Easy Ways to Go Green

Going Green Around the House During Weekend Projects

Maybe you’re at the stage in your life where you’re afforded the luxury of weekends at home, tinkering around with projects that have long stood waiting for you to attend to them. It’s a fantasy for some of us — work hard during the week, get to weekend finally, and some fun (and much-needed) projects, putting the house back in order, maybe repairing a fence or building one, putting that new insulation in the garage, or whatever. So what if you’re building a new deck? Or even better — what if you’re finally getting to take a stab at refinishing an existing deck that’s been in dire need of your attention? Is it possible to refinish and refurbish your existing wood deck, and still be eco-friendly?

It’s not that difficult to find out how to stain a deck on any number of websites online, but if you’re eco-conscious or working towards a more green lifestyle, then whenever you get wind of chemicals involved in a home improvement project, your first thought is — Can this be accomplished with non-toxic materials? And the answer, like many other things in life these days, is Yes — it can be done. You can find a deck stain that’s environmentally sound, one that won’t damage the planet as it dries, as you clean your brush, as water that’s used to wash off the surface of stain becomes part of the ground again, perhaps even near a vegetable garden, to point to a worst-case scenario. Continue reading →