Making the choice to “go green” when remodeling a home is a responsible thing to do. A green home is healthier, more comfortable and more cost effective to run. It uses less energy and water, and goes a long way to protect the environment.

Buildings consume nearly 40% of all the energy used worldwide and accounts for nearly 40% of the building material used. Remodeling gives us an opportunity to reduce the impact that buildings have on our environment.

Green practices must start from the day the decision is made to remodel. Listed are some areas to consider when choosing to “Go Green”.

1. Choose a remodeling company that s certified to be using green products and green technology.

2. Get an energy audit to get an understanding of what you will need for your project. Most energy companies offer these for free.

3. Take into consideration the location of the home, and how remodeling can take the best advantage of natural wind currents, the sun, shade and the existing landscaping.

4. Using native plants properly, adding shade trees, and adding rain sensors to sprinkling equipment will all save energy and water.

5. Choose building materials that are made of recycled material, or reuse lumber from the existing home. Consider the use of salvaged materials if available in you area.

6. Choose appliances that have an ENERGY STAR® rating can save you hundreds of dollars a year by reducing energy usage.
7. Get a highly efficient heating and cooling system.

8. Replace lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLS) to save as much as 75% of the energy used over conventional bulbs. Use of natural lighting and solar tubes helps even more.

9. Washing machines, dishwashers, faucets, toilets, and landscaping equipment that are energy efficient can also reduce your electric and water bills.

10. Avoid the use of carpeting which can harbor allergens mold and dust. Nontoxic carpet is available.

11. Use nontoxic paints and caulking.

12. Use recycled materials for cabinet’s countertops and floors. (cork, bamboo, spruce, eucalyptus, and wheatboard are common sustainable products). Take your old kitchen cabinets and install them in the garage or utility room.

13. Use solar (photovoltaic) panels for hot water heaters and power generation.

14. Use programmable thermostats and fans to lower air conditioning costs.

15. Install energy efficient windows and doors and be sure they are properly caulked.

16. Proper wall and attic insulation using green technology is a huge energy saving choice.

17. The use of locally manufactured products help eliminates the environmental impact that transportation adds to a product.

18. Choices made in roofing materials can help protect the environment and your pocketbook.

19. Before disposing of any building materials, be sure no one wants them. List them on Craigslist or FreeCycle chances are someone wants them.

20. Choose furniture that is made of recycled sustainable material.

The list of green options goes on and on. Making a list of available products and prioritizing them will help the homeowner make the best choices when deciding to remodel.

Becoming a knowledgeable consumer is the first step to take when deciding to do a green remodel. The choices available give the homeowner flexibility in how much they want to spend on a project.

Whatever choices are made, going green helps the environment and the pocketbook. Tax credits and rebates may also be available for even more savings.

Beverly Saltonstall
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/tips-for-green-remodeling-698514.html

A beautifully decorated backyard can serve you in many ways. It is proved by the experts that proper landscape gardening in the backyard not only increases the beauty of the house but also saves money by reducing the cost of hot or cooling system during the winter or summer, which amounts nearly $250 worth a year.

To make the yard energy efficient, the following steps may be taken for both the existing and soon-to -be-developed landscapes.

Keep out the Sun

The main thing, which should be taken into account, is the weather prevailing in the area. If there is Sunshine, the path the sunray follows should be taken into consideration as almost 90% of heat is absorbed if the house is hit directly by the Sun. This imparts extra load on the cooling system.

Deciduous, dense and big trees can be planted to the south or west of the house, and this would protect the house best from Sunrays during the summer as their foliage creates shades. Temperatures up to 10degrees Fahrenheit can be reduced in this way.

Throughout the winter these deciduous trees lose their foliages making access to the Sun’s heat which the walls and the foundation of your house need during this season.

Reducing wind blow

Wind blowing through the house is one of the primary contributors to lowering temperatures of the home. It has got more chilling effect compared to normal atmospheric temperature and is sinister in winter season in particular. Planted trees effectively serve as windbreaks. Fences located in strategic positions can also effectively prevent wind from blowing through the house.

Keep the heat or cold inside

Heat or cold that escapes through the home’s roof, windows, and doors are prime causes for wasting of energy. So it is very important to look for methods for keeping hot or cool inside.

Shrubbery planted around the home’s foundation creates a dead air barrier helping to keep heat and cool inside and this is necessary for a home. Widening the gap between the shrubbery and the house’s walls can increase area for the dead air as experts suggest.

In an aim to obtain maximum benefits while landscaping your yard or garden, you should follow the above tips. This would give you not only a pleasant looking yard but also an energy saver. And this will save money ultimately.

Mohammed Habbeb
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-this-simple-landscaping-tip-can-save-you-big-money-87870.html

Just as artists and writers get a thrill of creation, so do those who create gardens and landscapes. As these creators can tell you, it’s best to make your plan before you start work on your landscape.

If you have a back yard of any size, chances are you’ll want to design it as carefully as you would the rooms in your house. You want to make it a place where you’ll enjoy spending your time, and feeling like you are indeed at home. Smaller yards often need to be designed better than larger ones – there is less room for error.

Make a Plan
Do not start making haphazard attempts to improve your landscape – make a plan on paper and experiment with different ideas before you make your final decisions and implement them. And don’t just draw your plan “roughly.” Use graph paper, and draw everything in your backyard to scale, so that you’ll know that everything that you want will fit. Although using graph paper is the easiest way of making your plans, you can also use software to do the job. claims to be America’s #1 home and landscape design software. is strictly for landscape and garden design, and includes a plant encyclopedia.

Coordination is Key
Another reason not to do things in a haphazard fashion is because its too easy to get mismatched items out of the deal. And gardens and yards look so much nicer when everything in them matches, from the same designs for pots of various sizes, to the same type of bricks to line your paths or flower beds. .

Landscapes are for Living
If you have a lot of kids – or if there’s the possibility that a lot of kids will be running around your yard, it’s best to design the yard with them in mind. Don’t use a lot of fragile items because it’s all too likely that they’ll get destroyed. Be careful what type of play constructions you use – from swing sets to sand boxes.

And give a thought to your weekly task – mowing. If you have too many large boulders or statues to mow around, it can annoy you every week as you do that task.

Catch Their Eye
Expert designers suggest that you always have a “focal point,” an object that will draw the eye of an admirer, and which will then be complemented by all the other features in your landscape. The focal point could be a conservatory building, or a water or rock garden, or something similar.

Gardens
There are all kinds of gardens – a vegetable garden so you can grow your own food, a flower garden to add a riot of color to your yard, a rock garden which will allow you to contemplate life, or a water garden which can fulfill the same purpose.

Idea Alley
Visit your local home improvement store and browse through their books on the subject of landscaping. They’ll give you plenty of ideas. But don’t stop there. You can find an infinite number of ideas by surfing the web. So, take some time, take some care, and create for yourself the perfect back yard.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-on-designing-your-landscape-128844.html