'Design on a Dime' host offers guide to green | Environment

From the Chicago Tribune

'Design on a Dime' host offers guide to green

Brice Cooper offers tips from new-home builders to roof replaces, carpert buyers and more. Check out his green advice!

By Shaila Wunderlich, Chicago Tribune Reporter

February 24, 2008

This month's Old House New House Home Show was bustling with homeowners, contractors and browsers looking for advice and ideas on everything from gutters to gardens to gut renovations. One of the event's highlights was a "Guide to Going Green" workshop by Brice Cooper, host of HGTV's "Design on a Dime" (and Elgin resident). Cooper was a human encyclopedia, spouting tips on achieving "obtainable sustainable" faster than attendees could record them in notebooks. Here are some tips:

For new-home builders: Site your home to take advantage of maximum energy efficiency. "Don't face your biggest wall of windows toward the south," Cooper says. "It will heat up really fast and take a lot more energy to cool down."

For roof replacers: Swap black roof tiles for a lighter color to save on cooling costs. "Black roofs generally reflect about 5 percent heat. Gray roofs reflect roughly 15 [percent] to 20 percent," Cooper says.

For insulation installers: Question insulation suppliers about the R-value of their insulation product. The higher the R-value, the more efficient and green the insulation -- and the less taxing to your energy bill.

For carpet buyers: Choose carpets made of recycled materials. One of Cooper's favorite brands, FLOR, comes in individual "tiles" for easy installation -- and easy removal in the event of damage. "This way you're not throwing the entire carpet into a landfill just because a corner has gotten wet or stained." (Call 866-281-3567 or see flor.com.)

For flooring fanatics: Cork and bamboo are two stylish and sustainable flooring options. Local source Mr. Bamboo, 55 Kelly St., Elk Grove Village, 847-640-7316, mymrbamboo.com, relies exclusively on bamboo to turn out its flooring, countertops and cabinetry.

For counter choices: Reusable quartz is a beautiful option, and bamboo countertops are 100 percent sustainable. Cooper called out quartz counter company Cambria as the only solid-surface source to manufacture in the U.S., thus imprinting a minimal carbon footprint (see cambriausa.com). He also gave a nod to Richlite, a Wisconsin-based countertop-maker that uses renewable paper from managed forests to make its counters. Available at Prairie Plus, 509 Madison St., Oak Park, 708-848-4218; http://www.soapstonetops.com .

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swunderlich@tribune.com