Go Green at Home

by Nicole DiMario

U.S. Earth Day is April 22 - why not celebrate by making your home more environmentally-friendly? We surveyed local green experts to compile a list of simple changes you can make in your everyday life to lessen your negative impact on the environment:

1. Switch Directions: Mainly thought to be a summertime necessity, ceiling fans can actually help keep your home warm in the winter. Most ceiling fans on the market today have a small switch that allows you to change the direction the blades circulate; this actually pushes hot air down towards the floor to make the most of your home's heat. See your fan's manual for more specific directions about operating the fan.


2. Leave Your Shoes (and Your Worries) at The Door: It sounds simple enough, but removing your shoes when you walk in your front door does more than prevent mud stains on carpets. Chemical fertilizers, pet droppings and pesticides stick to the bottom of your shoes, and once inside the house, could virtually end up anywhere. Keep a basket of slippers at the door for your family or guests to slip on as they enter.


3. Put Your Toilet in Check: Many new toilets are considered to be low-flow, which means that they use less water, but in many older homes (abundant in Pittsburgh), you'll find older toilets whose tanks use more water than is necessary to flush. If you have one of these, you can place a brick in its tank to reduce the overall space in the tank and, therefore, reduce the amount of water needed to fill it.


4. Paint Your Walls Green: If you're planning on doing some painting in your home, look for colors that have low levels of V.O.Cs (Volatile Organic Compounds) - chemicals that are detrimental to the Ozone layer. At Sherwin Williams, you'll find a "Green Sure" sticker on cans of paint with low V.O.Cs. The most environmentally-friendly type of paint available is called Harmony Interior Latex; it has zero V.O.Cs and emits less fumes than other paints. For Pittsburgh locations: sherwin-williams.com.


5. Build it With Bamboo: If you're thinking of adding new flooring or cabinetry, consider using bamboo instead of wood. Because bamboo is technically a grass, it can be replenished much faster than trees. An added plus is that your new bamboo floors or cabinets will look similar to traditional wood, but will be more resilient. Bamboo is actually harder than wood and won't take a dent the way, an oak floor would if you dropped something heavy on it. The Home Depot is now stocking bamboo products. For Pittsburgh locations: homedepot.com.