Sustainable Building Materials

Sustainable materials are “green” or environmentally friendly building materials that are not harmful to the environment. Sustainable materials are created from renewable or recyclable resources to stick with the reuse, repurpose and recycle mantra. The use of sustainable materials in building projects is becoming more widespread so it is possible to find these types of materials in local home improvement stores. More and more building vendors are going green so they too are placing more eco-friendly building products into their inventory. Green building materials are available for building exteriors and interiors, as well as fixtures, appliances and wall paint.

Types of sustainable building materials

• Bamboo
• Straw
• Lumber from forests certified to be managed to be sustainable
• Dimension stone
• Recycled stone
• Recycled metal
• Non-toxic products
• Reusable products
• Renewable or recyclable products
• Trass
• Linoleum
• Sheep wool
• Panels made from paper flakes
• Baked earth
• Rammed earth
• Clay
• Vermiculite
• Flax linen
• Sisal
• Seagrass
• Cork
• Expanded clay grains
• Coconut
• Wood fiber plates
• Calcium
• Sandstone

Mother's Green House

Every mom or mom-to-be worries about the health of their children. In most instances, the health of individuals, the health of your home and the health of the environment all go hand-in-hand. Various firms and consultants around the country help individuals turn their homes into healthy environments, but Mother's Green House specializes in helping moms and moms-to-be get their homes ready for baby by getting rid of:

* Allergens
* Toxins
* Pollutants
* Poisons

Mother's Green House services the Santa Monica area of California, offering in-home services as well as workshops and special events.

Color Quality of LED Lights

The color quality of LED lights is one of the main challenges standing between the companies producing these lights and the consumers using them. Because LED lights are almost monochromatic, it also makes them energy efficient. The problem is that these same characteristic is what makes LEDs poor light quality because "white" light does not exist in a great enough amount to make LED lighting of high quality.

LEDs: Energy Efficiency Factor

As we move into a more and more eco-conscious world, concern with the use of energy efficient lighting has become more important. It is believed that by 2010, which is just a few short weeks away from beginning, LEDs will be the most energy efficient lighting available.

Energy efficiency for lighting is measured by luminous efficacy, which is measured in lumens per watt. This is a measurement of how much light is produced from each watt of electricity used by the light. Today, LED lights produce 45 to 50 lumens per watt, but as further development occurs, it is expected that LEDs will reach 160 lumens per watt by 2025.

Something else to keep in mind about LEDs is while they use a low amount of energy, they also produce a low light output. True energy efficiency provides both a low energy user that produces a quality amount of light output. This is why work is still underway to continue to improve the energy efficiency of LEDs.

Happy Thanksgiving

Don't Forget to Take Advantage of Green Tax Credits

How to reduce energy bills, save the environment and get a tax credit:

1. Install Energy Star appliances
2. Install qualified insulation
3. Install energy efficient windows and doors
4. Turn your roof energy efficient
5. Use energy efficient heating and cooling systems and water heaters

You may be able to get a tax credit for up to 30 percent of the cost of installation, plus up to $1,500 in supplies and service costs.

Another 30 percent credit is available through 2016 for items such as:
1. Qualified geo-thermal heat pumps
2. Solar panels
3. Solar water heaters
4. Wind energy systems
5. Fuel cells

For more information on products that qualify for the tax credits, visit energystar.gov/taxcredits

How to Make Bachelor Party Cards From Scraps

A bachelor party might be the last hoorah for the groom before he says his "I dos." If you're throwing a bachelor party, you'll need invitations to invite guests and set the tone for the party. Using items that you probably have lying around the house, you can make some fun and creative bachelor party invitations--a collage of items that represent bachelorhood and the transition into marriage.

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