New York green contractors and homeowners are applying a modern innovation to an age-old technology. The body creates two types of waste, so the logical approach is a toilet capable of two types of flush: a gentle gurgle for liquid waste and a more generous gush for solid waste, resulting in water conservation through more […]
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Green design is a broad term. In an attempt to narrow it down, we are looking at how green design and “universal design” or lifespan design are linked. First of all, you’re probably wondering what universal design means. Here are the seven principles that define universal design, according to North Carolina State University (check out
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The book Good House Cheap House: Adventures in Creating an Extraordinary Home at an Everyday Price doesn’t set out to be about green building. It aims to show nicely designed and affordable homes. But it ends up showing good green building as well. The many case studies in the book show a pattern. Firstly all the
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Eco Brooklyn’s clients usually get a gray water system. And our clients tend to be natural minded anyway, with a healthy dose of liking to save money. Thus comes the interest in making your own laundry detergent. Store bought laundry detergents are full of chemicals. In fact they are packed with fertilizer! Plants love laundry water that has
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This book has a long title: Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs. But then again it is a big book. Written by Tim Callahan and Clarke Snell this book overflows with 600 pages and 1500 images. The book aims
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Here is my take on green building in Brooklyn over the next 5-10 years. It is actually a lot wider than Brooklyn, but that is my focus. Rising fuel costs will drive people back into the city, this means there will be an influx of people into Brooklyn. This will keep housing prices more elevated
Green Building in Brooklyn – A 10 Year View Read More »
Here is an interesting article. It describes all the kinds of house wraps and vapor barriers in detail. It also concludes that despite all the fancy new products the good old tar paper is still the preferred product for the author. I like building that sticks to the basics and avoids as much as possible
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One of the housing trends I see now and in the future is smaller houses. The large American house is no longer a smart way to live. It made sense when building was cheap, energy was cheap, and labor was cheap. But now only labor remains cheap. It costs a lot more to build and
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A renovation usually stems from the need to make a place nicer or a more useful space. It also might include increasing your space. And while you are at it you use healthier materials. Is Renovation Increasing the Value of the House? But a house renovation should also be seen from a point of view.
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It is so important to use healthy green house cleaning products in the house. The very same Wizz-Bang commercial products that can “kill germs” can also kill all the good germs in you. The following text was originally from ABC’s web site. There are many ingredients in your own kitchen or bathroom cupboard that could
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