Windows and doors are like jewelry from your home. The make a huge impact not just on the look of your home but also on the soundproofing, insulation and the light impact on your furnishings.

Windows

The way they are constructed, makes double hung windows very popular. Cleaning double hung windows are easier than windows based on a spiral or string system because they won’t allow the sash to drop out when you are cleaning them. Double hung windows tilt in a way that uses a flush fitting tilt release which is more attractive than screwed in tilt release systems that are more commonly used. You may find that choosing a quality window is difficult because of the overwhelming number of options. A solid warranty offered by a quality manufacturer as well as your budget should be important factors in the window decision you make. Windows are a large investment and if you pick wisely you can save money over the long run by improving your energy efficiency. In order to save money in the future you may be wise to spend a little more on your windows now.

Doors
Quality doors add to the curb appeal of a home and also enhance your home’s security. Block the noise outside from entering your home with a well built door which will provide a sound barrier. Energy efficiency is the most important door feature to have. Well built doors provide tight, long-lasting barriers by using effective weather seals to improve energy efficiency. The function of door (patio, garage, front or interior door) will certainly be a factor in your decision. When you install a door ensure it is up to code and meets the safety features in your area. There are a number of design options you can choose from when it comes to doors, such as whether you would like to use coloured, textured or wrought iron glass. There are many types of materials that hand formed bevels come in like black chrome, lead, brass, copper, zinc and antique black. Breaking a door by force in order to enter your home is more difficult when you have well built security plates in your door.

Installation
When installing doors and windows in your house don’t forget to factor in window coverings into the price. New technology has improved the quality of shutters and blinds now available. The decision of using a shutter or blind will come down to personal preference because there are so many benefits to both. Blinds are sometimes preferred because of the flexibility they offer for installation and the variety of colours and types you can choose from. Common types of blinds include roman, roller, sheers, pleated shades or cellular shades. The fact that shutters offer home owners privacy, durability and versatility are key benefits. Shutters are designed to allow you to control the amount of privacy and light in your home. The features of light and privacy control offered by shutters makes them a popular choice. Shutters don’t shrink, fade, peel or crack, which makes them a great investment for home owners. Shutters can be cleaned easily, making them a popular choice. The ability to easily remove shutters that have a hinge-release panel makes cleaning them very accessible. Whether you want to install shutters inside the window frame or not is up to you. If you find a reliable manufacturer they will usually offer a solid warranty, perhaps even up to 25 years. The quality, type or size of window coverings you choose will impact the price.

After assembling a work crew to build an eco-friendly home from the ground up, Amy Holmwood observed that not all of the contractors were green to the core. A company hired to install insulation made of recycled newspaper used a diesel generator to power the equipment instead of a cleaner, greener power source like solar. “They’d gone into business to provide this green service but they hadn’t thought things through,” says Holmwood, of Bethesda, Md. By contrast, her lawn care service uses electrical equipment charged by a solar panel on the company truck. But what powers the truck? Is it a hybrid? If not, is it fair to call the company’s green cred into question? Or is it good enough to be greener than most?

When it comes to employing eco-friendly service providers, trust but verify. Find out exactly how green a company really is and how to determine which service is ‘green enough’

“Green is the new gray – we can’t talk in absolutes about what is a perfectly green solution and what is not,” says Dave Feldman, executive director of Bethesda Green, which promotes green business models and sustainable living. However, short of doing complex carbon footprint calculations, consumers can identify greener-than-most service providers by asking the right questions.

HOUSECLEANERS

Toxic or chemical cleaners are the principal concern, so “ask for a comprehensive list of the products they use and a list of ingredients for each,” says Laura Klein, editor-in-chief of EcoSalon.com and OrganicAuthority.com. Especially when hiring a small, independently owned service, clients can usually specify which cleaning products to use, including natural agents like vinegar and baking soda, but that doesn’t ensure the company uses them across the board. Maid to Clean in Bethesda, Md., only uses “neutral” products like vinegar and water, baking soda, and the brand-name cleaners Bon Ami and Simple Green. The company does not use alcohol-based cleaners, ammonia, bleach or scented products.

HEPA vacuums catch dust particles and allergens instead of releasing them back into the air. Some brand-name products are green in name only. In its Guide to Healthy Cleaning, the Environmental Working Group looks beyond marketing claims and rates more than 2,000 products in a searchable database at www.ewg.org. (Of the 29 Simple Green products anaanalyzed, 19 received D’s and F’s, while six earned A’s and B’s.) The online guide includes a label decoder to translate technical terms and ad hype.

CAR WASHES

With car washes, use of chemicals is a secondary concern, behind water consumption. A company truly committed to “green washing” – in the positive sense – will reclaim and reuse water; collect roof rainwater and invest in an ample water reclaim system for recycling carwash wastewater, says John O’Connell, manager, Go Green Car Wash, Olympia, Wash.

According to O’Connell, the majority of carwashes are equipped with a 3,000-gallon reclaim system or smaller, which can’t keep up with water demands on busy days. For high-traffic carwashes, a reclaim system of at least 12,000 gallons is needed to give solids time to settle before the water recirculates, he says.
Generally speaking, older carwashes “have inferior equipment,” O’Connell says, so to satisfy cleanliness expectations “they have to use stronger chemicals.”
Moreover, “If you visit a wash that has older equipment and isn’t computer-controlled, each vehicle gets chemicals for a 30-foot vehicle whereas at a modern wash each vehicle is scanned at entry” and chemical and water use adjusts accordingly, he adds.
Touchless carwashes “are not eco-friendly due to the fact that you have no brush or agitation, so these washes use chemicals that are four times stronger than a tunnel type of wash” and cannot reclaim used water, O’Connell says.

Beware of carwashes that try to sell squirt-on extras like rain shields and wax conditioners. “If you really want to be green, just purchase Rain X at an auto store and apply it to your windows – no need to apply it to the whole vehicle,” O’Connell says. And “all newer vehicles have a factory clear coat and do not benefit from water-based wax or conditioner add-ons.”

LANDSCAPING SERVICES

Eco-friendly lawn services can be tough to identify because so many conventional companies incorporate the word “green” in their name and marketing as a reference to grass, not environmental practices. And when choosing a service, a host of environmental concerns are at stake, from chemical applications (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides) to small-engine emissions. In just one hour of use, a gas lawnmower emits the same volume of pollutants as 40 cars, says A.I.R. Lawn Care owner Zack Kline, citing EPA data. His Bethesda-based company uses STIHL and Mean Green electric lawn care equipment and a solar-powered charging unit to reduce noise and air pollution.

Along with emissions, conventional lawn care creates waste including 300 pounds of clippings annually for a 1,000-square-foot lawn. Concerned homeowners should look for a landscaping service that uses native plantings and integrated pest management; recycles clippings into compost or mulch; and takes measures to reduce water use and prevent runoff. Many services apply chemicals only as a last resort, and some use organic fertilizers and pest- and weed-control methods exclusively.

Analyzing and optimizing soil composition in yards, beds and garden plots from the get-go helps reduce maintenance requirements altogether, Kline says.

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