GetWithGreen's blog

Just this past week I sat down with Joel Klippert, the creator of the ‘green’ EcoTop countertop . I’d been anxious to talk with Joel about how things were going with his business, and the availability of EcoTop - the beautiful, practical, and affordable eco-friendly and green countertop material you’ve read so much about on GetWithGreen.com. Joel is calling it “Sustainable without sacrifice.”

As I expected, Joel is moving full steam ahead. The company has now made EcoTop countertop available nationwide through a master distributor in Denver - Designer Building Solutions. If you are interested in purchasing the product, you can contact Peter Colburn in the Eco Building division of DBS directly at 1-206-321-1823. The product is available in 10 colors, with Read about EcoTop on GetWithGreen.com...

“Payback on solar isn’t the most important thing…it is the only thing the vast majority of potential solar homeowners care about.”

GetWithGreen took a look at how easy it is for us consumers to actually estimate the cost of installation/installing solar during a home remodel - using a web-based solar calculator.

Below are we have listed a number of sources for solar installation calculators, and we have compiled the most comprehensive list of these calculators available on the web. We want to warn you, many of these solar calculators appear to made by scientists for, well we couldn’t always figure out who the target audience was :-).

To help you, we have given a GetWithGreen Rating (”GWG Rating”) to each solar calculator, where 1 is very hard to use, and 10 is the easiest to use - for an average consumer. You should also know that MANY of the solar calculators on the web are from the same creators, and are just re-skinned (web terminology for different colors).

Before you begin, make sure you have a copy of your utility bill handy because you will need to input either your annual electric costs and/or your monthly electric usage in Kwh into the solar calculator!

Calculator #1:   FIND SOLAR (GWG Rating: 9)

The “My Solar Estimator” solar calculator tool starts out simple with entry of a zip code and selection of your utility provider and remains easy to use from there on out. We like the navigation of this solar calculator and believe this solar calculator was designed for consumers like the GetWithGreen.com community. This solar calculator is used by a number of different websites, and is referred to quite often.

Read more about the solar calculator list on GetWithGreen.com...

Homeowners are continually looking for ways to get a greater return on their home investment. But with the recent price increases for building materials and shrinking lot sizes, outdoor living areas are now becoming a more valuable and trendy upgrade.

Awnings, both aesthetically appealing and functional, create an outdoor extension of the home that can facilitate many activities. And a well-placed awning can add thousands of dollars to the price of a home, especially in smaller homes where square footage is at a premium.

“Homeowners often consider their home a retreat and are on the lookout for unique additions that add character,” said Michelle Sahlin, managing director, Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA). “An awning extends outdoor living space by creating a new room without the high costs and complexities of other home additions. These outdoor havens have the potential to give homeowners increased selling... Read More on GetWithGreen.com

Approximately one tire is discarded per person per year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003. These tires are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste, due to the large volume produced and their durability. Those same characteristics which make waste tires such a problem also make them one of the most re-used waste materials, as the rubber is very resilient and can be reused in other products. With landfills minimizing their acceptance of whole tires and the health and environmental risks of stockpiling tires, many new markets have been created for scrap tires. Growing markets exist for a majority of scrap tires produced every year, being supported by State and Local Government.

Believe it or not, recycled tire products can economically add value and safety to your home. Through a special process, tires can be chopped into small pieces and the metal removed. The resulting products are include crumb rubber (also known as ground rubber) and tire buffings that can be used for mulch or used to create a wide array of ...Read More on GetWithGreen.com

Recycled glass tiles are gaining in popularity, and let’s just face it — the unique patterns and colors are beautiful. We’ve taken some time to compile a list of manufacturers to help you quickly source tiles for your kitchen or bath. Enjoy!

Aurora Glass

Aurora Glass Architectural Accents include glass tiles and drawer knobs made from 100% recycled glass. Aurora Glass is a program of St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Inc. All profits from sale of Aurora glass support homeless and low-income people through emergency services, housing, jobs, training, and other charitable endeavors in Portland, OR. Products can be purchased directly on the company’s website.

Bedrock Industries

Blazestone® tiles are made by hand from 100% recycled glass, most of which is post-consumer content. They come in all types of shapes an sizes, as well as mosaic pieces. Color varies...Read More on GetWithGreen.com

2008 is fast approaching, and the team at GetWithGreen.com is stopping now to recognize a few of our favorite eco-friendly home improvement products for 2007. These products are assembled together under one roof: GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007.

GetWithGreen.com’s 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007 consists of manufacturers (or categories) who deliver eco-friendly products, which make our planet a greener place. These products help us conserve, help us reuse, help us recycle, or help us become less reliant on existing harmful resources. We also looked heavily at the popularity of these products with you, our readers.

Let’s give a GetWithGreen.com Thumbs up to our 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products for 2007:

1) Cyber-Rain – “The smartest, greenest, and easiest irrigation system on the planet.”

sprinkler cyberrainThe Cyber-Rain XCI System caused quite a bit of stir at GetWithGreen.com in 2007. It was one of the most widely read stories, and for good reason. Resetting the sprinkler timer at every change of season, or for un-seasonal weather changes, just isn’t practical – and we don’t do it! Instead we just let our sprinklers turn on when it is not necessary, and we waste our most precious resource. The Cyber-Rain XCI System made it to our list because it automatically adjusts our sprinklers depending on the weather forecast, thus greatly reducing water usage, and...

Read the other winners at www.GetWithGreen.com