Green Archives - Page 9 of 15 - reclaimedhome.com

Bio Glass

February 21, 2008 RH 2 Comments

Here’s another recycled countertop option for ya….Bio Glass is a solid surface material made from 100% post consumer waste.

Coverings, Etc is the company behind Bio Glass. The Miami based firm, founded in 1998, also has a New York showroom. Members of the US Green Building Council, their ECoverings line of products are produced from naturally occurring elements such as sand and clay.

But back to the glass. The slabs come in 4 colors: Fossil Amber, Ocean Saphire, Oriental Jade and White Diamond. The glass is made from almost 100% crystalline silica in the form of quartz. Here’s a spec sheet with a bunch of info I can’t understand.

Beautiful. Eco-friendly. So, can anyone guess what the down side is?

Bio Glass will set you back over $3000 for a 4×9 slab.

Available at A&K Tile in Brooklyn or a dealer near you.

AFM Safecoat

February 18, 2008 RH 1 Comment

One of the most frustrating things about living in someone else’s home is the utter lack of control over my environment. If my in-laws were putting the house up for sale today, the listing would have to read: “needs TLC”. Paint chips off of every painted surface, the kitchen cabinets are splintered, the carpets are threadbare; the windows don’t entirely keep the wind out. Not a single door in the house closes properly.

All these issues wouldn’t be such a big deal if Andrew and I weren’t living here with two infants. But I have to wonder what growing up in these conditions is doing to the health of these tiny, developing humans. How many times can I shoo them away from dipping their curious fingers into the cracks in the plaster walls and from lifting up the linoleum from the corners of the room where it curls up from the floor before I go crazy. I can’t prevent them from crawling all over the ancient carpet, so I have to worry about what they are breathing in, and which chemicals they are being exposed to. To minimize their exposure to chemical fumes, we finally convinced my father-in-law (who lives by the motto that if blue painter’s tape can’t fix, it nothing can) to let us repaint the nursery with zero VOC paint.

VOCs or volatile organic compounds is the stuff that you smell when wet paint is drying, or “off-gassing”. Breathing in VOCs exposes the body to a host of nasty chemicals. And while I’m no expert, I do know that paint without VOCs is recommended for pregnant women and in families with infants. It can’t hurt to eliminate VOCs when painting in a house with pets or with individuals with sensitivities either.

We used AFM zero VOC to paint the baseboards and doors; covering up any lead-bearing paint underneath. Sure enough, there was no detectable odor.

The company is over 25 years old and provides primers, paints in many finishes and stains. Check out their Ayurveda Essence color selection. 108 colors that are skewed energetically. It’s a “healing” collection with each palete meant to be stimulating, calming, uplifting, etc.

AFM Safecoat is sold at Green Depot and Bettencourt in Brooklyn or a dealer near you. Before you run out to buy it for your entire house, FYI: It costs about $38 per gallon.

Now, if only we could replace that relic of a living room carpet….

Author: Brett

Stan The Junk Man

February 14, 2008 RH 1 Comment

Zaborski Emporium in Kingston is the megastore of salvage. 25,000 square feet of old house parts. You could get lost in that place! No seriously, I get lost in there.

Although Stan has been in the salvage business since 1976, the building on Hoffman Street was completely empty when he purchased it 10 years ago. He managed to fill it up quite nicely in that time. He used to know every piece of inventory, but jokes that he can’t remember now because of his drinking. Yeah, you’d have to be friggen Rain Man to know every artifact in that place!

Stan’s father, Stan, a Brooklyn native, owned a bakery until the early 60’s when supermarkets started to sell baked goods. His business began to suffer. To add insult to injury, the bakery was next door to an auction house. At the end of the day, Stan Sr. would be walking out with $48 compared to the auctioneer’s $15k.

The salvage business actually started with toys. Little Stanley Jr. (That’s present day Stan. Are you still with me?) would bring home toy trains and small objects that they would display for sale at the bakery. Eventually, the toys sold better than the pastries and so a new family business was born.

These days Stan has to be more selective with what he takes in, because apparently, that 25,000 square feet of space is not enough. They get their pieces from other dealers, house clean-outs and people phoning in. Customers include renovators from NYC, CT and MA. They do a decent business with the movie industry. They will only sell outright, no prop rentals. Zaborski furnishings and fixtures have been featured in films such as “American Gangster”, “The Manchurian Candidate”, “Charlotte’s Web” and “Revolutionary Road”.

When I asked if he has seen more business since the whole green building movement took off, he informed me that building salvage was the original green. I agree.

Business had slowed down for Stan during the holiday season this year. But they’re having a good February even with the tanking economy and housing market.

Zaborski Emporium is a family run business. If you’ve ever been, that’s wife Sandy sitting behind the desk in the warm office. And sons Steve and Devlin, who work there, will take over the business when Stan has had enough.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering….that’s brother Gary at the Stan’z on Ulster Avenue.

If you’re planning a visit, call first and dress warm!

Howard Hall’s Shop Green Fundraiser

February 6, 2008 RH

I received an email from my buddies at Howard Hall Farm stating that they have joined forces with Let’s Go Green for a fund raising extravaganza. Let’s Go Green will donate 25% of every online purchase to the restoration project. Just don’t forget to specify Howard Hall at check out!

Howard Hall Farm is a 1780’s stone structure in Athens, NY which acts as a vehicle for educating people in historic preservation and green restoration techniques.

Let’s Go Green sells everything from cleaners to lightbulbs to water conservation products. All at pretty good prices!

Past Post on Howard Hall Farm

They Paved Paradise & They’re Putting Up A Green Hotel

January 31, 2008 RH

Longdock Beacon, on the Hudson, has been our own little dogwalking paradise since we moved here. There has been talk of developing a green dock, hotel and conference center for years, but the area remained untouched.

That is, until a few months ago. The bulldozers and cranes showed up seemingly overnight. It’s a construction zone now. How many mornings we had that pier all to ourselves! Alas, those days are gone. The dogs will have to stay on leash, if they will even be allowed down to the “new” pier at all.

Even though I’d rather see NO development to green development, I’ve gotta admit that the plans look pretty exciting. Most importantly, if it brings more restaurants to Beacon, I’m in.

The developers are aiming for LEED Gold for the 166 room hotel and conference center. Not only will the building be green, but the plan is to operate the hotel in a sustainable manner. This will include the use of bulk dispensers in rooms instead of cute little bottles, cleaning with chemical free products and furniture that is constructed from low VOC materials.

The hotel will occupy 8.5 of the 25 acre peninsula. Scenic Hudson, which owns the site, is building a 13-acre nature preserve on the land to the south of Long Dock. The area will include meadows, a boardwalk, wetlands and a boat launch for non motorized boats.

There will be a farmer’s market and performance space at the site.

All sounds fabulous, but guess who is going to be bitching about the crowds once it’s finished?

Long Dock, Beacon

Better take advantage of this while we can.

Bamboo Flooring

January 30, 2008 RH 3 Comments

Bamboo flooring is the choice for many a green renovation. Personally, I haven’t gotten used to the look of it. I prefer classic looking floors that have withstood the test of time. I mean style wise, not durability.

Since bamboo is probably here to stay, let’s take a look at the pros and cons, shall we?

PROS:

Supposedly stronger than many hardwoods. It is resilient and doesn’t dent easily.

Bamboos reach maturity much faster than hardwoods. They can also be cultivated, making this a renewable source.

Highly resistant to moisture. Good for kitchens and bathrooms. We’ve covered countertops here.

If you want a “green” floor this is a less expensive and more convenient option than reclaimed antique wood. Not as nice though!

CONS

Choose the manufacturer wisely! As with anything, you get what you pay for. Some manufacturers harvest bamboo before it is mature enough to produce good quality planks. Four years of growth is recommended.

Again, check into the manufacturer. Make sure they are using glues with low or no formaldehyde and finishes that contain low VOC’s.

Bamboo is mostly harvested in China. We don’t know what the F* is going on in those plants over there. Not only that, that’s a lot of fuel wasted for a green product.

Teragren and Plyboo are 2 companies that distribute locally and keep an eye on their production.

Green Home Improvement Ride

January 29, 2008 RH 10 Comments

What is the most fuel efficient cargo van out there for DIY home improvement buffs? That looks cool? Is inexpensive? And is easy to drive and park on NYC streets?

A few years ago my husband bought a pick up truck. I said “You’ll regret it. A van will be more useful.” But he didn’t listen to me and as always, I was right. To make matters worse, he wanted the best fuel efficiency. No, that’s not a bad thing! But he bought a small 2WD manual transmission.

1. Small= Too small to fit many items. Even if he throws a few pieces of 2×4’s in the back, they hang over the tailgate and he has to bungee them down. Forget fitting more than one large piece of furniture.

2. 2WD= Rear wheels. A pick up doesn’t have much weight in the back. He has to weigh it down with sandbags if it’s snowy. There goes the good fuel efficiency!

3. I can’t drive stick. He tried to teach me but I freaked out. So I have to rely on him for picking up big items.

4. We’re not about to throw the dogs in the back of the truck. On weekends when we go down to Brooklyn and we need to pick up large materials, guess what? We have to take 2 cars! That’s 2x the gas mileage.

I’ll cut him some slack. When he bought the truck a few years ago we were in a different situation. Now I’ll be needing a larger vehicle than my RAV4 since I’ve started this salvage/antique business. My car fits my dogs, small pieces of furniture and any camera equipment I need to schlepp (not all at once). The gas mileage is not bad, so I’m not giving that up. He has a little Scion that he uses every day that gets awesome gas mileage, so that’s a keeper.

We need to lose the pick up.

Here’s the search criteria:

I can’t be scared to drive it.

Fits dogs plus…

Not too big, but big enough for a 4×8 piece of sheetrock.

Good gas mileage (or as good as a van can get)

Not too expensive. We’re looking at used.

This is what I’ve come up with so far:

Here’s what I really want. An old VW Bus that I can paint any color! I’d love to pimp this thing out! The husband works in heavy construction and has to maintain a semi macho image, so I’m “not allowed” to go with something like this. (Yeah, I know. Scion?) I’m sure the gas mileage is horrendous anyway, even if the engine is new.

The Chevy Astro is probably the most realistic option. It’s among the highest rated for fuel efficiency in vans and we can get a newer model at a price we can afford. Plus, there are many used Astros to choose from. The down side is that a 4WD is less efficient and the 2WD seems to be rear wheel.

The VW Eurovan gets about the same mileage as the Astro. The big plus here is that this is a front wheel drive vehicle. The downside is that we’ll be paying more money for an older van. But look how cute it is!

Whaddya think? Any other options we’re missing? I’d rent one as needed, but I’ll be using it every weekend come April when I start doing the Brooklyn Flea.

F You, Walmart!

January 28, 2008 RH 2 Comments

Walmart has been talking about going green since 2005. They say they’ve improved gas mileage on their trucks, they “score” their suppliers on packaging and now they’ve supposedly improved energy efficiency in some stores.

Last week Walmart opened an “eco friendly” store in Romeoville/Chicago. The high efficiency store is the first of a series Walmart plans to build.

Bollocks! Look, Walmart, you’ll never get my business. I don’t care how much you pretend to jump on this green bandwagon. You’re not fooling anyone. Do you think your fat ass Red State customers really care about your efforts? No, they want cheap disposable shit from China, as long as they can afford it. And you’re not gaining any new treehugging customers. Trust me on that one.

So why bother? You really want to make a difference? GO AWAY!

Chicago Tribune
Sun Times

Uhuru Got Me Now

January 24, 2008 RH 1 Comment

“Beam Table”: $ 3800

Uhuru was founded in 2004 by Rhode Island School of Design grads Bill Hilgendorf and Jason Horvath.

The two honor the Shaker belief that “beauty rests on utility”. Most of the pieces they fabricate in their Red Hook, Brooklyn shop are from salvaged materials.

The “Beam Table” pictured above is made from reclaimed timber from early 1900’s buildings in NYC that were being demolished.

“Stoolen”: starts at $2000

The Stoolen side table/stool is crafted from strips of wood saved from local Brooklyn area shops. See the rim around the piece? Bike rim.

“Fenced In”: $ 3800

The “Fenced In” coffee table is made from repurposed cast iron fence pieces and 1/2″ tempered glass.

Uhuru is currently working on some deals with local showrooms. For the moment contact them directly via their website for all inquiries.

Second Home Guilt?

January 22, 2008 RH 3 Comments

I saw this survey on Re-Nest and didn’t participate because there wasn’t an option for what my response would’ve been. I’m all about second homes. I’d have third and fourth homes if I could afford it.

Re-Nest on second homes: “They take more stuff to build; more energy to heat and to cool; and you have to get to the second home somehow, too — and that usually means time in a carbon-spewing car.”Continue reading Second Home Guilt?

Eco-Cook A.K.A. : Lazy Cook

January 22, 2008 RH

Via Treehugger via Design Boom

I’m not sure if this handy kitchen gadget is actually for sale or it’s currently just an “idea”. French designer Kechenyl Camille won an honorable mention in the “Dining in 2015” competition. “My eco-cook is an object that helps to save water, energy and time.”

And that’s why this would be great for me. I loathe cooking. It stresses me out. I throw everything in together (if I must cook, that is) because I’m lazy.

The dohickey is made out of nylon and silicone heat resistant material. Not only can you cook everything in one shot, there’s no need for a colander.

Now if they could only invent something to wash and season those boiled vegetables, I’d be in business.

Etsy Finds

January 17, 2008 RH

Vinyl Toilet Graphic: $20

Hawaiian Motif Vessel Sink: $225

Slinky Light Fixture: $75

Building Materials Reuse Association

January 16, 2008 RH 4 Comments

BMRA is not for profit educational and research group whose goal is to encourage the reuse of building materials during deconstruction. It is a membership based group that brings together demolition companies and recycling organizations.

So what does that mean for the homeowner? Well, the site lists state by state directories of members and non members in the business. This includes salvage companies, reclaimed lumber and demolition services.

New York
New Jersey
Connecticut

U.S. Green Building Council’s Home Guide

January 10, 2008 RH

Via ReNest

The U.S. Green Building Council has a new fun and informative site called Green Home Guide. They profile various LEED projects, have a green renovation checklist and list incentives.

I also found a link to the EPA’s Personal Emissions Calculator, but I’m so over those already! For today.

Low VOC Coating: Whey To Go!

January 9, 2008 RH

Via LeedPro Via Treehugger

Vermont Natural Coatings has a line of poly whey finishes available. Whey, a bi-product of cheese production, is a renewable resource. It’s also non toxic, low VOC and low odor.

The furniture finish is available in satin, semi-gloss and gloss. Floor finish comes in satin and semi gloss. Dry time is 2-3 hours. At $62 per gallon, I don’t think I want to be the guinea pig. Treehugger does point out that the coverage is higher than that of regular water based poly.

The cans are made with post consumer materials which can be recycled when discarded. It all sounds very wonderful, however, as much as I love to promote these great sustainable products, I use oil base on my floors. Toxic, high VOC oil. Unfortunately, it’s the only thing that lasts longer than a few months in my house.

Page Header

Primary Sidebar