Tag: green living

  • Workshop Bench from recycled Kitchen Cabinets & Counter RWG Video

    Workshop Bench from recycled Kitchen Cabinets & Counter RWG Video

    Recycling old kitchen cabinets into a new workshop bench on this Real World Green show. Upcycling or repurposing kitchen cabinets that would have been thrown out, we make these into an upcycled garage or basement workshop bench and storage cabinets. This how to re-use kitchen cabinets video shows one way to recycle construction materials, or materials from deconstruction of a kitchen renovation.

    These kitchen cabinets are from my parent’s house and we made them into a work bench for my sister’s basement workshop. There are all sorts of ways to re-use kitchen cabinets, they make great storage units in your basement or garage, and  if you don’t like the color, you can clean them with a grease cutting cleanser, sand them lightly, then paint them. Use a foam roller for best results when painting kitchen cabinets.

    When deconstructing a kitchen with the plan to re-use the old cabinets, be careful when removing the cabinets. Many times they are screwed in without the thought of someone wanting to re-use them with lots of screws. Kitchen counterops are usually screwed in from  underneath, but there may be construction adhesive holding them in as well. Use a pry bar, aka wonder bar, and gently wedge it between the lower cabinet and the countertop.

    How have you re- used kitchen cabinets? What ideas do you have to put cabinets and counters to a second use?

  • How to remove your name from catalog mailing lists

    How to remove your name from catalog mailing lists

    We’ve been getting multiple copies of numerous catalogs, and then there are another bunch of catalogs that I don’t want to receive. Its been in the back of my mind to clip out the address label from each catalog, write ‘unsubscribe’ on the label, and mail it back to the catalog company. But with postage costs rising, I thought, what if I just type:

    remove my name from abc company mailing list

    into a search engine? Well here is the answer:

    Type the company name and hit go

    Brilliant! and i saved a bunch on postage. The average person in the United States receives 41 pounds of catalogs and mailings a year, and while I like and buy things from many of the companies that send me catalogs, I don’t usually use the catalog, I go to their website and shop for what I need.

    website form to remove your name from catalog lists

    According to 41pounds.org, junk mail produces more carbon dioxide than 9 million cars. They offer a service where for a $41, they will remove your name from mailing lists for 5 years. This is a great way to keep all those credit card offers from flooding you mailbox.

    I also called my credit card company and told them to stop mailing me those balance transfer checks and offers. It might not be a rational fear, but I don’t want those blank checks they mail me to end up in the wrong hands. And its one less thing to shred and jam our paper shredder. Neat.

    So there you go, type in the name of the catalog company and you will probably find a link to a page on their site to remove your name from mailings. A few of the companies required an email address when filling out the form, I typed in a made-up email address.

    How to you reduce mailings and paper in your house? Let us know below:

  • Before I put this dog down…

    Before I put this dog down…

    I am closing out the books on that dog of a year, 2011. We’ve been working on passive solar renovations for the last several years. While weather plays some part in our utility usage for our home from year to year, I thought I’d report on our general progress.

    The Results of our Passive Solar Renovations
    The Results of our Passive Solar Renovations

    I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. If solar panels are your goal, you’ll go broke trying to “solarize” a lossy house.

    Proper windows, doors, insulation, CFLs, Energy Star appliances, and shutting down drafts will save you big when it comes time to buy solar panels.

    This isn’t sexy work, but it’s important.