What have you done/plan to do to green up your house?

[steph72276]

I saw a piece a few days ago about how the era of the McMansions were a thing of the past and that the new trend is moving toward smaller, greener homes. What have you done/plan to do to make your house more green? We have done some of the standard things like switch out light bulbs, change to energy star appliances, and are looking for sustainable wood for our hardwoods. We also started a vegetable garden in our backyard. Anybody else doing anything they would like to share?

 

[Nashville]

We rent, so we can't do a whole lot of renovating, but we take all the steps we can. We switched out our bulbs, we don't leave lights or anything else on when we don't need to use them or we're not home. We take short showers to conserve water, we use a brita instead of buying plastic bottled water, we use "blackout" curtains to keep heat and cold inside. We don't use aerosol products like hairspray (seriously, a little sugar water works just as well). We also support and buy from the local farmer's market, and we choose not to buy products that are genetically altered in any way (no hormones, antibiotics, inhumane treatment of the animals). I also buy "green" cleaning products for our home and use cloth diapers instead of disposable. Last but not least, we recycle.

It's all little stuff, but once you get into the habit you just do it without any effort.

 

[kenny]

We have a 1400 sq ft 1920s fixer upper but I intend to NOT remodel or add on, ever!

Our dumpy kitchen and single original bathroom is good enough.
They works.
It's not fabulous and "dream come true" but they work.

I keep our lawn just this side of brown.
GIA would grade it Fancy Greenish Brownish Yellow.

 

[Fly Girl]

We never bought the McMansion in the first place. I remember all of our friends buying bigger houses about 10-12 years ago, and turning to DH and asking if we were missing something? Well, we have stayed in our 1200 sq ft home that we purchased right out of grad school in a blue collar part of town, raised two kids, and were mortgage free during the big crisis in the last couple of years. We've grown our own veggies for years, and turn the heat down when we are not home (a habit left over from the oil crisis during the Carter years). I prefer full spectrum lights (got an artist daughter and we need correct colors which you don't get with CFs), so we haven't switched out our bulbs. We have recycled for years. I guess we haven't done a lot extra with this latest "green" push, but we have tried to live lightly on the land our whole lives.

 

[packrat]

Not a whole lot. New/better windows, sided the house, the new dishwasher is Energy Star, we're putting in a garden next year, changed out the bulbs. Insulating the attic space soon. JD has a wood burner in the back garage/shed.

 

[kenny]

We've recycled since I can remember and converted to all CFLs years ago.
We have no dishwasher, no heater and no AC.
Front-loading clothes washer uses less water.
80% of our laundry dries on a line instead of being dried in a dryer.
No pool
No Jacuzzi
No landscape lighting
We both drive hybrid cars.

No kids - which is the most significant green decision anyone can make.
When you die your DNA stops draining the planet for ever and ever instead of producing unlimited generations of planet-consumers for all eternity.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Honestly, not too much here. Our dishwasher is energy star rated, but our stove, fridge and washer/dryer are not and we can't afford to replace those just for the sake of being "green".

Our house is a 740 square foot (not including finished basement) 1949 cape cod with aluminum siding and wood windows; that we also can't afford to replace so they're here to stay for now.

We turn down the thermostat in the winter when we're not home and have the A/C set at 76F and use our ceiling fans to keep the house comfortable in the summer. Neither of us take long showers out of habit. We only do full dishwasher loads and full loads of clothes in the washer. We have a few of the CFL bulbs even though I think the color of the light leaves something to be desired. We've always recycled but don't go overboard with it and we still buy bottled water, paper towels and paper plates and don't feel bad about it.

 

[steph72276]

New windows are another thing we will do eventually. Our house is only 9 years old, so it's not an immediate need, but I would like to get them in the next few years. Also, I would like to get a new, more efficient water heater. I'm looking at it not only from a socially conscious standpoint, but from a business standpoint as well since this is what people are now looking for with resales.

 

[kenny]

I remembered another one.
When waiting for hot water to reach the kitchen faucet I catch the water and throw it outside into the landscaping.
The water heater is out in the garage so I recover over a gallon each time.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

We have really great insulation and windows, all energy star appliances, turn off the electronics when they're not being used, same with the water...we would LOVE to install solar panels someday as well. I also drive a hybrid and bring reusable bags to all stores (not just the groceries).

A big yay for all those who make an effort!

 

[kenny]

I just noticed another small thing while waking the dogs.
We don't buy those dog-poop bags.
I just "recycle" bags from the produce department.

I used to use one bag per dog poop.
Now I get two events into one bag by tying a knot after the first event

 

[steph72276]

Good idea on the bags Kenny, although I could have done without the visual

 

[kenny]

But I thought they say a picture is worth a thousand turds.

 

[les12]

Well, I'm about to move and plan to be much more mindful of these things at our new apartment.

My parents however have made great strides to be "green". My dad built the house about 6 years ago, using bricks and wooden beams he's collected throughout the years from old buildings. Some come from old lighthouses, others from plantation buildings and historical ruins. It may sound strange, but the house is really beautiful. He built it all by hand as well, I'm really proud of him Being from south Louisiana, and living on the historic River Road, we were always surrounded by history and beautiful plantation homes, etc. My parents (my dad especially) instilled in us an appreciation for those sorts of things. So our house was made from recycled bits of history. Some of the bricks he used actually have grip marks (like finger indentations) from old brick makers from over 100 years ago.

They recently added solar panelling and it is really incredible! They have virtually no electric bills. We were there this past weekend watching football and the power went out during the game, but we were able to turn on the built up solar power and watch football - because of the sun! haha it's pretty cool.

Anyway, I just wanted to share because as far as I know it's a pretty rare situation but I'm proud of my parents for being so proactive with their home.

 

[zoebartlett]

We live in a condo and our association has built all the units in the development to be enery star rated. The lightbulbs in the overhead lights are the "green" kind, and the lights are slow to turn on. They sort of turn on gradually, if that makes sense. The only other thing I can think of is that the owner of our unit (or the association as a whole) has decided that the shower temp. should be kept mild. We can't turn the faucet all the way to the hottest setting. When it gets colder, we'll have to find out about that but for now, it's okay.

We have two dumpsters: one for regular trash and one for cardboard only. I'm not sure why there's not a separate bin for bottles and cans, but for some reason, there's not.

 

[atroop711]

when we moved into our apt last fall, we placed bamboo flooring throughout the apt

 

[geckodani]

We rent, so not a whole lot I can do about the appliances and whatnot. We use natural soaps and laundry detergent for the most part, turn lights off, use the automatic thermostat etc. I too prefer the full spectrum bulbs, so we haven't switched in all rooms (use them in closets, laundry room etc.).

 

[dragonfly411]

I try to control my actions as much as possible, though living with others doesn't allow me to control theirs. I use the green bags you can buy at most local groceries, and actually end up collecting the seasonal ones Publix puts out. I use tupperware that is long term vs. disposable. If we use disposable plates, we use paper, which can be recycled, or put into our compost bin. I recycle bottles and cans. I tend to use a long term water bottle. We make sure lights are turned off when we aren't using them, or don't need them. The house lets in a lot of natural light so that in the daytime, we barely need lights at all.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Re-use, re-use, re-use!

I buy a lot of items off of CL that people would otherwise be throwing out. So far, I've gotten all of my baby gear used from either CL or friends. I will buy lots of new things too, including crib and car seats, but for most other items, I am happy to make use of items that are in excellent condition that have been previously used.

We recently had a home energy audit, the cost of which is partially subsidized by the state, and which is coordinated through the local electric company. The cost was $75 for us. The contractor made several recommendations re: how we can reduce energy waste. They also gave us free energy saver bulbs, including for our recessed lighting, which we had not previously replaced. If you elect to make any improvements, there are rebates available from the gov't. I'd encourage anyone interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home to look into a home energy audit program available through the local electric company.

We have the heat set on a timer and prefer fresh air to A/C, when reasonable. I cannot deal with humidity though, so we did have the A/C on for a good deal of the summer. We turn the temp up during the day, but do not turn it off, so the pups are comfy too.

We participate in a CSA. Locally grown veggies. Garlic from down the street (instead of China) tastes oh-so-good.

les12, Your parents' house sounds amazing!!!! Did your father do a lot of the actual construction himself too? I bet it is quite the beautiful home.

 

[kenny]

We used to get Sparkletts water delivered in those 5-gallon jugs.
One day I was stuck in traffic behind a big Sparkletts truck spewing diesel exhaust and it occurred to me that's probably not the greenest way to get good water.
Water is already being delivered to my house via underground pipes.
I just want better water.

I installed this water filter myself under the kitchen sink.
It's a GE Profile Reverse Osmosis, about $280 at Home Depot.
The water is SUPER clean and tasteless, and after a short time of getting no Sparkletts bill, it is paid for.
With two people using it, the filters get replaced about once a year for $45.

It is also a good source for aquarium water.

 

[Ninna]

Electricity is so expensive here. We currently have PV panels hidden behind a slope [they look horrid] so far $0 electric bill. I'm hoping to get some $ back soon as we have replaced our fridge, washer/dryer to energy efficient. We waited until this last move to get them.
There is no carpeting in this house. I think we used the AC twice this Summer.
We also recycle like mad, grow some veggies and make our own compost from kitchen waste.
One thing we need to work on is Water....we are bad at it

 

[TooPatient]

Moved into this house 2 1/2 years ago.

It has reasonably new windows (vinyl, double pane, etc) so that is okay. There was one old garden window that was letting in cold/hot air (and bugs) so we replaced that with a new fiberglass (more efficient than vinyl) double pane window with insulated frame.

The heater & air conditioner are pretty new and efficient (heater is energy star, not sure of airconditioner). We do NOT use the automatic temperature control on the thermostat -- I choose in morning for heat or cool so that it keeps the house 68 or above (if heat is selected -- heat only turns on if house drops below 6 or 75 or cooler (if cool is selected -- AC only turns on if house goes above 75). We have animals and CAN'T let the house get too hot or cold even while we're gone.

Water heater is 20+ years old and needs to be replaced. It isn't hugely inefficient, but it is nearing the end of its life. We wouldn't replace it just to be efficient, but since we need to replace it anyway we're going to (when the time comes) replace it with an on-demand tankless water heater (possibly 2 smaller ones instead of a large one to minimize distance between the heater and the faucet)

Appliances that came with the house are energy star rated. All of the appliances we've bought have energy star ratings.

Our front-load washer we bought is one of the largest on the market and I only run full loads. It allows me to run an extra spin after washing to get out even more water so a big load of laundry can dry in about 20 minutes on medium heat.

The old blown-in insullation wasn't very thick, didn't cover everywhere, and drifted so there were entire rooms not insullated. We bought high-rated rolls of insullation and put them up in the attic. Still have more to do, but got 2/3+ done last fall. We also installed door sweeps and weather stripping. FI filled all of the old wire holes (some went clear through to the outside) with foaming insullation and sealed the holes (inside and out). Heater ducting & pipes in the garage got insullation too.

We've been installing track lighting in the house and use low-energy use lightbulbs (non-CFL inside). Outside, laundry room, and garage have been switched to CFLs. As bulbs burn out in the existing track (and new bulbs for additional track we'll install), we replace them with LED's.

When we re-built a couple of our computers, we got energy-efficient parts (uses less electricity, produces less heat, needs the fan to run less) for the computers.

Recycle.

Dog clean up is done with plastic grocery bags (sorry Kenny, my 70 pound dog produces too much to fit in the biodegradable produce bags we get).

Oh.... and we only have one car. I have to go right past FI's office to get to my office (or school) so we drive to his office first and then I take the car.



I will NOT sacrifice comfort for being "green" but in a lot of cases the "green" option is the best for comfort too. (LED's produce less heat so the kitchen is more comfortable to work in. Decent windows and insullation means less cold breezes in winter. Efficient appliances save time and work better.....)
Also, I will NOT replace perfectly good flooring, appliances, etc. just for the sake of being "green" -- ripping out and throwing in the trash something that is already in the house and working just to replace it with something "green" seems to be a big waste. (new product took materials and energy to make, the old stuff will just add to landfills --- why not wait until it needs to be replaced and then get the "green" stuff???) The exception to this is appliances that suck energy -- if I can replace an energy sucking appliance with something new and efficient then I will (luckily our house doesn't really have this problem)


Eventually we plan to have a well insullated house with efficient appliances, LED lighting, home-grown fruits & veggies (watered as much as possible with water collected from rain), and enough solar cells to produce all the energy we need. We'll get there.

 

[steph72276]

Has anyone seen a product available at Home Depot that collects rain water to use for your lawn? I can't remember where I saw it, but I am going to look into it on my next visit. We HAVE to water our lawn here in FL, or it will go completely brown, but in the rainy season, it rains almost every afternoon so we don't run the sprinklers then.

Too patient, I totally agree with you on not replacing just to be green. We're pretty much doing everything as it needs it. Flooring is what we're looking at next...probably going with bamboo, but will do some more research. Windows will be done in the next few years. We bought all new appliances when we moved in due to the old ones being in bad shape, and our washer/dryer broke last year and we replaced with front load. Love all the ideas, it is most definitely a good selling point these days for houses to be more energy efficient.

 

[monarch64]

We are currently renting/house-hunting. This area is undergoing a huge green-push with lots of city dollars allocated to new biking/walking paths and several new neighborhoods of structures that are "green." We've looked at existing and proposed construction of two different "green" neighborhoods, and I have to say it will take a few years for these neighborhoods to really catch on, imo. The proposed construction we've been discussing with our realtor (who is actually also the builder) is really cool, but built with a very eco-friendly owner in mind. The new homes are called "smart bungalows" and they have mini carports designed for Smartcars, mopeds, or bicycles. Everything in them, including materials and appliances, is energy efficient and "green." Very cool, but we are just not there yet. We are firm believers in Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle; however, with an emphasis on reduction.

I grew up here in a 6,000 square foot house in which my parents still reside. They planned to have 6 children and ended up with only 2. We plan on having 1 child or 2 at the most, and therefore will likely never own a home with more than 3 bedrooms. I watched my mother go through cleaning help like underwear and then slave over their home trying to keep up with it by herself as a SAHM and after we kids left the nest, and that nonsense is for the birds! I don't/won't have the time or energy to keep up with anything over 2,000 square feet. Further, I don't want to spend the money it takes to heat and cool a McMansion in the midwest! Even with energy efficient appliances it is still a ridiculous expense.

Another thing I have against huge living spaces is that I think it contributes to a disconnect among family. When you all have a separate wing or floor, trust me, you learn to love your alone time and there is much less communication and integration as a family unit. The most positive thing about it, on the other hand, was that we were outdoors all the time but that was because the house sits on a 7 acre lot in the midst of another 60+ acres of wooded land and pastures. You don't find many McMansions nowadays with much green space whatsoever.

Buying a non-new construction house is kind of the ultimate form of recycling, I think. Another reason I'm having a tough time justifying buying one of the brand new or proposed construction "green" homes for sale here.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi All,

Several yrs ago I took care of many "green projects'--new heating, air cond, water heater, attic insulation, new patio doors, sealed and caulked downstairs windows and doors, and changed light bulbs.
I have no car and so use public transport . My home is 1300 sq feet, so not a big footprint. However I cannot give up paper towels or plastic grocery bags. I have read these green threads before and have said to myself, I will not give up my plastic bags until I see one person who has said they gave up disposable diapers. Nashville, you are the only one so far that can chastise me about plastic bags. Please let me keep using them. I commend you the most, for giving the disposable diapers up. That is true committment.

Thanks,
Annette

 

[partgypsy]

Things off the top of our head. I actually don't feel like we have done that much really. I keep meaning to do more, like monitor my energy usage, etc.

But we have:
Insulated the attic (we have an old house). We can do more with insulating and replacing old doors.
Replaced our old single pane windows with energy efficient windows.
Replaced alot of appliances with energy star versions including more energy efficient heating/cooling system (easy for us to do because EVERYTHING needed to be replaced when we bought the house).
When renovating used reclaimed materials if possible (sometimes this worked, sometimes it did not)

Except for bulbs that the kids can reach/knock over replaced bulbs with newer flourescents. Try to turn off lights, appliances when not using.
Dry things we don't care if they are wrinkled on a line in back porch, or dry clothes till almost dry and hang.
We've replaced what little grass we have with other ground cover (a work in progress...). We compost. We don't use any artificial fertilizers or chemicals and are rewarded by it by lovely views of birds and butterflies.
Replaced some flooring with marmoleum, and use low emission paint when painting.

The biggest ways our house is green: It is not a big house (which translates into less cost in building, less land used, less costly to heat and cool, etc). And it is located so we can actually bike or walk to places such as our children's schools and our workplaces.

 

[zhuzhu]

We upgraded to energy star refrigerator and washer-dryer, and we chose not to install AC unit only for the rare 2 weeks of really hot summer where we live. Other than that, we recycle and recycle....

 

[partgypsy]

Has anyone seen a product available at Home Depot that collects rain water to use for your lawn?

You mean a water barrel? We have 2 of them. They work great!

 

[partgypsy]

Smitcompton we use reusable bags (also don't use paper towels, napkins etc) but I used disposable diapers and wipes for my kids. Everyone has their limit! The hardest thing about reusable bags is just remembering to have them on hand when shopping. We keep a couple in the car, a few at home, etc. I got the unbleached canvas kind that you throw in the wash.

Kenny- I commend you for picking up after your pets and "doubling" your use, but yeah could have done without the visual!

 

[TooPatient]

We've also got some motion detecting light switches in the house so the lights turn off if there's no one in the room. (not a great idea for all rooms, but it works in some -- cost about $10 each and took 5 minutes to replace the original switch with the new one)

Not done for being "green" but we let our hair air-dry. FI's gets dry really fast and mine feels better this way.