Super Eco

Take My House

Last updated, 01/19/2009 Comments (0) |

Photo credit: cafemama, flickr

Take My House is a Super Eco regular feature that uncovers the trials, travails, and triumphs of fixing up and/or remodeling a house because you want to, or have to.

Rita Arens shares the tale of selling her old house at the cusp of the current housing crisis, at a loss and her experience remodeling her current home, Chateau Travolta.

She points out that "we may all be stuck in the houses we have for now, but maybe that’s a good thing. It brings our focus inward to what we have control over – our immediate environment."

Join us every other week and share your stories of housing joys and sorrows.

Take My House News

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  A safe nest to call home

  When Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sufferer Amy Ludwigson set out to find a new home, she worked through what most of us would consider a mind-boggling checklist of criteria. She… | Read the full article ›

  By Lisa Poisso (326 days ago) 0 comments

  Definitions

  Toxicity, Offgassing, Pesticides, Cigarettes, Fumes, Indoor air quality, Fragrance

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  House of straw

  Straw insulation is, for me, counter-intuitive. It may be a cultural thing. I was raised on a Disney diet that included a lot of the classic children stories and one I remember… | Read the full article ›

  By Frank Paynter (535 days ago) 1 comment

  Definitions

  Sustainable, Insulation

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  Solar water heating has incredible payback

  If you are a science nut or any kind of geek, you have to check out physorg.com. I came for the solar water heater story. I stayed for the nanotech. The payback on the solar water… | Read the full article ›

  By Frank Paynter (540 days ago) 7 comments

  Definitions

  Solar power, Energy Star, Geothermal power

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  Green your Realtor

  There’s a green light at the end of the dark, unrelenting tunnel also known as the dismal U.S. housing market—a new crop of eco-trained Realtors and brokers helping… | Read the full article ›

  By Kim Lachance Shandrow (549 days ago) 1 comment

  Definitions

  Lead, Conservation, VOC, LEED certification

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  Feature New uses for old fixtures

  It's reusable day on Super Eco and we're uncovering new uses for old things.  So what about those of you in the midst of remodeling, who have old light fixtures kicking… | Read the full article ›

  By Rita Arens (564 days ago) 2 comments

  Definitions

  Mercury

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  Save electricity with dimmer switches

  Dimmers and auto-shut-off switches can result in big energy savings. For rooms that are mostly lit by outside light or not used very often, you can get an indoor photosensor… | Read the full article ›

  By Rita Arens (564 days ago) 1 comment
• 

  Feature Take My House: green your wallpaper

  Our old house didn’t have any wallpaper in it. Thank goodness in the 90 years the house existed, no one had been fool enough to apply wallpaper to plaster walls. Such was… | Read the full article ›

  By Rita Arens (564 days ago) 40 comments

  Definitions

  Asbestos

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  Putting the non-toxic seal on paint

  Earlier this week Rita Arens took at look at house paints, and was horrified by the toxic brew they concoct inside our homes. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency,… | Read the full article ›

  By Alex Fayle (575 days ago) 1 comment

  Definitions

  VOC, Microban, GreenGuard, Green Seal certification

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  Feature Take My House: Paint without harming the environment

  I never gave much thought to paint safety prior to becoming a remodeling maven. I’ve painted many a wall in my home-ownership experience, but when I thought of paint, my… | Read the full article ›

  By Rita Arens (578 days ago) 6 comments

  Companies

  Environmental Protection Agency

  Definitions

  VOC

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  Feature Take My House: welcome home?

  Welcome to our first installment of 'Take My House' where we'll talk about all the things you love and hate about your house (or apartment or condo), as well as steps any of us can… | Read the full article ›

  By Rita Arens (583 days ago) 4 comments