Building or renovating a home with green products is becoming more main stream with more options and improving costs. Consider using glass and concrete around the home.

Countertops made of recycled glass and concrete can be a thing of the future. Recycled glass is glass that is saved from the landfill and when it needs to be changed in the future, it can by recycled again.

It can be used for backsplashes, shower walls, tabletops, flooring and even outdoor pavers. You have multiple choices for finishes as well; gloss, honed or sandblasted for slip resistance.

It qualifies for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification because it is made from recycled materials and is VOC (volatile organinc compounds) free.

If building a new home, polished concrete floors avoid trips to the landfill with old carpets and tile. Because of the thermal properties of concrete, cooling and heating energy needs are reduced. Indoor air quality becomes more improved without carpet and the need for glues and adhesives.

The need for harsh detergents and cleaning liquids is diminished with concrete floors - all you need is water and a mop. Ambient lighting is in abundance with polished concrete floors so you save more money on the electricity bill.

Source: Article by Maggie Calloway in the column "Smart Choices for our Future"

Mode offers green inspired systems and materials

The Mission Group, the company that brought us developments such as the Verve and Sheerwater, are working on their eco-friendly project Mode - A smart address. The Mission Group has strived to be unique in their projects and Mode is by all means just that.

The Mode project is inspired green with the following features:

• the building is located in the Landmark neighbourhood so there isn't a need for cars, you can just leave it at home.
• plumbing fixtures, appliances and drought resistant landscaping are all desgined to conserve water
• carpets and paints have been chosen for their low emmisions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• water heaters are powered by solar energy systems
• the homes are fitted with low "e" windows that are superefficient
• the home is heated and cooled using geothermal packaged terminal heat pumps

The project recently won an Mayor's Environmental Achievement Award for Most Sustainable Development.

Since the development is in the heart of the Landmark Centre, it only makes sense that it's equiped with hi-tech features such as iPod docking stations and the Telus Smart Box.

The Development is located at 1620 Dickson Ave and features "loft-style citi-homes with seperate street entry, and a variety of contempory living spaces from studios to two bedroom homes". Prices range from $185,900 to $415,900. 

At the time of this posting, there's only 10 homes left.

E-friendly renovation tips that can increase the value of your investment

• Windows - switch to triple-glazed that are installed properly
• Lighting - use sensor lights, skylights, compact-flourescent bulbs
• Heating - get high-efficiency furnaces, radiant heating, solar panels, solar heated hot water tanks (hot water tanks are 25% of your gas bill)
• Insulation - pack insulation in the walls, basement, attic, around pipes
• Water - install low flow toilets and showerheads, install on-demand hot water heaters
• Paint - use paint that has no VOCs (these cause breathing problems)
• Carpet - install wool carpets that don't pollute the air and are renewable,
• Floors - use renewable resources such as bamboo or cork or recycle old materials
• Surfaces - use products such as PaperStone that is made from recycled paper instead of non-renewable stone

Tips gathered from Joanna Pachner's article titled "Green renos increase a home's value".

Eco Friendly Clean Air Coating

General Paint chemists are boasting a new zero Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) coating that reduces the odour of their paints.

The Enviro friendly clean air coating allows homes to be painted without the harmful fumes interupting day-to-day tasks.

Learn more at GeneralPaint.com