My Green Factoidz

I have created this article to share my best Green Factoidz with you. This is my favorite Green articles as of July 2009 that I have written. I hope you enjoy these Green articles and vote them up if you would like.

Going Green with Tankless Water Heaters

So has all the new water heaters on the market have you confused on which one is the best? Which one is the greenest and most efficient? Well don’t feel alone, there happens to be a lot of options today but the proper application is what needs to be looked at.

http://factoidz.com/going-green-with-tankless-water-heaters/

Building Your Green Home: Does Size Really Matter?

Yes, the size of your home does make a difference when building a green home or a green project and want to be certified. There are many factors play into the square footage and design of your home. Also with the down turn in the economy I think smaller homes will be the new norm.

http://factoidz.com/building-your-green-home-does-size-really-matter/

How "Green Products" can be Misleading

The Going Green phase in home construction has many people confused about what Green really means. Many are struggling to find the balance between renewable, sustainable, recyclable, LEED, NAHB Green Program, Energy Star, energy efficient, net zero, carbon foot print, certified products, low VOC, air quality and a myriad of other green words.

http://factoidz.com/how-green-products-can-be-misleading/

Which grocery bag is really green?

You go to the store several times a week and you are usually asked “paper or plastic” or you may even be the devout green, environmentally conscious person that brings your own, but what is the greenest grocery bag solution? Well depending on who is talking they all are green, but let’s look a little deeper and just see who is the greenest of them all.

http://factoidz.com/which-grocery-bag-is-really-green/

Green Building Should Incorporate Energy Efficiency

Many people don’t totally understand the green building and the purpose it has. The phrase green building misses some of the key points that every home owner should be thinking of. When the word green is used most think of saving trees or natural resources. This is correct but the point many times missed in the saving natural resources.

http://factoidz.com/green-building-should-incorporate-energy-efficiency/

Going Green with Reclaimed Wood

One product that is great for green building and is not new by any means is Reclaimed Wood. Many reclaimed products are showing up in some very prominent new green projects. Reclaimed wood is a form of recycling but with amazing beauty.

http://factoidz.com/going-green-with-reclaimed-wood/

Prefab Homes: the Next Green Building Idea

A movement is taking place in an old methodology. Prefab or modular homes seem to be taking a very popular spot light in the green arena. This is not the old modular homes that most people think of, where the home is a square box split in half and resemble a double wide trailer home. These new breed of modular homes are quite stylish and green friendly.

http://factoidz.com/prefab-homes-the-next-green-building-idea/

What is the difference between "sustainable" and "green?"

“What is the difference in Sustainable and Green?” Too many get caught up in trying to decipher the difference. The main thing to remember is that we should all try and be less wasteful and more conscious of how the products we use affect our environment.

http://factoidz.com/the-difference-in-sustainable-and-green/

Green choices for your hardwood flooring: understanding cork, bamboo, and reclaimed wood

Thinking of building a new home or remodeling? Wanting to find flooring products for your project? The choices are endless and flooring happens to be a product many people decide to go green with. Cork and Bamboo flooring is a great option in the renewable group.

http://factoidz.com/green-choices-for-your-hardwood-flooring-understanding-cork-bamboo-and-reclaimed-wood/

Saving water: You don't have to "go green" to take part in saving water

The whole green focus was established to help conserve our natural resources, by reducing the use or waste of any natural resource. One natural resource that the whole world needs to help reducing, even if going green is not a consideration, is our water supply.

http://factoidz.com/we-dont-have-to-be-green-to-save-water/

Green Washing: what it is and how to watch for it

Green Building is much more than just following a checklist. Green Building or sustainable building is composed of certain elements like design, energy savings, water savings, health and managing resources used in the home.

http://factoidz.com/what-is-green-washing-and-how-to-watch-for-it/

I hope you enjoyed these articles. I write a blog called Green Building Ideas. I get my material from working in the home construction industry and my learning on how to incorporate Green into our every day lives. I am a Certified Green Professional (NAHB Green Building Program) and help builders with building green.

Green Building Ideas

Remove VOCs from your Home

Alen Corp manufactures air quality products (HEPA air purifiers, dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners) all at direct prices. All Alen air purifiers offer lifetime warranties to ensure maximum efficiency and to maintain their 98% effectiveness at removing all airborne particles.

Did you know that 70% of the indoor air we breathe is more polluted than the air outdoors? All Alen air purifiers (A350, A375UV, Paralda, T300, T100) remove at least 98% of all airborne allergens (i.e. pollen, pet dander, dust mites etc) and utilize HEPA filters and UV lamps (remove bacteria and viruses).

Alen T300 is one of the quietest air purifiers on the market making it excellent for bedrooms, nurseries and offices.

The Paralda air purifier from Alen offers contemporary design and function. The patent pending design allows air to be pulled from the back and circulate out the two sides, rather than out the front like all other air purifiers do. This allows for a streamline, clean look to the front of the Paralda. Paralda is the only air purifier on the market that meets Energy Star, lead free standards (no lead in the soldering of parts) and is ozone safe.

Looking for heftier protection? The Alen A375UV removes VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and airborne chemicals. VOCs are one of the main causes of indoor air pollution and are a source of greenhouse gases (ozone and smog).

Green Building Ideas

Designing Contest

The City of Dallas and Urban Re:Vision present Re:Vision DALLAS in partnership with Central Dallas CDC and BC Workshop.

Re:Vision Dallas is a chance to propel design beyond the typical, beyond the norm and to lay the foundation for a future of sustainable development we all hope is inevitable. It’s a chance to create a block that does no harm, to people or place. A chance to encourage and value relationships, while fostering respect for nature and our neighbors, privacy and resources, economy and consumption. It’s a chance to change how we live and connect, how we interact and collaborate—how we live in a space throughout our life and the lifecycle of the space.

Help design a city block in Dallas and win $25,000

The competition jury will award three finalist prizes, and three honorable mentions. The prize for each of the three finalists is $25,000. The prize for each of the honorable mentions will be $1,000. The top three finalists will receive a consultation with Central Dallas CDC. These initial discussions do not guarantee that the winners will be hired. See Developers Statement for details. ALL CASH PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED.

Schedule and Timeline

Competition Launch: January 26, 2009

Registration Deadline: April 15, 2009

Entry Deadline: May 8th, 2009 by 11:59pm pdt

Jury Session: May 2009

Winning Designs Announced: May 21, 2009

To find more please go to

http://www.urbanrevision.com/competitions

Green Building Ideas

President Barack Obama on Green

President Barack Obama was the most vocal advocates on the campaign trail for sustainability, environment and economic stimulus. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has wasted no time putting together a progressive green agenda to push in Washington, consisting of a variety of measures Obama has supported on record.

Now after the campaign is over we will have to see how much he pushes green. The new stimulus package is packed full of roads and expensive government projects, but not much to stimulate the green housing.

It is to soon to make judgment, but I am sure someone will be watching to see what he follows through with.

Green Building Ideas

renewable, recyclable and sustainable,

When the subject of lumber is renewable, recyclable and sustainable come up in conversations surrounding green products many have differing opinions. For decades the lumber industry has been bashed for bad practices in managing our environment. Yes in the past there have been some bad practices but in the United States our forests are managed in ways they many don’t even understand. When some talk about the lumber industry they portray companies that are eliminating the forests. That is just not the case.
Let’s look at the nature life cycle of a forest if humans never stepped foot inside. Trees grow and drop seeds and more trees grow. The forest continues overtime to thicken and the large trees kill out the smaller trees creating dead down fall. Over years some of this down fall decays and returns to the earth. This process continues to create overgrown forests and more dry trees. Fire is eventually the remedy that cleanses the forest and starts the process all over. Nature causes such as beetles can kill off a complete forest and again fire is the remedy to restore the forest.
A well managed forest can be looked at similar the life cycle just described, cleaning out the old to allow for the smaller new trees to flourish. Creating a continuing life cycle of usable products that can be recycled that is not harmful or toxic in any way.
Many claim that steel studs are greener than wood studs. If the life cycle of a steel stud versus the life cycle of a wood stud is compared, lumber is far greener than steel. It takes more energy to create a steel stud and the renewable factors of wood are far better. Yes steel can be recycled but with the use of far more energy. Ore comes from the ground and is not renewable like growing a tree.
Not all lumber companies manage the forests like they should. The same as all car companies don’t produce fuel efficient cars. So finding a certified green dealer is important if you want to make sure your wood products are considered green. The two leading wood certification programs in the US are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). USGBC only recognizes FSC while NAHB National Green Building Standards recognizes both.
So from this is wood “Green and Sustainable”? You decide.

Green Building Ideas