive option for homeowners seeking ways to lower their heating and cooling costs. But more than that, certain types of green roofs are eligible for federal and state tax credits, and deliver benefits beyond just monetary.

Why Your Copper Sink May Outlive You—and Your Grandchildren

The most astounding thing about copper? It’s essentially ageless. In some cases, you can scarcely tell old copper from new copper. So, while stone sinks from the 18th and 19th centuries most certainly show their age, even the oldest of copper sinks are Benjamin Button-like in appearance. And it gets better: In addition to not aging, copper actually grows better with age and the more it is used the faster it will re-patina.

Meet Portico – A First-of-Its-Kind Building Materials Analysis Tool

Portico is a building materials evaluation web application service developed by Healthy Building Network that integrates project management functions and growing database of over 2,500 building materials and products evaluated using Pharos Chemical Hazard database and scored based on material health and transparency criteria.

Top 5 Ways to Insulate Your Green Home

Not all insulation is created equal. Some insulation might get an A for fire prevention, but receive Fs in health and safety thanks to its chemical components. Others may be easy on your energy bill but hard on the environment. Here are the top 5 eco-friendly options that also protect your indoor air quality.

How to Find Reclaimed Home Building Materials

Did you know that building a 2,000 square foot home creates up to 8,000 pounds of waste? And, despite the fact that about 85 percent of it could be reused or recycled, most of it is ending up in landfills. It's a staggering, shameful waste. Fortunately, reclaiming, reusing, and recycling is becoming more common in the construction and renovation industry.

The Complete Guide to Eco-Friendly Insulation

Insulation is designed to reduce energy costs, so in that sense, any insulation could technically be considered green. But the manufacturing process, materials, and toxicity are other highly important factors to consider.

Good To Know