Resources for Green Do-it-Yourselfers

It’s a special breed of homeowner that wants to tackle improvements on their own. You’ve got to find the information, tools, materials and resources you need to get things done like a professional. If you’re motivated to meet the challenge of DIY, you’ve already got some green minded qualities and with a little extra consideration and resources you can green-it-yourself.

The Basics

First it’s important to get a little green footing from which to work so let’s define “green” within the context of home improvement. In a nutshell, I would say that green buildings minimize resource use, maximize energy efficiency and promote human and environmental health.

These ideas are pretty well aligned with the do-it-yourself mindset but the green do-it-yourselfer knows there’s more. When taking on a green home improvement it’s important to consider materials.

Green materials:

• have recycled content
• are from renewable or sustainable sources
• are efficiently manufactured
• are durable
• are reclaimed or salvaged
• have low embodied energy (like locally harvested or low CO2 emissions)
• are low maintenance

Other considerations for materials relate to their direct impact on human health.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Considerations:

• Low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds)
• Formaldehyde-free
• Soy-based adhesives
• Natural finishes

That’s a pretty good start to some green DIY basics. An important mantra to keep in mind is the 3R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. This will help you plan and measure accordingly to reduce waste, reuse materials or pass them on to someone who will and recycle as much construction waste as possible.

Resources

Now it’s time to find the green resources to carry through on your green initiative. More and more retail stores are getting on the green wagon which is great because materials are becoming more competitively priced, higher in quality and readily available.

Green it Yourself™

I got excited earlier because I thought I’d come up with a brilliant new buzz word there: green-it-yourself. Well it turns out, fortunately, that Plan-it Hardware has already got that idea rolling with a network of Green it Yourself™ retailers. Currently only in California but growing fast, Green it Yourself™ hardware stores and home improvement centers stock (or will special order) one of the most complete catalogs of green products available.

Eco-Options

Even Home Depot has climbed on the green wagon with their Eco-Options line. The Eco-Options label has earned the big retailer the EnergySTAR retail partner of the year for 2006 and 2007. While Home Depot isn’t exactly green all over, its spot at the top of the home improvement retail world certainly makes green more accessible (since they are everywhere). Some of the highlights at Home Depot: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood – they sell more than any other retailer in America. They’ve also partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme Plant for the Planet Billion Tree Campaign. They offer online resources related to sustainable forestry and wood products, energy efficiency, water conservation, clean air and healthy home.

GreenSpec

Building Green is an independent organization geared toward building-industry professionals. Although tailored to high-end construction and design, they offer several resources that can be useful to the green do-it-yourselfer, especially in the inspiration department. In addition to BuildingGreen.com and Environmental Building News, Building Green oversees the online GreenSpec® Directory. This is a premiere lineup of the best environmentally conscious products on the market, over 2,000. Chosen by the editors, GreenSpec® listed green building products are not advertisements but examinations of a product’s green attributes. This directory correlates to the US Green Build Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program guidelines.

Build it Green

Build it Green is a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings, in California (again!). Programs and services offered here include technical information and assistance, professional training, workshops and presentation, green home tours and councils and guilds. Online, the organization oversees the AccessGreen Directory which lists green building products within the 9-county San Francisco Bay Area and Anaheim. Products here meet criteria for energy efficiency, resource conservation and indoor environmental quality.

Green Building Institute

If you are located near Jessup, Maryland, you are in luck because you have the Green Building Institute (GBI). GBI offers courses on everything green including passive solar design, green home renovations, energy efficiency and rainwater harvesting. In addition to informative classes, GBI also offers tours of green buildings to see ideas in action. Not just for industry professionals, GBI is for anyone interested in learning more about green building, green materials and alternative energy.

Green Home Guide

This is a remarkable online resource that offers professional green building advice to homeowners. You can search topics by region (where you live), by product or by home element to find advice and know-how. There is also a green directory that assesses the latest products from tiles to countertops to furniture. A network of industry professionals answers the “Ask a Pro” column where readers get first-hand advice on everything from finishes to mold to solar conversions to financing a green home. One reader even found the answer to “How do I build a green dog house?”