Green/Eco Remodeling, Contracting and Construction- St Louis Missouri

Limiting water usage will become increasingly more important as time progresses and our population continues to grow.  We do not give much thought to the water that we use for our gardens and beds, but as in California and other dry climates, the rationing of water may eventually become a necessity for all of us.  Rather than wait until the problem forces conservation techniques, why don’t we implement water saving principles now and maybe even prevent the need for rationing in the future.

One of the best solutions to limiting our garden and bed water usage is to introduce drought tolerance principles.  Drought tolerance involves more than just introducing drought tolerant plants into our existing environment.  The process as described in the book Gaia’s Garden - A guide to home-scale permaculture by Toby Hemenway (ChelseaGreen.com), is a 5 pronged approach to reducing water requirements and increasing the ability of a garden to sustain in dryer climates and seasons.

The 5 steps in this process are:

Here is a breakdown of these 5 steps for more clarity.

Soil Water Retention

Without good water retention in your soil, even the most drought resistant plants will perish.  Heavy clay soils with a thin layer of topsoil will not sustain plantings without supplemental irrigation.  However, soils that are prepared correctly can act as water reservoirs to sustain plant life during dry times.  1 foot of properly prepared soil will hold up to several inches of water.

Quality soil can be created relatively quickly with a technique called sheet mulching or over time by adding organic matter such as compost.  Either system produces soil that is multi-layered and deep with organic matter.  This enriched soil provides a prime system for holding water and capturing rain as it falls.

Micro Swales and Rain Gardens

Rain gardens and Micro Swales are both designed to help contain water in the soil.  Micro Swales in an “S” shape profile act almost as small terraces.  These profiles help to keep water from running off and allow it to soak into the soil.  Rain gardens are small micro detention areas that collect rain water from hillsides and roof systems.  Any system such as this encourages the water to remain on site instead of running off into the storm system.

Dense Planting Patterns and Shading

When planting patterns are dense, the soil is shaded and remains cooler.  Shaded soil will not be as exposed to the sun and to evaporation of water.  Heavy mulching of beds will also keep the soil shaded and will help to retain moisture for the plants.  As plants die or as leaves fall off, this material should be mulched right into the soil.  This added mulch will also provide additional shading and organic material.  Soils with more mulch and organic material are much better at tolerating heavy rains.  Self mulching in a continual pattern will also increase fertility in the soil.

Install Plants with Decreased Water Requirements

Only after a proper soil base has been established, should you introduce plants.  Using plants that require less water will help your gardens and beds maintain themselves without demanding near the water of a topsoil over clay system.  Contact your local landscaper or landscape architect for a listing of drought tolerant plants that will grow well in your area of the country and will create the look that you desire.   Please check out our references page for ideas.

Conclusion

Creating drought tolerance involves more than just the selection of plants.  It is a detailed process that begins with the quality soil.  Soil that is prepared and maintained properly is the foundation for good water retention and decreased water loss through evaporation.

Special Thanks to Acornlandscapes.com for guidance on this article

Managing the quality of indoor air is a constant concern in every household.  Some of the most important reasons for clean air are:

Whether you have a sophisticated mechanical system or a basic one, you have some sort of filtration mechanism at work. Each filtration system is ranked with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating.  The rating system is ranked from 1 to 16.  The higher the MERV rating, the more effective the filter is at removing particles from the air (FilterAir).

I will begin with a discussion of disposable panel filters that are used in residential situations and then progress to some more advanced filtration systems that are used in commercial applications. (FurnaceFilterCare).  I will finish by discussing some electronic filtration systems that have a high MERV rating and can be used for residential homes.  As you might suspect, the higher the MERV rating the greater the cost for of the system.

Disposable Panel Filters (MERV 1-4):

The standard panel filters that are used in many residential systems have limited effectiveness in their ability to remove contaminants from the air.  The exposed surface area of these filters is small and therefore the ability to collect contaminants is reduced.  Most of these basic filters will not remove any particles less than 10 microns in size.  The thicker versions of these filters can increase the MERV rating as high as 4.  For those without severe allergies, these filters may be sufficient.  However, most homeowners should consider upgrading their filtration systems to higher MERV levels.

Expanded Surface Pocket Filters (MERV 10-14):

These pocket filters are made with multiple layers of synthetic material in the form of deep pockets that increase the exposed surface area for maximum contaminant extraction.  These filters require high volumes of air and are used in commercial and industrial applications.  The depth of the pockets is directly proportional to the MERV rating of the filter.  The deepest pocket filters are more commonly used in laboratory environments and clean rooms (AirGuard).

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters (MERV 14-15):

HEPA filters are a type of high efficiency filter that are constructed differently than pocket filters.  These filters are made of curvy mats formed with fibers that lay in a random woven pattern.  These filters can remove 99% of particles that are .3 micrometers in size.   Particles are trapped in HEPA filtration systems by 3 methods (Wikipedia):

HEPA filters are used primarily in commercial and industrial environments.  They are also widely used in demolition and high dust construction areas as temporary filtration systems.  For remodeling work in residential environments, consider renting a portable HEPA filter to keep occupied areas free from construction dust and pollutants.

Electronic Air Cleaners (MERV 12):

Duct mounted electronic air cleaners are designed for residential applications and are able to remove airborne particles as small as .01 microns.  These particles include dust, smoke, bacteria, dirt, lint and pollen.  The electronic components give a charge to the airborne particles.  Once the particles are charged, they attach themselves to the electrically charged collecting plates.  This provides a clear supply air stream.  This electronic cleaning system traps particles that are missed by ordinary throw away filters.  Most of these particles are involved in the soiling of walls, curtains and furniture.  These filters are extremely energy efficient.   The monthly cost of operation for one of these systems is less than a 60 watt light bulb (CarrierCleaner.com).

Electronic Air Purifiers (MERV 15):

One step further than the electronic air cleaner is an air purifier.  These purifiers are available for residential applications and use a 3 stage electronic filtration system along with a mechanical filter to capture and kill airborne viruses, bacteria and even mold spores.  For those with severe allergies, this is the best possible equipment for relieving discomfort (CarrierPurifier.com). 

Conclusion:

Whether you are dealing with a new or existing home, air filtration is extremely important.  The quality of the air you breathe is important to your health and well being.  To keep a high level of air quality, you must resort to some type of filtration.  If you are suffering from poor air quality in your home, consider upgrading your filtration system.  Discuss the best system for your needs with your local mechanical contractor.  Check out our resources page for recommendations.

Many people do not think of Indoor Air Quality as a “Green” concept.  If you think about it though, reducing the contaminants in the air we breathe plays as important a role in our quality of life as decreasing the trash we generate or the energy we consume.  The more that we crowd our air with unwanted contaminants, the less clean, usable air we have left to breathe.  In a confined interior environment, the opportunity to find clean air to breathe is greatly reduced because of the limited space and the cleansing of the existing air.  If we can reduce the contaminants that are introduced into an interior environment, then we have less to purge in order to make the air “safe” for breathing.

Definition:

Contaminants that are released into the air are called Volatile Organic Compounds or (VOC’s).  These are a large group of carbon-based chemicals that will evaporate at room temperature (Minnesota-Health).  Several important characteristics of VOC’s are:

Common Sources:

There are many consumer products that release VOC’s into the air.  Some of the everyday sources are:

One of the largest sources of VOC emissions is painting.  In fact, the only source of VOC’s that is higher than painting is automobile emissions.  The reason that paint is such a large source of VOC’s is due to the chemical process that occurs when painting.  The process is due to the connection of the three components of paint.  These are:

Solvents are the largest contributors to VOC’s emissions.  The solvent evaporates quickly after the painting process so that only the pigment and binders are left on the wall.  It is important to note that the level of VOC emissions immediately following painting can be 1000 times higher than standard outdoor levels.  Even though VOC levels are high immediately after painting, we need to realize that they will continue to emit for years to come.  In fact, it is possible that only 50% of the VOC’s will be gone after the first year (Howstuffworks).

Exposure Problems:

Decreasing VOC levels is important because they have many adverse and harmful effects on our health (Minnesota-Health). 

Short term exposure can result in:

Long term exposure can cause:

Solution:

We can limit the problem of VOC emissions by using products that are low in VOC content.  The area that we can have the most impact is with our paint products.  No-VOC paints have fewer than 5 grams of VOC’s per liter.  Low VOC latex paints must have levels less than 250 grams per liter while the majority has less than 50 grams per liter (TreeHugger).   It is important to remember that these measurements are taken before pigments have been added which can increase the VOC content by as much as 10 grams per liter (Howstuffworks).

When using these low VOC products, remember that they will not react the same as the high VOC products that you are used to.  Some common differences include:

Conclusion:

Using low VOC products is extremely beneficial to the micro environment in our homes and the larger environment around us.  The best way that we can reduce the emission of VOC’s after limiting the use of our automobiles is to change the paints that we are using.  Using low-VOC paints will significantly reduce our exposure to harmful chemical vapors and will increase our chances for a healthy body.  Reducing the use of other high VOC products such as cleaners, adhesives and caulk will help to improve air quality but to a much lesser degree.  In the end, every effort that we make, no matter how small, is important in our challenge to decrease our carbon footprint and sustain our planet for the next generation.