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How to Live Green on a Budget with Easy DIY Home Improvements

Let's face it, when it came to going green our government and past generations let us down years ago. When they discovered coal and oil, they framed the future around it never thinking of the consequences like supply and demand or the environment and pollution. They knew this day would come and from solving environmental problems to the huge increase in energy cost, were willing to let us fend for ourselves. Now we are a nation dependent on oil and resources that we don’t produce leaving us at war with each other and the world. Good job U.S. Let’s face it; smarter choices could have been made in the last generation. The battle now is how to take care of yourself and prevent them from stealing every dime you make in electric and gas every month. I have fought this battle for a decade now and have made some progress. Here’s how!  

Let the Sun Work For You Not Against You

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Plant a tree... I love planting trees anytime, but in this case take advantage of what people have known for years. Strategic planting of trees will help with scorching summers and keep your electric bill down. The east and west sides of the house receive more sun than any. Before some of us wake up, the sun has already started cooking your house, so putting something between your home and the sun only makes sense. Put the sun to work for you, not against you. Everyone is raised to be so busy working and other nonsense, they never realize the challenges in life preventing them from getting ahead. My plans to put the sun to work for me are still in progress, but I believe it will be a great partnership in a green DIY future. 
Smarthome, Inc.

Keeping Cool In the Shade  

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The sunny side of my home is on a steep hill, so planting trees for cover would take over 70 years and I'm not wasting that time. My plan was to provide some shade and style while reducing the heat. My back doors were a direct heat source in summer, so I placed a 10 foot canopy on the back porch in front of the back doors. In addition, I placed large planters with a Bloodgood Japanese maple and a sandcherry on the corner. The Sandcherry will need to be pruned, but it should provide good shade at the right height on the corner of the house. We also raise Canadian lynx, so I built a large cage attached to the deck which keeps heat from under the house all summer on the west side. By searching commercial resin planters you will find large planters like I decided to go with (around $300 each). Skymall or Simplyplanters.com has a few different options as well for the home and patio.

Let the Sunlight Shine In  

Skylights were something I really wanted to install when I shingled the roof. I already needed to replace a cheap dome skylight that was leaking. In addition, my wife cannot enter a room without turning a light on, so I thought this necessary to saving energy. It cost around a $1000 per skylight, but the natural light in the kitchen and guest bathroom, which before the skylight was a cave, is a blessing. In total I had four skylights cut in. If done again, I would have the one in our living room moved to the east side like the kitchen skylight, so there wouldn’t be a glare on the TV throughout the day. This is not a beginner green DIY project. I wouldn’t recommend anyone uncomfortable with building, framing, roofing, and plastering to begin cutting a hole in their roof. I learned a lot watching this process and it was entertaining when they dropped the large portion of roof out and you’re looking up into a gaping hole in the roof. If you have home improvement ideas and would like a unique way of financing as well as other personal loans, Prosper.com offers borrowers personal loans that the investors decide to finance or sign up to be an investor with peer-to-peer lending. I used Anderson skylights. Skylights like below offer a variety of features including low-E glass, venting, electric and built in shades.

DIY Tinted Windows To Reduce Heat

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Still working to keep the sunshine out of a cool house, I also put tint on all my windows. I used a product called GILA platinum window tint that I picked up at Home Depot. It's about $40 a role which isn't cheap, but once I applied the film I could tell a real difference in the amout of heat that was making it in. I did every window in my house including the skylights, side door (removed the window to apply tint) and screen door to keep heat off the front door. Below are pics of my windows and the difference in light and heat.You can also add design and privacy with these energy saving products. Amazon has the best price i've found on this energy saver.

DIY Water Filters

We've all heard that we shouldn't use water bottles. Having likeminded opinions, it never occurred to me that so many people would waste money on WATER to throw away. I don't like having to buy water from the city even, so I've always appreciated having well water. Until living in TN, I've never experienced really bad well water. I don't mind the taste, but at a hardness of 38 ppm (parts per million) I've had to replace the fridge, dishwasher, water heater, washer and my pipes have always clogged easily from years of buildup not to mention what it does to aquarium pumps and the water stains around sinks. It didn't occur to me that well water was causing so many problems including the inability to clean dishes, own a coffee maker for over a week, or brew clear tea. Testing your water is easy and gives you an idea of the system you need. Originally, I installed a whole house filter, spin down filter and a Clearwave Electronic water softener. With all three and the best micron filter I couldn't tell a difference in my water and it slowed down water flow. We purchased a RainSoft water filter which seems to be a good system, though more expensive. At around 5 thousand it gets the job done and doesn't use much salt, self regenerates when dirty and gives me a list of options to control functions if things change. We have little space so it was placed beneath the house, and insulated. I researched many water filters online before deciding on a Rainsoft. There are other filters that offer what RainSoft does for much less. Amazon offers many with FREE SHIPPING and you can see what others thought of the same products before you buy.

Solar Panels and Wind Turbines

In my journey for green DIY projects, believe me; I have spent long hours researching solar and wind energy. Sites claiming you can make your own solar panels and wind turbines for fractions of the cost with easy to find materials have caught my interest several times. I’ve watched YouTube videos on making panels and setting them up. I’ve called many solar panel companies and asked all the questions. I’ve researched programs and government incentives, local and federal grants, tax credits and electric companies that pay for green energy, states that offer more than TN (many). My conclusion is, today is probably going to cost me more than tomorrow.  A small system covering 25% of my electric bill will run me around $10,000. Maybe a high estimate, but there are also many variables to that, actual output of the cells, amount of sunlight, system maintenance if problems occur, and there are no installers dedicated to this area should something happen. All that said, I am determined to have a grid-tied system installed that I can add to over time. Starting small is going to be helpful for me in the long run and from there I should be able to do most of the work myself, besides connecting to the grid. Wind speed is not reliable in my area, the turbines cost a fortune and are just as difficult to install if you plan on getting one of any size. Building solar panels or wind turbines, I choose solar for cost and the system can be expanded.
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