There are a few everyday scenarios that pierce the heart of every homeowner – perhaps most pointedly women and mothers. One is the wait for the hot water to arrive at the tap, as we watch gallons of fresh, perfectly drinkable water go down the drain.

Waste. Even non-environmentalists are offended by senseless waste. Wasting water is particularly offensive because we know we need it to live and we probably also know that many people throughout the world don’t have enough. Raise your hands, moms–how many of you have not thought about your children and what their future holds for them as you wait for hot water to arrive at the tap?

There are lots of ways, in all ranges of cost and practicality that minimize water waste in a home. The one I want to discuss today is a Central Manifold Plumbing Distribution System.

This is a wonderfully simple concept that can save lot of water and has some other benefits as well.

What Is A Central Manifold System?
Most residential plumbing systems consist of a hot water tank heater that feeds a central hot water pipe that serves the whole house. Smaller pipes branch off of this central line (like secondary roads off a beltway) and go directly to each faucet in the house. The problem with this type of system is that the hot water in that central pipe doesn’t stay hot for very long, particularly in the winter. So when we go to take a shower first thing in the morning we have to drain all of that water out of the way to get to the hot water from the hot water tank. Unless you have some sort of nifty recirculation system, you waste a lot of water because of this every day.

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Our 18-year old cat throws up a lot.

These episodes are usually preceded by such anguished, otherworldly cries that my husband, kids, and/or I all come running to hold her head. That, and we want to make sure she is on a hard surface and not on one of the area rugs.

It was 14 years of pet (and kid) episodes like this that convinced us to build a home with mostly hardwood floors. My son–who will surely kill me for writing this–used to instinctively seek our help first and run for the bathroom second when overcome by a bout of nausea. You can guess how that usually turned out. On one such occasion I frantically shoved him in the direction of the bathroom only to hasten the impending event. The result was a stain on our brand new carpet that never completely came out. Every family has a least one great vomit story. We have several.

By now you are wondering what any of this could possibly have to do with green building or decorating. I’ll cut to the chase: Wool worsted rugs. Continue reading ›

It looks like an expensive piece of original wall art you would find in a trendy, upscale gallery. In fact, it was created by an interior design student at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, NC as part of an Annual Habitat for Humanity fundraiser.

The creative collection you see here is actually eight Lazy Susan cabinet inserts found in the kitchen section of the Winston-Salem ReStore. Aspiring interior designer, Jill Shirley created this wall art from material that might otherwise have been tossed into a landfill. She hand-painted the black edges and random circular patterns and added some inspirational words in 3D wood letters. Awesome. I just wish I’d snatched it up myself before a Winston-Salem ad agency beat me to the punch. Continue reading ›

Just so we are clear, I did do more than eavesdrop during my recent trip to Greenbuild in Chicago. It was a working trip. I was there on assignment for one of the magazines for which I write and also to soak up information on the latest and greatest green building products.

This year, there were several exterior products that drew my attention:

Eco Stucco™. Eco Stucco™ makes a lime plaster product that can be used on the exterior (and interior) of a building allowing homeowners to achieve a myriad of colors and textures for their home façade.

I’m well aware that the word “stucco” strikes fear in the hearts of anyone who knows about the synthetic stucco fiasco several years back. The product, while lovely, was ultimately doomed because of its association with moisture retention and subsequent mold, rot, etc. Eco Stucco, however, has nothing in common with synthetic stucco siding. Rather, it is a lime-based concoction which has a performance history that extends back to the days of the Roman Empire. It is also a product that incorporates very low embodied energy, making it arguably more environmental than cement-based products.

I won’t get into all the science here, but the information I received in the booth impressed me. First, it’s a good-looking product and its durability story is compelling. It shares many of the same characteristics of a clay-based wall treatment that I have (and love) in my own home. It is a product that “goes with the flow” of its environment, which means it accommodates structural and settling movements that can cause other finishes to crack. It has a water-vapor permeability that, according the company, lets moisture evaporate from the wall cavity so moisture issues aren’t a problem. Continue reading ›

Part 3 of (Still) A Lot More Parts

Most people only get intimate with their attic spaces about once a year – during the holidays to drag out the decorations. At best we give these spaces a cursory glance as we brave the chill and dust just long enough to remove (or replace) boxes of lights, wreaths, stockings, etc.

Most of us accept the fact that our attics are a mess because we spend so little time there. But a messy attic is one thing; a tangle of ductwork that is smashed, punctured, or sagging is another. This is not a mess we can afford to tolerate–for the ductwork in our homes is like the cardiovascular system in our bodies. It must be in good shape for our homes to perform as intended.

Case-in-point is my friend Michele’s house. I spoke in an earlier blog about the recent replacement of her HVAC system. As I alluded to before, she had a mess. Not only did she need a new heat pump, the distribution system was an ill-fitting mixed bag of components.
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Some women’s girlfriends ask their advice on hair, make-up, clothing; I get asked about HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems). And I’m fine with that because if I can help any one of them avoid some of the issues I’ve had, it makes this whole green building experience more worthwhile. Continue reading ›