And just like that, drying clothes on a line is hip. It will help save the planet and it’s a way to make a green statement. Funny, just a few weeks ago, I considered it trashy. I saw my neighbors drying their kids’ clothes on a fence and I thought: “How country.” And not in…
John Park, who is blogging about his Burbank addition at Park Haus Blog, has a lesson to share about dealing with a solar panel company. John says: We’ve been having lots of trouble getting the company who installed our solar panels to turn in the correct paperwork to Burbank Water & Power. This paperwork is…
Question: I am interested in taking the carpeting off the floors in my condo (I think there is plywood underneath), and putting in bamboo flooring. Is this something a do-it-yourselfer like me could do? Also, I heard that some bamboo is not really “green” and comes from countries where ecological damage is done to harvest…
According to HGTV, here are the 10 trends in greening up your kitchen, along with links to some resources: 1. Low-VOC countertops (pictured: Richlite counter in a Claremont home) 2. Energy-efficient appliances (Energy Star rated) 3. Sun-welcoming skylights (try Solatubes for tricky areas) 4. Renewable flooring (try natural linoleum, bamboo, or FSC-certified wood) 5. Smarter…
This new Claremont house looks pretty normal, right? But thanks to homeowners Vern and Deb Jahnke, and their team of architects and builders, this house is way green. Here’s what makes it so: • Oriented so rooftop solar panels are at most effective angle. • Made of Rastra block, which is recycled Styrofoam and concrete. •…
Where is it written that hot water must be heated and then stored 24/7 in a big tank that needs a whole closet to itself? Those days are fast fading. Whole-house on-demand systems, about the size of a breadbox (remember breadboxes?), use electric or gas to heat water at the moment you need it and…
Rate yourself on The Green Curve.
I don’t want to make anyone feel bad who uses a salt-based water softening system, but you know all that salt being released into our environment as a result of your system? Not good. That’s why they are banned in some areas. For me, I don’t like the slimy feeling of water softened with salt.…
Question: We want to build a deck this summer, but now we are confused about what to use: wood or a composite product such as Trex. Any suggestions? Answer: From Pamela Berstler of Flower to the People, a Los Angeles landscaping company known for being environmentally sensitive: Composite wood materials have come a very long…
The great thing about living in a metropolitan area is your access to so many shops, supply houses and enterprises. Daniel Gonzales and Janice Stango took full advantage of this when they set out to convert their old, dirt-floored garage in North Hollywood into a sitting area (they will build a carport to replace it…