What to do with your favorite jeans

Another "green" product that I'm learning about is the insulation called UltraTouch. It is an insulation with a high R value (amount of insulation offered), no formaldahyde (who wants to breathe in the stuff they used to preserve your dissected frog in 8th grade bio), mold and mildew resistant, and most of all, it's not itchy when you install it! What is it made of? Denim!!

This product is made from the by-products of jeans production. It is all that denim that ends up on the cutting room floor. It is cleaned, soaked in borax for fire resistance, shredded, and then made into batts that can be easily installed between the studs in your walls. It not only provides you with a nicer, safer product than the traditional fiberglass insulation, it reduces the amount of industrial product dumped into the landfills across the country.

I will be using this product (although it's more expensive than traditional fiberglass insulation) in my basement renovation. I will post my experiences here so that you can have some first hand information on ease of use and results.

Thoughts anyone?

Deadly Paint

As any regular reader knows, I have an interest in "going green". My recent research is into the world of home improvement. One of the topics that has come up, over and over, is the need for "green" paint. This is typically defined as one without "volatile organic compounds" or VOCs.

As happens frequently, there is the government definition of non-VOC and then there are manufacturer definitions. To decide what qualifies as non-VOC, I first had to find out what a VOC was and why it is harmful. I turned to two articles on WebMD. The first talks about environmental illnesses caused by toxins in our environment, and the second specifically tells you what VOCs are and what they can do to you.

According to my research, new paint can release VOCs into the air for up to one year after application. These VOCs can cause loss of coordination, liver damage, asthma, and some forms of cancer. Is this what you want as a side effect of repainting your bedroom?

Most major manufacturers offer low or non-VOC paints now. In addition, there are companies (like AFM) which offer only non-VOC paints and stains. If you are considering home renovation, I would encourage you to check this out.

Thoughts anyone?