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" The day Paul Gleicher and Lisa Sharkey closed on their new house, an 1885 New York City brownstone that was in &amp;quot;horrendous shape,&amp;quot; according to Paul, was doubly important: It was also their anniversary. And, perhaps in part because of the portentous date, the couple decided to do more than just renovate the townhouse; they decided to transform it from a multi-apartment tenement into a family-friendly haven using only green building products and materials. Paul, an architect with his New York City-based firm, Gleicher Design Group, had been interested in environmentally friendly design for some time. But it was a chance meeting with Jim and Nancy Chuda, who had built a green house to benefit their foundation, the Children&amp;#039;s Health Environmental Coalition, that inspired them. The choice would also set an example for their three children, Greg, 15, Doug, 13, and Casey, seven. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s the whole idea of &amp;#039;teach your children well,&amp;#039;&amp;quot; says Lisa.  Watch a video about the eco-friendly materials and products that were used in building the house.      Decision made, Paul and Lisa \u2014 along with contractor George Constant and Gleicher Design in-house interior designer David Barry \u2014 spent hours researching. They checked Websites like the U.S. Green Building Council&amp;#039;s (usgbc.org), attended trade shows, and even visited factories to find products that met their earth-friendly credentials. Their quest paid off. Paul and Lisa found more green products than they&amp;#039;d ever dreamed existed. In the process, they discovered that green can mean many things: that the product was produced using sustainable or recycled materials, that it was produced locally (reducing air pollution from gas-powered transportation), or that it saves energy or water. &amp;quot;Right now, building green does cost more up front,&amp;quot; says Paul. &amp;quot;But there are government programs that offer tax credits, and some of the products offer a long-term savings in energy use or maintenance, so it all evens out in the end.&amp;quot; Of course, the peace of mind that comes from living in a healthy, green house counts for something as well, says Lisa: &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s been so much fun to be able to tell people that all the things we&amp;#039;re using are good not just for us personally but also for the environment.&amp;quot; Next: Environmentally Friendly Products  ADT residential security system and fire/smoke and carbon monoxide detectors \u2014 Safewatch Pro 3000 Touchpad, Motion Sensors, Window and Door Sensors, Glass Break Sensors, Manual Police/Fire Emergency Button: The system contains all the carbon monoxide alarm and fire/smoke alarm devices in the house. adt.com   Angela Adams sustainable fabrics: We will use these on key pieces of furniture in our home. angelaadams.com   Atlas Concorde: Recipient of the prestigious Eco-label, Atlas Concorde guarantees sustainability on all porcelain stoneware collections. This Italian tile producer offers an extensive line of trend-setting and durable products. atlasconcorde.com   BainUltra Origami 7242 Master Bath Whirlpool Spa: The air jets prevent mold or mildew from accumulating inside the tub&amp;#039;s inner machinery. bainultra.com   Beam Industries central vacuum system: It will let us clean our home and improve indoor air quality at the same time. beamvac.com   Bellfires BSV Fireplace with SuperFlex flue liner: This open-hearth wood-burning fireplace is so efficient that after burning about three cords of wood, only a small cupful of ashes remain. The entire flue is wrapped in Cera-Foil insulation, safeguarding the home. It has been installed by East End Chimney LTD. bellfiresusa.com; eastendchimney.com  Bosch refrigerator, dishwasher, double convection oven, warming drawer, gas cooktop, kitchen exhaust hood, microwave, clothes washer, and gas clothes dryer: They are Energy Star compliant. boschappliances.com   Broan MP280 Multi-Port In-Line Ventilation Fan: It exhausts foul air in bathrooms and laundry room. broan.com   California Closets using eco-friendly Roseburg Forest Products SkyBlend melamine: California Closets is designing and installing the closets. SkyBlend is a new low-emission particleboard with no urea formaldehyde added in manufacturing. caliclosets.com   CertainTeed High Performance Fiber Glass Building Insulation with MemBrain Smart Vapor Retarder: The vapor barrier prevents water vapor from condensing within the exterior wall cavity, inhibiting water damage, mold, and mildew. We have insulated not only below the roof and exterior walls but also the interior partitions and floors to reduce the amount of energy to heat and cool the house and the amount of noise transmission from room to room and floor to floor. certainteed.com   Columbia Forest Products PureBond Hardwood Plywood: This is made with a formaldehyde-free adhesive, so there is no &amp;quot;off-gassing&amp;quot; of potentially toxic adhesive chemicals. That means the indoor air quality of our house will be healthier. The PureBond will be used to create all the panels for our kitchen cabinets, bookcases, and bathroom vanities. columbiaforestproducts.com   Coverest Mattresses are antibacterial and wick away moisture better than any other natural fiber. The specific products used in the children&amp;#039;s bedrooms were &amp;quot;Bamboo&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Atlantis.&amp;quot; coverest.com    Desiron&amp;#039;s Thompson sectional sofa, Simon side table, Barrow bar stool, and Madison dining table: Desiron does not use formaldehyde in its couches and uses woods that are environmentally correct. desiron.com   EcoWater ERR 3000 Water Refiner and ERO 375 Drinking Water System: It filters all the water coming into the home. ecowater.com   Environment Furniture Inc., a groundbreaking design pioneer that uses eco-friendly reclaimed wood and created much of the furniture in the house \u2014 children&amp;#039;s beds, master bedroom end tables, living room cocktail table, and living room console. environment-furniture.com   Forbo Flooring Marmoleum Click Floor Tile: This linoleum is ecologically produced from pressing the seeds from the flax plant to create linseed oil, which is mixed with pine rosins to produce a flexible binder. Marmoleum is easy to clean and will minimize concerns for people suffering from asthmatic allergies. themarmoleumstore.com   Four Seasons Solar Products Ultra Living Collection Vinyl Georgian Conservatory: Our rooftop sunroom&amp;#039;s skylight is Energy Star rated and uses ConservaGlass glazing, which reduces the relative heat gain, glare, and UV damage that typical glass does not. It has twice the insulating power of standard insulated glass. fourseasonssunrooms.com   Furnature master bedroom bed, mattress, chaise, bench, and chair: They are totally organic, using pure and unadulterated materials. furnature.com    GAF EverGuard TPO 80 Mil Membrane: This Energy Star-compliant system will protect our roof. It uses heat-welded seams for better water-penetration protection and has a white reflective color to reduce the amount of heat in the house when it&amp;#039;s warm outside. gaf.com   Hunter Douglas Luminette Privacy Sheers and Woven Textures Roman shades from the Alustra Collection. These shades provide protection from the sun&amp;#039;s harmful UV rays and increase the insulation at the window, saving on energy dollars. hunterdouglas.com IceStone Concrete and Recycled Glass Matrix for kitchen countertops and master bath countertops: The material is very safe from the standpoints of toxicity and fire resistance. icestone.biz   Imagine Tile: Made with all-natural components that will not fade with direct sun exposure. imaginetile.com   Lefroy Brooks XO and JO faucets: The use of thermostatic valves in the shower and bathtub prevents scalding and saves water. lefroybrooks.com   Marvin Windows and Doors Low E Argon Filled Thermally Insulated Wood Clad Windows and Doors: These highly efficient exterior windows and doors help reduce our energy consumption by reducing the amount of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. In addition, our windows help prevent the destructive effect of UV light rays on the furniture and fabrics in our home. marvin.com   Myson Radiators D\u00E9cor Panel Radiators, D\u00E9cor Column Radiator, and Cavatine White Hydronic Towel Warmer: They help efficiently heat the home with warm, gentle, radiant heat without sacrificing floor space or aesthetics. We can control each radiator and towel warmer independently, so we can turn them off when not in use, enhancing energy savings. mysoninc.com   Neil Kelly cabinets: Made with natural oils and low-VOC paint selections. neilkellycabinets.com   Ragno: Producer of colorful and stylish Italian tiles, Ragno, has received certification for its environmental management system. The company also promises to eliminate harmful effects on the environment during tile production. ragno.it   Sherwin Williams Harmony Interior Latex Coating and Duration Home Interior Latex Coating paints: These paints minimize negative impacts on air quality and deliver maximum performance. They are low-odor, zero- or low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints. sherwin-williams.com   Todd Oldham by La-Z-Boy Collection: This earth-friendly line of furniture uses bamboo and faux woods. lazboy.com/oldham   Weil-McLain Ultra Condensing High Efficiency 230 Gas Boiler and Ultra Plus 80 Indirect Fired Hot Water Heater: The boiler is 98% AFUE efficient for our low-temperature application. weil-mclain.com  Weyerhaeuser iLevel: iLevel\u2122 by Weyerhaeuser provided Microllam\u00AE LVL, TimberStrand\u00AE LSL (laminated strand lumber), and TJ\u00AE-Performance Plus\u2122 Panels. TimberStrand and TJ-Performance Plus use easily regenerated, small-diameter aspen and poplar trees. All three products are manufactured from logs that are made into veneer or strands, then bound together with an adhesive containing no urea formaldehyde. Weyerhaeuser also provided Lyptus finished wood flooring, which comes from planted hardwood forests arranged in ways that help maintain elements of the natural ecosystem. iLevel.com   Xero Flor America extensive sedum plantings: We will have a &amp;quot;garden in the sky&amp;quot; with a &amp;quot;green roof&amp;quot; that will help lower our air-conditioning costs, increase the longevity of our roof membranes, and help manage storm runoff. Our green roof also helps reduce the amount of air pollution, including greenhouse gases. xeroflora.com  Good Resources for Green Houses Many of the most important materials in this house are &amp;quot;invisible.&amp;quot; For example, the insulation, from CertainTeed, is made from recycled fiberglass. The gas-fired boiler, from Weil-McLain, is 98 percent fuel efficient. The ventilation system, from Broan, removes air pollution from the kitchen and bathrooms. The water filtration system, from EcoWater, keeps buildup from impairing the performance of pipes and appliances. A central vacuum system from Beam Industries removes dust. And a security system from ADT protects against fire and carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as intruders. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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