The Whole Abode

S.B.K. Unlimited: Boston Basement Rehab

ellemac — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:39:18 +0000

For those of you who have been following S.B.K. Unlimited, you know that the New Garage for an Old House is finished and fulfilling its new functions for a happy family of five. While Scott was attending to the finishing touches, D&F Services Demolition was busy with demolition at the next project – remodeling the basement of a 100-year-old home in Boston.

It takes more than brawn to perform demolition work and that’s one of the reasons S.B.K. Unlimited is working with D&F Services Demolition, who have already proven their expert eye on what stays and what goes.

In addition to watching the transformation of this old basement, we can also expect some great insight on recycling, waste stream management, material reuse and some of the new resources popping up around Boston so stay tuned for S.B.K. Unlimited’s Boston Basement Rehab.

Refinishing Floors with Health in Mind

ellemac — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:34:51 +0000

I come from a long-line of do-it-yourselfers and among the bevy of home improvement experiments we’ve refined with practice is floor refinishing. From experience, I can tell you that there are preparations and considerations that can make the task more effective. No matter your motivation, it’s always beneficial to tackle refinishing floors with health in mind…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Choosing Sustainable Kitchen Cabinets

ellemac — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:07:15 +0000

I find cabinetmakers to be among the most skilled and engaged tradespeople. In the green building industry this quality is elevated with creative and innovative techniques for harvesting and crafting wood into kitchen components. Just like with other home finishes, there’s more to sustainable kitchen cabinets than meets the eye…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Radiant Underfloor Heating

ellemac — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:32:52 +0000

I’ve been living with radiant underfloor heating for over a year now and I absolutely love it. It’s extremely comfortable, quiet and energy-efficient. Also called hydronic radiant floor heating, these systems are well worth your consideration…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Indoor Air Quality in Your New Home

ellemac — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:32:26 +0000

It’s exciting to build a new home. At the same time it can be a bit consuming. With all the choices to be made during construction it’s easy to overlook some of the simpler strategies that can lead to better indoor air quality when you’re finally moved in…read more at elle’s HubPages column

How to Choose Eco-friendly Flooring

ellemac — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:04:40 +0000

Flooring is a significant choice at home. It affects how we feel in a room, how healthy it is and how much impact our home has on the environment. Today, there are plenty of eco-friendly choices that balance aesthetics with environmental responsibility. No product is perfect but there are ways to sort through the good, the bad and the just plain ugly…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Greening Your Kitchen

ellemac — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:58:03 +0000

The first home I purchased was a small condo with a tiny kitchen. Despite being the most space limited room in the house it always filled up with visitors who strolled right past comfy couches only to lean against ugly countertops. The reality is that people spend a lot of time indoors and most of our waking hours in the kitchen so the greener it is the better…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Natural Daylighting for Health and Energy Efficiency

ellemac — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 10:57:53 +0000

More and more studies are touting the benefits of natural daylighting in residential, academic and commercial settings. Designs that let the sunshine do the work reduce the need for artificial light taking a load off energy consumption and utility bills. Perhaps even more motivating, natural daylighting is just more pleasant…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Healthy, Green Insulation Choices

ellemac — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:50:09 +0000

With materials like soy and mushrooms, today’s green insulation choices can sound more like ingredients for stir fry rather than the components of an energy-efficient home. Homeowners who are quick to disregard these innovative products will find they’ve missed out on an opportunity to use healthy, eco-friendly building materials that perform…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Irresistably Yummy
Mushrooms Become Source for Eco-building

Is Bamboo a Sustainable Building Material?

ellemac — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:30:55 +0000

Bamboo flooring has gained considerable attention in sustainable design because it is a hardy, durable product from a renewable resource which helps deter harvesting of old-growth forests for wood products. However, production of bamboo flooring has social impacts on labor, requires transit energy, contains little to no recycled material, can negatively impact ecosystems and can have a negative affect on indoor air quality…read more at elle’s HubPages column

Helpful Links Forest Stewardship Council