Do this |
Because |
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| Construct smartly to avoid pressure treated lumber |
Pressure
treated lumber may last longer, however this material is a big concern
when the porch or deck need to be deconstructed. Pressure treated
lumber is hazardous waste and needs to go to the hazardous waste dump.
It is very dangerous to burn pressure treated lumber. Regular lumber
lasts very long if you avoid contact between the wood and the ground
and entrapment of water. Also there are woods (cedar, tamarack, black
locust) that are naturally decay resistant. |
noticeable |
| Use local woods |
Tropical
forests are cut down at a very high rate. Often only valuable trees are
pulled out of the forest, but the remaining logging roads allow local
farmers access who then cut down or burn the rest to create farm land.
Once these forests are gone the soil washes away quickly and not much
is left. Trees make oxygen and we need that. |
significant |
| Use exotic woods only from reputable plantations |
Some
exotic woods grow fast enough to be grown in a controlled area. Trees
are constantly regrown. The energy to transport wood from so far away
is high though. |
not enough |
| Use locally available building materials instead of SIMILAR materials from far away. |
Natural
stone tiles from the other side of the planet? Come on! If it is heavy
it costs a lot of energy (although apparently not much money) to
transport. Everything that arrives in your area needs fossil fuels to
get there. The heavier the material and the further it travels the more
is needed. Burning fossil fuels pollutes.
Purchase
materials that are locally made or found. Ask where the stuff is from.
Look on the box where it most likely will say "Made in China". It may
say that it is made in North America, but I suggest to not have _ _ _
_(fill in whatever you want) delivered for several hundred miles if
similar _ _ _ _ (fill in whatever you want) can be found in your
immediate area. Choosing local materials instead of similar materials
from far away may limit your interior or exterior design wants and it
may be more expensive, but you pollute less. |
significant |
| Use public transportation to get to site |
Many
times it is possible to leave a trailer with all tools at the
construction site and travel to work without moving a truck or van.
Public transportation produces much less pollution. At least car pool. |
significant |
| Collect and use rainwater |
Water is a valuable resource and requires energy to become drinking
water in most cases. Use rainwater(or water from ponds) for mixing
concrete, mortar, etc. and for washing your tools. |
noticeable |
| Install energy saving appliances |
Not
all appliances pollute the same. The EnergyStar label will tell you how
much energy the device requires. It will not tell you though how much
energy was required to make or ship the appliance. |
noticeable |
| Install appliances of appropriate size |
Professional
size equipment pollutes a lot more than residential size equipment. If
you do not run a restaurant from your kitchen or have 12 children stick
with regular size. Designer kitchens rarely are as efficient as small
kitchens. Size and energy output matters. |
significant |
| Re-use building materials. |
Re-using
building materials saves making new materials and therefor energy and
resources. In addition, recycled materials and components have proven
to withstand the test of time. If it has lasted several decades already
and is still in great shape it's got to be made well and it will be
fine for quite a while longer. Check you local building material
recycling center for some good finds. With a little elbow grease you
may end up with a unique piece that cost very little and is better than
what you can buy new. |
significant |
| Recycle building materials. |
Bring useful items and materials to a building material recycling center where it can be sold and reused. |
significant |
| Consider the natural world around you |
Look
at the area where you want to build. Consider living with nature rather
than trying to control it by cutting big trees, moving rocks, and
creating environments that are in constant need of maintenance to keep
nature in check. All this requires less energy. |
significant |
| Build to last with natural materials |
If
the structure lasts longer and does not cause pollution after it is no
longer useful, you pollute less overall. Refrain from building quickly,
cheaply, and with human-made materials strong enough for only a few
years but will be in our landfills for hundreds of years. |
noticeable |
| Collect solvents and bring to hazardous waste collection |
Dumping solvents on the ground or letting it evaporate pollutes the environment. Never dump solvents down the drain! |
noticeable |
| Throw away your paintbrushes rather than cleaning them with mineral spirits |
If
you occasionally have to paint something, not using solvents and
mineral spirits pollutes less than using cheap brushes that you throw
away afterward. |
not enough |
| Re-use mineral spirits |
Filter it after you used it. You can use it many times more.A simple paper coffee filter may be enough. |
not enough |
| Do not clean paintbrush every day |
Not
cleaning the brush requires no solvents and does not pollute anything.
In some situations you can wrap the brush in an old plastic bag to
prevent it from drying out until the next day. That works well with oil
paints. In some situations you can leave the brush inside the container
permanently. Not good for the brush, but sometimes you do not need a
great brush. |
not enough |
| Use water-based paints and clear coats |
Water-based
paints and clear coats do not release dangerous organic compounds into
the air when applied. Those finishes also do not require dangerous
solvents for cleaning the brushes and tools. |
not enough |
| Use recycled paint |
Recycled paint works fine for most tasks. It is created from old paint that was collected rather than thrown away. |
noticeable |
| Use building materials from recycled materials |
Building
materials that are made from materials collected from the consumer have
the benefit that they do not use new resources, generally require less
energy to be made, and create a market for recycled materials. All this
ultimately results in less pollution. |
noticeable |
| Work with the weather in mind |
Certain
tasks are better done in certain weather. We have developed machines
and chemicals that allow us to do more work in naturally adverse
situations, however doing the work at the right time of the day, or
time of the year, or in the right kind of weather saves energy and
pollutes less. |
significant |
| Use a hand tool rather than a power or air tool |
Power
tools require electricity and therefor pollute somewhere. Power tools
require also much more energy to be fabricated since they are made from
more components and those components generally are more sophisticated.
You actually might be faster with a hand tool. You also do not need
power lines, generators, hazardous batteries, extension cords, safety
gear, and first-aid kits. |
noticeable |
| Carefully de-construct |
The
goal of any deconstruction should be to re-use as many building
materials and components as possible. It will take longer and cost more
but you save by reusing materials and you pollute less because fewer
new things have to be produced. |
noticeable |
