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One Word. Plastics.

One Word. Plastics. published on


The 2011 Solar Decathlon is THE big green deal going down in DC at the moment. Reclaimed Home will be heading down there in….oh, a few hours…to check out the green scene. Thanks to Ogilivy Public Relations and their client, The American Chemistry Council aka Plastics Make it Possible for sending us (Yeah, I’m dragging the hubby) all expenses paid! Carfare, hotel, *swanky cocktails and dinner….the works.

Oh, but the best part of course, is we get to cover the Decathlon. Not only that, but we’ll have our very own celebrity tour guide. Brooks Utley, that smiley carpenter from HGTV’s “The $250,000 Challenge” and “Designed to Sell” will be on hand to show us how plastics make it possible (How do you like how I incorporated that?) to make our homes more energy efficient.

The U.S. Department of Energy is the force behind the Solar Decathlon, which has been a biennial event since 2002.  Collegiate teams compete to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and visually appealing. The winner is the team that blends all of these principles together in the best way.

There will be loads to report once I actually go to the event, but in anticipation, I’m gonna guess how these showcase homes will use plastics.

1. Solar Panels. Hello! This IS the Solar Decathlon after all!

2. Decking. Composite material made from recycled plastic is a favorite durable deck “lumber” used in place of wood.

3. Carpeting. Yes, there are manufacturers who make carpets out of recycled plastic!

4. Insulation. Ah-a! Foam instead of fiberglass. A lot less itchy to install. KnowwhatImsayin??

5. Piping. PVC is to code in many parts of the country now. Easier to work with than cast iron.

6. Small Appliances. Try finding an electric can opener or coffee maker without some plastic on it.

Ok, I listed the obvious stuff.  I’m looking forward to seeing some real live recycled plastic innovations tomorrow! Will report back next week.

* I made up the swanky part. Could be a 40 of Colt for all I know.

 

Reclaimed Building Materials, NY

Reclaimed Building Materials, NY published on

We’ve posted local reclaimed lumber resources here before, but the list keeps growing. Before checking out any of these pricey places, be sure to have a look at Craigslist first to see if anyone is giving away materials they don’t need. It happens.

Need recycled bricks? Chief’s in The Bronx sells used bricks and cobblestones.

Here are a few reclaimed wood and flooring companies to check out:

Antique and Vintage Woods. Upstate.

Restoration Timber @ NY Design Center

Cornerstone Salvage. NYC

And don’t forget this Coney Island boardwalk wood!

Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers

Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers published on

Guest Post

So there’s this most recent direction running along side our attraction with the most desirable wire-less accessories [1], and it’s how to best maintain their battery packs 100 %. With lots of the modern pads and tablet pcs, mobile handsets, and lap tops the only typical headache is the most handy alternative to have them charged up. I began wondering what normally I would undoubtedly undoubtedly do with some of these various units and now I ask myself what I’d do without them. I even worry every night whether I have all of them on their proper wires and charging up for the day ahead.Continue reading Hey Eco-Geeks!Solar Wireless Chargers

Renovating on a Tight Budget

Renovating on a Tight Budget published on 1 Comment on Renovating on a Tight Budget

If your renovation is costing more than you paid for your house, something is wrong. You shouldn’t have to sell your first born to update a home. Sure, there are certain large ticket items you wouldn’t want to skimp on….roof, windows, facade, boiler, structural. But semi-skilled work? Come on.

As you know, I’m a big advocate for DIY. If you put in the sweat equity, you can be save yourself in the vicinity of $40k. I came up with that estimate by comparing DIY input to that of an unskilled day laborer at $125 per day over the course of a year. My own skills are superior to a guy you pick up at Home Depot, so my own estimate is probably double that. Obviously you wouldn’t quit your $200k per year job to do it, but as a freelancer earning bupkas, I was able to put in the time. My husband who put in a lot less time because he actually has a full time job and does earn something, probably saved us even more while only working on the house on weekends. That’s because he has mad skills.

Before I go into materials, just a few thoughts on other ways to save on labor. Painting and demolition parties, barters, hiring apprentices to high end contractors and of course picking up day laborers.

Materials range from free to high end. Since this has the words “tight budget” in the post title, guess where I’m going with this?

FREE

It would be a fun experiment to try to do an entire renovation free of cost. But nothing is ever free. It would take tons of time and probably cost more in fuel than trying to buy locally. But here goes…..

1. Craigs List. Go directly to the “free” section. You may find anything from sheetrock scraps to clawfoot tubs. People measure wrong, decide to use something else or may want to recycle what they are ripping out.

2. Freecyle.org Sign up for the group to gain access to a nationwide network of recycled goodies. IMO, it sounds a whole lot better than it is. When I signed up, I couldn’t believe the audacity of some people. One of the requests I saw was for a minivan for someone with 8 kids. Hello, maybe you should stop having kids if you can’t afford a van! But I digress. You can post your own needs, search for what’s out there and offer up what you no longer want.

3. Dumpster Diving. Oh yeah! I’m talking dumpsters parked outside of a renovation, obviously. Better still, find the fixer uppers that have just closed, contact contractors and demolition guys to see if they’ll give you the head’s up. No, they won’t be happy, but one or two of them might not think it’s great to stick everything in the landfill. You know, those sensitive contractors.

Almost Free

1. Craigslist. This time search “materials”.

2. ReStores. Located throughout the US and Canada. Run by Habitat for Humanity, these shops take donations from the public and sell the items at a fraction of the cost. They have everything including the kitchen sink. Paints, cabinets, light fixtures, furniture….

3. Build it Green. I saw a coffin in here once. If you live in NYC, this place is just as good as any Restore since the closest ReStore is in Mt. Vernon. BIG is a huuuuge warehouse in Queens. They have new and used studs, wiring, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances and more. Do keep in mind that items like plywood, sheetrock and studs go quickly as these are basic to any renovation.

4. Salvage! There are antique architectural salvage yards all over the planet. Although you might sometimes find a bargain at Olde Good Things or Demolition Depot, they are not for the shallow pocketed. My two local faves: Eddie Hibbert in Clinton Hill and Vaccaro’s in Gowanus. I’m talking antique french doors for 20 bucks and marble mantels for less than $400. *They may need work.

5. Overstock and Closeouts. Every now and then, manufacturers need to get rid of some clutter. There are samples, irregulars and dead stock taking up space. They don’t always post it online, but I’ll give you a for instance. I once found the mother load of concrete tiles, countertops and sinks on Craigslist. Get Real Surfaces in Poughkeepsie was having a sale to get rid of dead inventory. I made out with enormous boxes of tile for $10 per box. They were probably worth about $20 per square foot.

6. Ebay. Did you know that you can buy faucets, toilets and tools on Ebay? Yep, it’s all there!

7. Overstock.com. Sometimes good for faucets, shower and light fixtures, tiles…it kind of depends on what they have that week. Hit or miss.

Upscale. Low Budget

Green Demolitions. Buy what the millionaires got tired of looking at. Top shelf appliances (think Viking, Sub Zero) and cabinets for a ton less than what you would pay new. These aren’t completely inexpensive, but it’s a good deal for what it is!

PS: Side effects may include saving the planet while saving your pocketbook.

Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time

Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time published on 1 Comment on Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time

Guest author: The Hubby

By choosing to live in a city, you have already reduced your carbon footprint by 2/3rds. This may seem counter intuitive but there are some major advantages including public transportation and sharing of resources.

More people cram into high rise apartment buildings and share park space. Garbage collectors use less fuel to get around because people in urban areas live closer together. How does NYC rate on the recycling front? Well, due to a lack of vision and budget constraints, NYC only recycles 30% of it’s waste while San Fransisco is at 70%. We still beat Houston, TX which is in the single digits.

Some things aren’t that clear cut though.

Do reusable bags actually save energy and resources? They take more energy to produce and now since the green movement is in full swing, they are incredibly easy to come by because everyone wants their logo on a tote. The cheaper ones tear easily and get trashed in less than a year. Then there’s the bacteria scare. Unless you wash them regularly, they can get pretty nasty. It takes water, soap and energy to clean them, so how environmental is this?

Probably a hell of a lot better than plastic bags. The heavy canvas ones beat the lightweight semi-disposables any day.

What about the bottle debate? Glass, plastic or aluminum? Glass is heavier and is thus costlier to transport to the store and recycling plant. Aluminum takes a lot of energy to produce from bauxite but it’s easily recyclable. Cans are made from 40% recycled material. Glass bottles are 20%. Plastic bottles are reusable but not recycled as bottles. The advantage of plastic is that it can be made into fleece or packing material.

In an ideal world, we would all refill our glass containers locally. Kind of like our seltzer delivery by Ronnie the Seltzer Guy.

There’s always common sense solutions to saving the planet that do not need to be debated.

Turn off the tap when not rinsing body, teeth or dishes.

Don’t run half empty dishes or laundry.

Unplug energy sucking vampire electronics and appliances when not in use.

Replace standard bulbs with CFL. For God’s sake, turn off the light when you leave the room!

Walk, cycle, take the train. Car pool.

Get a little uncomfortable. Do you really need all that heat and air conditioning? You better not be walking around the house in your skivvies in the middle of winter complaining you’re cold.

Consume less meat. The closer you get to a vegan diet, the more resources you save. Land, water. Co2 emissions. Not to mention the animals.

Buy local. This not only saves on fuel, but hello….let’s build up our own economy!

One person can’t fix the planet on their own, but if each of us took baby steps towards righting Ms. Earth, perhaps one day she will be grateful enough to thank us. (Because she’s pretty pissed right now).

 

Upcycle Magazine

Upcycle Magazine published on

Did you know there is an Upcycle Magazine? I do now. The site goes over how-to’s, products and ideas. It is a tad heavy on the Etsy crafty stuff, but there are some great ideas for the home and garden. “Bigger projects” as I like to call them.

Looks as if the site launched in 2009 but the content in the archives isn’t too overwhelming. In fact, I wish there was more.

Well, since a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll shut up now and show you. As always, click on the image link to learn more.

Via Best Green Blogs.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! published on

Happy Earth Day! You can find local Earth Day events for the weekend @ the Earth Day Network. Just punch in your zip code.

And please be kind to Momma Earth today and every day. Hate to get preachy on y’all, but just a few seconds out of your day would really make a difference.

Like what? Howzabout….

1. Don’t leave your reusable shopping totes behind.

2. Turn off lights when you leave the room.

3. Shut windows when it’s too chilly. Why waste heat?

4. Walk or take public transit instead of driving.

5. Recycle your paper and cans! Nobody should be throwing that stuff in the garbage. It’s 2011 for F’s sake!

6. Unplug chargers and other energy vampires when not in use.

7. Turn off water in between rinsing while doing dishes and brushing your teeth.

8. If it’s yellow….you know the rest.

Weatherization Assistance Program

Weatherization Assistance Program published on 1 Comment on Weatherization Assistance Program

The WAP or Weatherization Assistance Program helps low income families reduce their energy consumption and bills. Mark your calendars for March 8th, kids, because Sustainable Flatbush will be hosting an event to provide information on this important program.

Here’s the deal:

WHAT:
How to Fix Your Home and Save on Energy Bills

WHERE:
Mt. Zion Church of God
203 East 37th Street (between Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard)
Brooklyn, NY

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 8th from 7-9pm

The workshop will cover heating systems, insulation, energy efficient appliances, water saving tips and a number of things you should already be doing.

If you’re abode isn’t 100% energy efficient, you can probably learn something from this. Plus, refreshments will be served.

Green Twitter

Green Twitter published on

Who knew there were green Twitter lists? Apparently, everyone but me. It’s old news. But now that I’m onto it, I’m all about that! Green Upgrader has the green twitter directory. It may not have been updated in awhile, but most of the folks on it are actively tweeting.

The Huffington Post green Twitter article from 2008 is not as impressive. Interesting to see who has survived the twittesphere though.

Of course you can always follow some twit’s green list if you’re so inclined, or better still, make your own damn list! Lemme know if you do. I’m too lazy to do it myself. I’ll follow.

NYC Snaps Photos and Furniture

NYC Snaps Photos and Furniture published on

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What happens when a photographer/design consultant teams up with a furniture designer and reclaimed timber expert? “Made of New York” furniture happens.

John-Michael Ekeblad is the photographer. He builds the frames around the images as well. His work is snippets of NYC life. The cockroach is kind of our mascot, isn’t it?

The reclaimed wood furniture is pretty awesome. Prices aren’t crazy for the quality of work and materials.  Just check out some of the stuff for yourself!

chairblack.jpg

Black armchair: $1150.

stool.jpg

Dining O-Stool: $290

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Dresser: $990.

Via Cool Hunting.

Reclaimed Handmade Parquet

Reclaimed Handmade Parquet published on

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Summit Surfaces has introduced a new parquet flooring line. The recycled 200 year old maple comes from a factory in Tribeca. It looks a little different than that thin crap you can buy at big box stores, no?

Although they do use the word “affordable” on their website, I’m not quite sure it’s affordable to everyone as their clients look pretty high end. At any rate, perhaps I can afford one tile to use as a trivet? They ARE beautiful!

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