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ECO-FRIENDLY FIXES
Living Green Make your home more environmentally conscious with help from Santa Cruz Green Builders BY JOEL HERSCH
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HOME & GARDEN
D
id you know that having the walls and ceiling of your house packed full of cellulose—recycled cloth and paper fibers—can do wonders for the heating bill? Or that the ability to select how much water you flush down the toilet is an excellent way to conserve water? Or that choosing the right interior wall paint—a product without volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—can help reduce your chances of getting sick? Well, it’s all true. Eco-friendly home upgrades fall into three main categories, according to Taylor Darling, co-owner of Santa Cruz Green Builders, a local company that designs and builds environmentally sensitive
dwellings. Those areas of improvement, he says, are energy efficiency, water conservation, and indoor air quality. With many Santa Cruz residents living in older homes, there are often several ways to improve functionality and resource-conservation. Darling’s suggestions can help reduce a house’s ecological impact, increase its overall value, make breathing safer for inhabitants, and save money on home expenses over time. “These are things that any homeowner can put their money and effort toward upgrading their house to be more sustainable,” he says. “Each has great value and pay-off.” FIXES 8>