Of all the spaces in a home, garages can be one of the least eco-friendly. That’s because they often end up being a storage facility for items not fit for the actual living space like turpentine, motor oil, and ant poison.
Nevertheless with spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan on upgrading the garage to a greener level so when the warmer weather arrives it can function better and be a healthier setting for both the homeowner and the greater environment.
The following are a few thoughts on a greener presence in the garage.
Remodeling
Everyone’s garage is different. Some don’t mind it looking a little dingy, yet others prefer a more put together space. If you walk into the garage this spring and decide it’s not meeting your needs and hope to do some renovations or minor remodeling, here are a few areas that could use a green touch:
- Fixing drafts: Drafts usually occur around windows and doors and in a garage this isn’t typically a problem because a homeowner doesn’t spend long periods of time there. However, if a door in the garage is directly attached to the home, drafts will compromise indoor temperatures causing heating or air-conditioning systems to function inefficiently. Sealing drafts doesn’t only make the garage a little greener but will also save the homeowner money on utilities.
- Painting: Once drafts are dealt with coating the walls can help brighten the garage and remove stains from mold or car exhaust. The problem is that regular paint contains high amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which is why it’s best to go with eco-friendly products that reduce the VOC count.
- Lighting: With the garage makeover underway don’t forget to switch those incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent lights or LEDs, both of which are energy savers. Also, since lights in the garage often get left on overnight, put them on a timer to save electricity.
Chemicals:
Just because something is a chemical doesn’t automatically place it in the non eco-friendly category, but some items found in the garage like pesticides and herbicides should raise a red flag.
Use of these substances harms the environment, and people with continuous exposure could develop serious health issues down the road. For this reason unless a situation arises where they are absolutely necessary, they should be disposed of safely through local government household hazardous waste programs.
In their place, homeowners can employ natural products that can be purchased at local home improvement stores or homemade remedies made from herbal extracts, baking soda, vinegar and other household substances.
Gas-powered machines
Gas-powered machines like lawnmowers and trimmers are not eco-friendly because of several reasons. First, when powered they create emissions from burning gasoline. If it’s an older model these fumes can be as strong as standing in front of a car’s tailpipe while the motor is running.
Second, gasoline and other oils from these machines can spill onto the ground polluting the earth.
For a greener day working the yard, gas-powered machines should either be traded in for manual versions or each gas-powered device should have a manual one to accompany it. That way the manual versions can be used most of the time and for difficult jobs the automatic ones will still be available.
Recycling station
Finally, after everything is organized and the contents of the garage are as green as can be, it’s time to set up a recycling station for all the trash coming out of the home.
Doing so in the garage provides an out of the way place for paper, plastic, glass and other recyclable materials so they don’t pile up in the kitchen or pantry and become a nuisance.
Placing the bins in an accessible spot close to the garage door simplifies filling and taking them out and makes recycling all the more enjoyable.
Article written by guest blogger Jakob Barry. Jakob is a green living journalist writing for fencing contractors across the US.