Archive for the ‘sustainability’ Category

April 06, 2010

The Single Most Important Energy-Saving Strategy in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The most important and fundamental energy-saving strategy you need to know about in Phoenix is shading your home from direct sun and heat gain. Well-positioned shade around your house can save you up to 40% in your cooling bills. We explored creating shade from a planting perspective on the Blooming Rock blog on the week of March 15, 2010. This week, I’m revisiting the topic of shade because it’s so very important for our climate especially with the upcoming hot weather. I’ll be talking about shade from an architectural perspective and today we’ll start with a primer on home…

March 17, 2010

Shade the Rocks to Cool the House

by: Doreen Pollack

Tweet Today, guest blogger Doreen Pollack talks about something we rarely think about and that’s shading our rocks and paved areas. She tells us why this is important and how it contributes to reducing our city-wide heat-island problem and how it can keep your own house cool. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Doreen Pollack is the Garden Goddess and owner of Down 2 Earth Gardens, providing garden consultations and coaching. Get gardening tips at monthly workshops, on her blog or newsletter. Visit www.down2earthgardens.com to learn more. Driveways, sidewalks, paved patios, and rock yards retain heat longer than planted areas after the sun goes down….

March 16, 2010

This Shade is Sure to Grow on You!

by: Doreen Pollack

Tweet Today, guest blogger Doreen Pollack teaches us about the many green benefits of growing a vine at home. What I love about Doreen’s strategies is that they not only offer shade to your home, which is so important here in the desert, but they have many other benefits as well. This makes sense because that’s how nature works! ________________________________________________________________________________________ Doreen Pollack is the Garden Goddess and owner of Down 2 Earth Gardens, providing garden consultations and coaching. Get gardening tips at monthly workshops, on her blog or newsletter. Visit www.down2earthgardens.com to learn more. Using a tree or even a…

March 15, 2010

Money Just Might Grown on Trees

by: Doreen Pollack

Tweet This week on the Blooming Rock Blog, I’m excited to have guest blogger Doreen Pollack teach us about passive cooling strategies with planting. With our brutal Phoenix summer sneaking up on us, this information is a must know to guard against unnecessary heat gain inside our homes, whether it be for this summer or for summers to come. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Doreen Pollack is the Garden Goddess and owner of Down 2 Earth Gardens, providing garden consultations and coaching. Get gardening tips at monthly workshops, on her blog or newsletter. Visit www.down2earthgardens.com to learn more. It’s scientifically proven that when you…

March 10, 2010

Arizona Appliance Rebate Program: How to get yours. Part III: Water Heaters

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet If you’re interested in participating in the Arizona Appliance Rebate Program which starts April 12, wait for this information to be announced: The telephone number and website address where you can make your reservation. What time on April 12 you’ll be able to make your reservation. I’ll post this information as soon as it becomes available. For an overview of this rebate program check out Monday’s post. Remember there are a total number of about 35,000 reservations the state is giving out and they will go fast. So be prepared, know the appliance you want and the rebate you’re…

March 09, 2010

Arizona Appliance Rebate Program: How to get yours. Part II: Dishwashers

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The latest news on the Arizona Appliance Rebate Program is the confirmation that you can’t buy your appliance before April 12, 2010 if you want to participate in the rebate program. But this doesn’t mean you have to sit idle between now and April 12. Use this time to research and price out the appliance you want and get ready to apply for the reservation on April 12. You’ll be able to make your reservation on the phone or through a website, but neither the phone number or website have been released yet. I’ll post those as soon as…

March 08, 2010

Arizona Appliance Rebate Program: How to get yours. Part I: Clothes Washer

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The Arizona Department of Commerce’s Energy Office just announced the Arizona Appliance Rebate Program. Details are still sketchy, but I’ll give you a low-down on what you need to know in this week’s posts. There are three items that are eligible for this rebate: clothes washers, dishwashers and water heaters. The reason Arizona decided to give rebates on these three items and not others is because it feels that these three items address the usage of water as well as energy, which is a uniquely important aspect of living in the desert. To get this rebate, you need to…

March 04, 2010

Is Laminate Flooring Green?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Laminate flooring has a great deal going for it: it can look good, it’s very easy to install, and it’s inexpensive. It’s become a very popular floor for DIYers for those reasons. But is it green? The answer is: it’s complicated. Take a look at this video for the low-down on the green aspects of laminate flooring. laminate flooring video

March 02, 2010

Linoleum Flooring is a Great Sustainable Choice for your Kitchen or Bathroom

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Do you think vinyl and linoleum are the same thing? They’re not! They’re very different and they have a very different environmental impact. Watch this video and find out exactly why linoleum is nothing like vinyl and why it’s the more sustainable choice for flooring. linoleum flooring video

March 01, 2010

3 Reasons Concrete Floors are Great in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I think concrete floors are a really wonderful option for Phoenix homes. In fact, many of the mid-century modern homes built here had concrete floors. 3 Palms, our 1963 duplex is one of those. Underneath the peel-and-stick Vinyl Composite Tile that we removed, we discovered this beautiful integral-colored sepia concrete floor. Aesthetically, concrete floors are beautiful and they evoke a raw cool feel that’s appropriate for our hot desert climate. Here are three reasons to consider concrete floors: They keep your house cool during the summer. This passive cooling is invaluable for our Phoenix climate and is why it…