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Changes in Air Quality Call for Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
According to Glenn Haege, a master handyman who hosts a national radio show on home repair, as our homes and apartments have become more energy efficient and airtight, “humidity levels from cooking and breathing tend to increase, causing mold and mildew.” Harmful chemicals, he says, from construction materials, insulation, furniture, carpeting, padding, paints, solvents and household cleaners, drawn by this moist atmosphere, combine to contaminate the indoor air which then stays trapped inside.

Eco-Friendly Home Improvements: Start by Testing Indoor Air
The first step in remedying this problem is to test your indoor air. Once you get an idea of the contaminants floating around your home, you can get to work replacing the offending sources accordingly. Green superstores such as the Environmental Home Center, Green Building Supply and Oikos offer a wealth of greener and healthier building supplies and materials.

Natural Products Can Help with Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Materials outside the home can also contribute to health problems. One example is pressure-treated lumber, which contains a form of cyanide to keep pests away. Kids who play on backyard jungle gyms and decks made of such material can develop rashes and skin infections. Cedar wood is a naturally pest-resistant alternative that, while more expensive, is a kinder-gentler option that will stand the test of time.

Simple Eco-Friendly Home Improvements Anyone Can Do
Other ways to green-up the home include replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient compact fluorescents, as well as switching out conventional hot water heaters in favor of solar hot water heaters or on-demand tankless versions. And for saving on water, replacing traditional showerheads and toilets with pressurized low-flow alternatives can save gallons per day while generating cost savings on utility bills. Likewise, capturing rainwater and shower “gray-water” to irrigate the garden is another smart move.

Do-It-Yourself Resources for Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Do-it-yourselfers can find hundreds of websites offering tips on green building and repair. Glenn Haege’s MasterHandyman.com and NaturalHandyMan.com both offer a plethora of articles and links and are good resources if you’re looking to improve your own handy skills while staying true to your green ideals. Two helpful books are: Green Remodeling, by David Johnston and Kim Master; and Green Building Materials: A Guide to Product Selection and Specification, by Ross Spiegel and Dru Meadows. For less handy homeowners, finding a handyman well versed in green building issues might be a better way to go. The Natural Handyman Network offers a free online search tool that should offer some promising leads.

One option to consider when deciding to go green is to consider installing solar panels.
Although solar heating has been used to warm homes for thousands of years, solar panels are totally modern and very green. They have no moving parts; you sit them out in the sun, perhaps on your rooftop, hook up the wires and collect power without adding any fuel or replacing worn-out parts. If you decide to buy some, consider used ones as they are quite a bargain and even after as long as twenty years have been known to produce a good percentage of the power that was generated when they were brand new.

Some considerations when heating and cooling their homes
Invest in a high-efficiency HVAC system that is Energy Star certified and install it in your home. This will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted. It will also shave your utility bill enough to make you smile reasonably broadly. Look for a product with a higher SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio). This means that the product in question meets strict government criteria necessary to be deemed "energy efficient." The standard is 13 SEER, but many heating and air conditioning products have a rating as high as 18 SEER.

Clean out your air conditioner filters or replace them regularly.
A dirty filter will hamper the airflow, costing you more to run your system. When not at home, adjust the thermostat to accommodate the changing temperatures outside. Consider investing in and installing an automated thermostat. High tech thermostats are well worth the cost, and what you spend, you will get back over time in lower energy bills. It is estimated that you can save about 3% of your heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter and up to 6% for every degree you raise it during the summers.

Replacing all the standard light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent bulbs are a very good starting point in going green.
These energy-smart bulbs use 70-75% less energy than the incandescent kind and last up to ten times longer! For example, by using a 26-watt, compact fluorescent light bulb (equivalent to 100 watt incandescent), consumers can save up to $59 dollars on energy costs over the life of the bulb, which can be anywhere from five to seven years. As times are getting tougher each day, it’s very convenient when you can save $$$ which can be allocated to some good use.

Roof Improvements?
Yes... roof improvements! Believe it or not making some roof improvements to your home help conserve energy. Research indicates that roof color and the type of material used can help to lower attic temperatures. Light colored tile roofs out perform the shingle ones when it comes to decreasing temperatures. If you are thinking about re-roofing your home, consider white tile, which has properties that will help reduce heat gain to your attic.

If you’re like most individual, one common problem is that people waste a lot of water.
In order to prevent this problem, checking your home carefully for leaky faucets and getting them repair as quickly as possible reduces water wasting. It’s recommended to use cold water when laundering clothes and adjust your clean threshold if you possibly can. Make saving water a family affair. Set a good example by teaching your children how to turn off the water while they brush their teeth or take a quick shower. Another option is to install low flow showerheads. They are a worthwhile investment (especially if you live in a rented space because you can take them with you). They cut down on water usage and save energy costs.