Archive of posts tagged kitchen
Is Gas Cooking Safe?
The safety of gas cooking has long been investigated by the research community. Gas burners can produce nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and other pollutants. Here are highlights from two recent specific studies. A project by the Lawerence Berkeley Laboratory (paper submitted to the Environmental Health Perspectives earlier this year) found that these pollutants […]
Energy Improvement Opportunities
This is a 100+ year old house. Obviously there are many energy efficiency shortcomings (hence many improvement opportunities). The house has been vacant for over 2 years so we don’t have the latest operational information. Exterior Walls. Before taking the walls apart, we already expect little to no insulations for houses of this age. The […]
The Green Countertop Dilemma
During a visit to Eco6Design in Half Moon Bay, California, I was drooling over all the fabulous “eco” options for countertops. Serious eye candy! Vetrazzo, Fireclay Tile, Stone Age, IceStone, Fuez. I was itching to go home, rip out my pale-avocado-tile-with-black-grout counters and start afresh. After all, at 30-plus years old, they’re beyond dated, they’re […]
Tips To Green Your Kitchen Remodel
After using your kitchen for so many years, it is getting worn out and your needs may have changed. You may feel the kitchen is not functioning as well or the traffic flow is less ideal. You may be thinking of a major kitchen remodel. Especially with the trend of open floor plan with the […]
Are Your Clothes Really Clean After Laundry
You would expect that laundered clothes would be squeaky clean. Wait… Energy-wise people and many manufacturers often advocate using cold water to launder clothes. But this is an area where health and hygiene should dictate a more balanced look at energy savings. Clothing is carrying more germs than before for two main reasons. First, certain […]
Choosing A Whole-House Ventilation System
Increasingly, because of either code changes or customer demand, builders are having to take a closer look at whether the new, tight houses they build have adequate ventilation. Many builders would like to provide something better than just a few bath exhaust fans but aren’t sure how to design a simple ventilation system that is […]
More Water Conservation Products Making Their Way to Homes
Last week I attended the PCBC Exhibition in San Francisco. This year there are more exhibitors and attendees than last year, which is good. Many products have been shown before, but two caught my eyes as particularly useful to help conserve water. The first were faucets with sensors. These products have been used widely in […]
4 Tips for a Low Budget Green Kitchen Remodel
Reuse is the gold standard in green remodeling. It saves you money while applying sustainable practices. Kitchen is the most used area in a home. They do get worn out after years of use. If your kitchen still functional, you may want to consider these 4 easy steps to give your kitchen a new look. […]