Feature Article II: Green Renovations

The following is the second in a series of four environmental articles appearing in local papers in the month leading up to Earth Day...

Thinking of Renovating Your Home? Think Green.

By: Aaron Dent, LEED AP, P.Eng, Halsall Associates Ltd., Sudbury

There are many reasons why people renovate – to make a room more functional, to get rid of that 1970s wallpaper or carpeting, to get ready for a new family member, or to raise the value of your home before selling. Better yet, you might be renovating to improve the energy efficiency of your house – a great step. But is making your home “green” the same thing as making it energy efficient? There are other important questions besides those related to energy efficiency that you should ask yourself before starting your next renovation. Are the materials you plan to use healthy for your family? Will they last a long time, or are you going to have to repair or replace them in the next 5-10 years? Are they made from vinyl? Do they come from forests that are managed properly? All of these are important questions too.
While making your home more energy efficient is the most important thing you can do - both for your pocket book and for the environment - there is already much existing information in Sudbury about how to make your home more energy efficient. Visit www.city.greatersudbury.on.ca/earthcare and click on Efficient Sudbury for more information. Also, a great program to help you pay for the upfront costs of improving your home is the government’s ecoENERGY program, found at www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoENERGY. You can contact Canspec Inspection Services (693-5587) in Sudbury to book your home energy audit today.

Apart from energy efficiency, making your home a healthier place to live is one of the best things you can do at your house or apartment. One of the most common renovation projects at your home is simple – painting. Anyone who has painted their house knows about that “new paint smell”. This smell is the paint releasing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, creating poor air quality in your home. VOCs have been linked with headaches, skin irritations, lung damage as well as increased chemical sensitivities. Thankfully, there are many paint companies that have created paints that are just as durable, washable, and colourful as regular paints, but do not release any VOCs into the air. While the big hardware stores often do not have environmentally friendly paints, any specialty paint store in town, like Barrydowne Paint and Wallpaper, will have low VOC paint, like Benjamin Moore’s EcoSpec. With these paints, there may be some colour restrictions, as dark colours have more VOCs. If you can’t find a colour that you are happy with, there are some special paints that have no toxic chemicals in them, and can be made in any colour. These often come at a cost premium and must be ordered from outside Sudbury, but they are the most eco friendly paints available. You can order these from an Ottawa store, the Healthiest Home (www.thehealthiesthome.com), which carries many environmentally friendly products.

This is just one way to renovate green – there are hundreds more. If you are interested in learning more, check out the book Your Green Home by Alex Wilson available at most bookstores. Or, visit the Greater Sudbury Earth Day Festival at Market Square on April 19th, 2008 from 10-5 and speak to representatives of green businesses specializing in products and services for your home. See you there!