A Couple of Things Most of Us Can Do At Home

More and more, Americans are learning that it is vital that we all do our part to clean and protect our world. As you already know, I am a MAJOR fan of HGTV (House and Garden Television). Today I was watching an episode of DESIGNED TO SELL. In it, a couple was really interested in doing their remodel work in ways that would cut down on waste as much as possible. I learned a couple of things that I found to be quite interesting. I plan on doing both sometime in the future.

Paint is actually a harmful substance unless you purchase the formula which is made to protect the world. I THINK that it is called Low VOC. When you go to your local hardware store, their emloyees will know what I am talking about. For YEARS, doctors have recommended that their pregnant patients not be in a room where fresh house paint is being used. The fumes can be hazardous to the unborn baby.

If you prefer not to use paint, try this technique to add color to your walls. Apply plaster. As I learned today, plaster consists of all natural ingredients--no chemicals. It is actually the first man-made substance on record. Applying plaster is no major ordeal. It is applied to walls by using trowels. It should be applied at the same thickness of a credit card. Once it dries, a nice soft color is produced. Eventually, when the house deteriates, the plaster will break down causing no pollution of any kind to the environment.

More and more, people are purchasing clear glass shelves to hang on their walls to display various items. Next time that you're in the market to do this, consider going to a recycling or salvage yard where old windows are kept. Purchase the window of your choice, take it home and remove the wood around the glass panel. It is quite easy to remove the thin wood that seperates one pane of glass from another. Clean the glass and set it on top of shelf brackets of your choice. You've succeded two things now. 1. You probably spent less money on your shelf than you would have if you had purchased a new one at the store. 2. You kept one more object from being placed in the landfill. Remember the three Rs: Recycle, Re-use and Reduce.

VLE-B