Forced Green

Here are some things to look at for your home in going green.

Non-toxic paint - has the VOC (volatile organic compounds) removed.
You can tell - no smell! Great for any room
but especially the bedrooms. It comes in most any color.
Check for the green certified seal on the can.

Dishwasher Drawers - are about half the size of a normal dishwasher. They
let you run smaller loads with much less energy.

Trash composter - NOT a compacter! Put it in a closet, under the cabinet slide
out, garage, or covered porch. Hermetically sealed so no
odors. Creates rich soil for your garden. Not to mention
it cuts way down on curb side trash. Great for homes with
no room for compost heaps. I absolutely love this, definitely
more on this later.

Countertops - made from recycled paper. Hard as stone with that smooth
stone look. Can take up to 350 degree heat.

Cork - for floors. It looks good, comes in a variety of colors.
A hard surface with some give in it that makes it easy
on your feet. A natural waxy substance in cork that makes
it insect, moisture, and fire resistant. It comes from
the bark of the Cork Oak, native to the Mediterranean area.
It grows to a height of 30 to 60 feet and a diameter of
greater than 4 feet. The bark (cork) is pulled off and
regrows in 10 years.

Bamboo - makes beautiful floors. It has a natural luster that looks
better with traffic. And guess what! Now sheets and
bedding is being made from bamboo. I kid you not. And yes,
it’s soft, with a silky feel to it.
Bamboo is a member of the grass family and in optimal
conditions can grow 3 to 4 feet per day.

Who knew? Good ol’ Linoleum has always been green. It’s been around
since an English guy, (Fredrick Walton) patented his linseed oil and
cork dust concoction in 1860.

Water resistant, durable, and inexpensive Linoleum was an excellent
material for kitchens and bathrooms.

It was widely used until the latter 1950’s when it fell out of favor
to hardwood, tile and especially polyvinyl chloride (pvc vinyl).

Vinyl has greater brightness, transparency, and is less flammable.
Maybe less flammable than Linoleum but, as it turns out, extremely
toxic.

As luck would have it, linoleum (little L) became the generic term
for all resilient floor covering, including vinyl.

Thus, Linoleum has been wrongly accused (at least by me), of not
being environmentally friendly.

So, it was, is, and always will be - green!

And making a BIG comeback!