Animal ingredients often found in home improvement products

Animal ingredients often found in home improvement products
BY STEVE GRAHAM

To get serious about having a vegan home, you must look beyond the pantry and the wardrobe. A large number of home improvement products contain animal ingredients. Unfortunately, it is hard to identify all these animal byproducts because most home improvement products are not required to list ingredients.

To avoid animal ingredients, consult the Vegan Society's Animal Free Shopper directory or look for the "no animal ingredients" label. However, note that there is no independent verification of the "no animal ingredients" label. It may mean different things to different manufacturers, and it does not guarantee an avoidance of animal testing.

Here is a partial list of products that may contain animal ingredients. In many cases, synthetic ingredients or petroleum products have largely replaced the animal ingredients, but these substitutes may be a greater concern for some eco-conscious homeowners.

TOOLS

Many hammers, axes, knives and other carpentry tools still have real leather handles. Even if every hammer and knife you own has a 100-percent plastic handle, tool belt and tool aprons are most often made of leather. Some people also have secondary environmental concerns about the chemicals used in leather tanning and production, and the resulting pollution.

Rubber tool parts may also contain animal ingredients, including animal fats and casein, a milk protein derivative.

PAINT

Casein also is a common binder in paint. It is widely used in natural paints as an alternative to synthetic binders. Some paint colors also include animal ingredients. For example, Golden Paints notes that it uses no animal ingredients, with the exception of bone black pigment, which is derived from ground cattle bones.

Also, many paints and paint ingredients are tested on animals. Even Golden and other companies that avoid animal testing say they cannot guarantee all their suppliers avoid animal testing.

PAINT BRUSHES

Natural paint brushes have animal-hair bristles. Many are pig hair, but some artists' brushes and other specialty products contain hair from more unusual animals such as the Siberian weasel.

VARNISH

Shellac is made from the secretions and bodies of a tropical insect, and it is used in varnish, as a wood and plaster coating and in electrical insulation, among other uses.

LUBRICANTS
A small number of lubricants still use oil from fish and marine mammals, such as porpoises. However, most modern lubricants are derived from petroleum or synthetic oils.

Notably, WD-40 is not believed to contain animal ingredients. The all-purpose lubricant is a petroleum-based product despite a widespread urban legend about fish oil being the main ingredient. The WD-40 formula is a closely guarded secret, but the U.S. Material Safety Data Sheet lists mineral spirits, liquefied petroleum gas and mineral oil as making up more than 90 percent of WD-40.

CLEANERS
Many fatty acids and other animal fat derivatives are used in soaps, detergents and household cleaners. The fatty acids may come from cows, sheep and many other animals, including cats and dogs that were euthanized in animal shelters. If ingredients are listed, animal-based fatty acids may be listed as caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid. Some of these fatty acids also have plant sources, so you may be able to use products containing them if you can verify the source.

FERTILIZERS
Of course, many fertilizers use animal waste products, but a cow is unlikely to miss its manure. However, bone meal is also widely used in garden and lawn fertilizers. The ground animal bones are also used in toothpastes and vitamins, but animal-free alternatives, such as vegetable compost and vegan toothpaste, are widely available.

LAMINATED WOOD

Laminated wood and interior doors sometimes contain adhesives made with casein glue, which is derived from a milk protein.

PLYWOOD

Another animal-based adhesive is blood glue, which is a slaughterhouse byproduct. It has traditionally been combined with soybean protein to make an adhesive for soft plywood. However, the formula has largely been replaced with a synthetic adhesive.

This is a partial list of home improvement products with animal ingredients. Keep in mind that not every paint or fertilizer contains animal products, but some do, and the animal content may be worth considering in shopping choices.

ONLINE

Vegan Society's Animal Free Shopper directory: http://www.vegansociety.com/afssearch.aspx

Remodeling broadens food format at Target

Deal of the Week
Remodeling broadens food format at Target
By KATHERINE FESER

Target has completed remodeling the bulk of its 20 Houston-area stores slated for a new format designed to bring more fresh grocery items to the chain nationwide.

"You'll find fresh items that frequently top weekly shopping lists, like bananas, seasonal fruit, baby carrots, meats and chicken," said Kristin Jahnke of Target. "It's really about added convenience."

Target is adding about 10,000 square feet of grocery space to the typical 135,000-square-foot store. The stores will have 40 percent more food offerings, including prepackaged baked goods such as dinner rolls and pies, fruits, vegetables, packaged meats and dairy goods. SuperTarget stores, by comparison, average 186,000 square feet and offer a full line of groceries.

The concept was first tested in Minneapolis in 2008 and was rolled out on a wide scale last year. By the end of 2010, 450 stores offered the new format and another 380 stores are being remodeled this year. Stores with the new format show an increase of 6 percent in sales and traffic, Jahnke said.

Completed renovations

300 Meyerland Plaza

2580 Shearn

13250 Northwest Freeway

984 Gessner

1100 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands

4323 San Felipe

25901 U.S. 290, Cypress

4510 Garth Road, Baytown

19955 Katy Freeway

6955 Texas 6 North, Copperfield

21515 Tomball Parkway

23912 Commercial Drive, Rosenberg

6801 FM 1960, Willowbrook

8605 Westheimer

to be completed by October

10801 Westheimer, Westchase

202 Texas 332 West, Lake Jackson

6128 Broadway, Galveston

14302 FM 2920, Tomball

12701 FM 1960, Steeplechase

32858 FM 2978, Magnolia

There are 20 Target and 13 SuperTarget stores in the Houston area.

Corral de Tierra Marketplace opens after long remodel

Corral de Tierra Marketplace opens after long remodel
Written by Robert Walch

Nanci Linares and Lonnie Wigham realized a long-cherished dream when the Corral de Tierra Marketplace opened a week ago. The two women, friends since they were young girls, had always wanted to own their own business and when the opportunity availed itself last year, they seized it.

Noticing that the building at 2 Corral de Tierra Road, a former grocery store on the corner of Highway 68, was empty, Linares approached the property's owner, whom she knew, to see if he'd be interested in opening a new store there. Although he declined, he suggested she consider leasing the site instead.

"It had always been a dream of mine to have a business like this where I could use all my prior experiences," Linares said. Why not open a restaurant closer to her Pacific Grove home rather than a deli/market?


"Location! Location! Location!" she responded, explaining that the site made the decision.

At that point Linares contacted her girlhood friend, Wigham, who was living in Scottsdale, Ariz., and managing a food store.

"When Nanci called me in Arizona to explain this opportunity, I was delighted to join her," Wigham said. "I knew the site and couldn't believe it was available.

"I had always thought that that was the ideal location for a store like ours."

As Linares' business partner, Wigham oversees

"the front of the house" — the groceries — while Linares handles the "business end" or back office part of the venture.

Getting the Corral de Tierra Marketplace off the ground was more complicated than either woman expected. They had hoped to be open by the first of the year but remodeling the interior of the building posed a number of unexpected hurdles.

The plumbing and electrical systems had to be brought up to code and a new bathroom had to be added. At times the process was a bit disheartening, but both Linares and Wigham were willing to tackle all the "surprises" that extended the remodeling process to nearly seven months.

Most frustrating of all was discovering that some people have been using the back of the lot as an impromptu dump site. Just recently, Linares said, they found a whole truckload of yard waste had been unloaded there. They hope the installation of a security camera will put a stop to that problem.

"We really appreciated the support of those in the area who continually encouraged us through the ordeal," said Wigham, now a Corral de Tierra resident. "They stood by us and gave us the strength to keep going."

With about 2,400 square feet to work with, the women have divvied up the space to fit in a deli work area as well as display shelving for grocery items, a fresh produce section, an ample wine display and refrigeration cases.

Using her experience in the grocery sector, Wigham ordered the "staples" that a person would need on a regular basis or on short notice. These items include fresh bread, dairy items, produce, some canned goods and cleaning products.

She stressed that this part of the marketplace is a work in progress. As customers tell her what they need, she'll "tweak" the offerings to reflect their requests.

The store's upscale wine collection will feature local vintages from both the Salinas and Carmel valleys as well as from other sections of the state.

Besides an espresso bar and variety of salads, cold meats and cheese, the deli will offer a daily special plus seven "house" sandwiches. The sandwiches include the Corral de Tierra (a veggie combination), the Toro Park (tuna salad with lettuce, tomato, pepperoni and jack cheese on sourdough) and the Laguna Seca (a combination of roasted turkey, ham and roast beef with cheddar, tomato, lettuce and avocado).

Linares grew up on the Monterey Peninsula, attended school in Carmel and worked in the restaurant and catering business. She was employed by Clint Eastwood at the Hog's Breath Inn for a number of years and then Toots Lagoon, another well-known Carmel watering hole.

Most recently, Linares worked for Sodexo, a large corporation that operates the food service at California State University, Monterey Bay. She was in human resources and then became the sales catering coordinator on campus.

Born and raised in Monterey, Wigham has managed grocery stores, run a café and sold real estate during a multi-faceted career.

Looking ahead to the end of the year, Linares and Wigham hope that by then they will have refined the marketplace's merchandise mix to reflect what local residents want.

Obviously, they want the Corral de Tierra Marketplace to be well on its way to becoming the preferred destination for those who live along the Highway 68 corridor and want a good sandwich, a fresh cup of coffee, or need to pick up a few items for lunch or dinner.

Linares said she's trying to find out more about the history of the building. Constructed in the 1940s and once used as a dance hall, it has been the site of two grocery stores as far as she knows.

"We'd like to learn as much as we can about how the structure was used over the years and perhaps write up a little history to post in the market," she said. "I think it would be fun to share that story."

What to do when house lingers unsold

What to do when house lingers unsold
By Michele Lerner

The real estate market in the Washington metro area has been luckier than most in maintaining its stability, but it has by no means been immune to the economic downturn.

While homes in some neighborhoods have managed to hold their value and even experience price increases, in others, homes still languish on the market. Sellers have a few options available if their home stays on the market too long, including lowering the price, making some home improvements or renting their home while waiting for the market to improve.

“In the D.C. area, most homes should sell within no more than 60 days if they are properly priced and in good condition,” said Valerie Blake, an associate broker with Prudential Carruthers Realtors in the District. “There are three things that determine whether a home sells and for how much: location, condition and price. You can’t control the location, so you have to look at the condition and price if something is not selling.”

Heather Elias, a Realtor with Century 21 Redwood Realty in Ashburn, Va., said sometimes the lack of an offer is market-dependent and sometimes it is simply about the house itself.

“If a home is getting showings but no offers, you can look at the feedback from other agents and see if the problem is the price or the condition of the property,” Mrs. Elias said. “If there are no showings at all, then the problem is usually the price.”

Mrs. Elias recommended that frustrated sellers visit three other properties on the market in their area that are comparable in size and price to evaluate the differences.

“You have to look at homes like a buyer,” Mrs. Elias said. “For instance, if two houses are similar, but one has granite counters and yours doesn’t, you either need to drop the price or make adjustments to the condition. It depends on what the issue is as to which choice makes more sense.”

Home sellers who are not getting many showings should carefully evaluate the marketing efforts of their real estate agent. Most buyers today first sift through properties online, so if your home does not have enough photos that show the home at its best or does not appear on a variety of websites with property listings, it may be time to push your Realtor to do more marketing.

While all Realtors recommend pricing a property appropriately from the beginning, they also acknowledge there is an art and a science to setting the listing price.

“The hardest part for sellers is to recognize that the real estate market is fluid, with some areas coming back more quickly than others,” saidDebra Swann, a Realtor with Long & Foster Real Estate in Mitchellville. “It is best to get the price right within the first six weeks a home is on the market, because if you have a house on the market too long and you keep dropping the price, you look desperate.”

Mrs. Elias said if houses in your area are selling and yours is not, a price reduction may be required to at least bring your property in line with others on the market.

“Pricing a home is very specific to the owner’s situation and how quickly they want to sell the property,” Mrs. Elias said.

Other options besides lowering the price include staging the home and making improvements.

Mrs. Elias said it may be time to bring in a professional stager if your home is comparable in size and condition to others that are going under contract, but you still are not getting offers.

“A stager can make a house show better,” Mrs. Elias said.



Sellers need to be cautious about overspending on a stager or for home improvements to make sure they do not reduce their potential profits.

“There are plenty of inexpensive ways to give a place pizzazz and to differentiate yourself from other places on the market,” Ms. Blake said. “For example, you can put a stone or glass backsplash in the kitchen for a little bit of money or paint an accent wall to draw attention to the house rather than the furniture. Some of the best things sellers can do are free, such as decluttering. But sometimes it makes sense to spend a few hundred dollars on some improvements that make a home show better.”

Sellers can offer incentives to buyers, such as closing cost assistance, but they also can work with their agent to offer an enticement to buyers’ agents.

“Sometimes people offer a bonus to the buyer’s agent to encourage them to bring their clients to the property,” Ms. Swann said. “It is important, too, to make sure the seller’s agent is holding open houses for other brokers and actively marketing the property to them as well as directly to buyers.”

Mrs. Elias said that while some builders and Realtors offer a buyer’s agent bonus, she said the commission each agent earns should have no bearing on whether they show one house or another.

Some frustrated sellers opt to take their home off the market temporarily, but Ms. Swann said a home must be off the market for six months before it is treated as a newly listed home on the multiple listing service.

“Sometimes sellers want to temporarily stop showing the house in order to have it on the market at a busier time, such as in the spring or fall market,” Ms. Blake said.

Mrs. Elias said agents easily can see whether a home has been on and off the market, so she said it only makes sense to do this if a homeowner wants to sell at a different time of year or wants to stop showings to make improvements to the property.

“Sometimes moving out can help you sell a home, especially if you put in new appliances, fresh paint and carpet and some new landscaping, because that can make a home look new,” Ms. Swann said.

A vacant home can be easier to sell because it is always available for showings, but sometimes, Mrs. Elias said, a home just looks better furnished.

Some sellers opt to rent their home for a year or two, hoping for a market turnaround by the time the lease ends.

“Sellers need to be prepared to spruce up the home in order to attract a renter and then to fix it up again with new carpet, new paint and perhaps new appliances when they put it back on the market,” Ms. Swann said.

Ms. Blake said with rents rising in this area, sellers may have a better chance of the rental income covering their mortgage, but she said they need to consider the difficulty of selling the property with a tenant still on the premises.

Two other options are to sell the home at an auction or to investors who advertise quick sales for cash, but Realtors say both of those scenarios typically result in a relatively low sales price compared to the market.

“You can always try burying a St. Joseph statue in your backyard, which is supposed to bring luck to home sellers,” Mrs. Elias said. “They even make environmentally friendly statues now of clay called ‘EcoJoe.’ “Since thousands of homes sell each month in the Washington area, one of these tactics is likely to result in a sale — with or without a little help from St. Joseph.

Women's Roles in Home Improvement

Women's Roles in Home Improvement

The Do-it-yourself home improvement market used to only occupied by men, but now women are catching up with men when it comes to house projects. According to a study completed by the Home Improvement Research Institute, do-it-yourself projects at home are being completed by more and more women. $70 billion of home improvement purchases are made by women and that's a $16 billion increase in the last 16 years. Also, forty-four percent of do-it-yourself projects are now completed by women and fifty percent of most home improvement purchases are made by women.

Men still are the main buyers of tools. Men are also more eager to hire female construction specialists now as well because women construction specialists are more likely to understand what areas of the home are important to other women (areas often overlooked by males). Home improvement marketing has focused more attention on women as a result of this trend.

Home Improvement: A Roofing Material with Real Mettle

Home Improvement: A Roofing Material with Real Mettle
BARBARA BALLINGER

Because of affordability and ease of installation, asphalt shingles have long been the No. 1 residential roof choice. However, metal roofs have slowly become a closer contender.

Though metal roofs may cost more up front than asphalt shingle roofs, they can be much more durable. Their lifetime is pegged anywhere from 40 to 60 years, versus 15 years for asphalt, says Mike Kowal, president of Custom-Bilt Metals, which manufactures metal roofs. Adds Thomas Black, executive director of the Metal Roofing Alliance, "By choosing a metal roof, it's the last time most homeowners will have to put on a roof."






Besides longevity, metal roofs also can be more energy efficient - a "cool" solution because reflective coatings can be applied to the base metal and reduce how much heat enters a home, Kowal says.

Aesthetics are yet another plus. They come in a variety of configurations, from standing seam to stamped panels and shingles. And with Kynar(r)-based pigments, they can add vibrant color that withstands strong sunlight for decades.

Before proceeding, know a few potential downsides:

• Metal may dent during a major hail storm, but still will maintain its strength and performance ability, says architect Scott Rappe, of Kuklinski + Rappe Architects in Chicago. "If your area is prone to hail, consider a higher weight metal panel," he says.

• Hire an experienced pro to install it since it takes more skill than putting on asphalt shingles, says Kowal.

• If you plan to move within a few years, you may not recoup your full investment, but should see some increased value, says Bob Kulp, director of the National Roofing Contractors Association.

10 Green Tips for Summer Remodeling

10 Green Tips for Summer RemodelingSave money and make your remodel a little greener.
By Heather Pritchard

Thinking about remodeling your kitchen, bathroom or outdoor area this summer? Lately, I've seen Home Depot and Lowe's hoping with customers and full of discounts, which inspired me to find ways to not only save some money, but make those do-it-yourself remodels a bit greener.

Even if you aren't doing it yourself, you can still make greener choices—although some may not be lighter on the pocketbook. As my husband and I have found out, not every green alternative is a cheaper one, so you have to weigh your conscience with your ability to pay. However, there are always many options to get what you want at a price that's right.

Here are a few options:
Go with sustainable products. Bamboo, cork and other materials are made from sustainable resources that are easy to replace. Bamboo for example, is a grass that grows quickly unlike many hardwoods that come from trees and take years to re-grow. There are many discount dealers for sustainable products, like bamboo.
If you don't want the sustainable products, another option is to go recycled. There are many brands of recycled products for flooring and countertops that use recycled glass and reclaimed wood to give you a unique product that is sturdy and stunning at the same time.

Can't afford the recycled alternatives? Try used! One interesting resource is Orange County's Habitat for Humanity's Restore. They sell items that have been donated to Habitat for Humanity and the proceeds go toward building more homes in Orange County. Another option is Builder's discount centers where you could find products that the previous owner didn't like or it wasn't what they ordered. You can purchase what they didn't want at a bargain price. Better in your home than a landfill! Technically reused to me.

What about all those tools you need to do your work? How about borrowing them if you don't need to own? Someone always has an uncle or friend who owns way too many tools. Maybe they are willing to come and help as well, it never hurts to ask.

Go green with your decorating supplies. When ever possible, go for low VOC paints, organic fabrics and sustainable wallpapers. 

Thinking of redoing the front yard? Go native! Ditch that turf and use drought tolerant alternatives for your front yard. The water savings alone can help pay for this renovation. And it doesn't have to be boring. Does it mean you have to ditch green? No, there are alternatives to the traditional grass. I am going to be trying an alternative myself in my own backyard. I will share how that goes once it is installed. Keep tuned in.

New lighting? Skip the incandescent and the Compact Fluorescents and go LED! They are more expensive initially, but will last longer than your CFL's and will save you just as much money. And if you are really feeling ambitious, you can add daylighting—the use of natural sunlight to augment light in your home. Add a skylight or solar tube (hole in the roof that brings sunlight to a room in your home that doesn't have a window) in your home. 

Reuse anything possible. Maybe you have something that's not quite working where it is now—try moving it. Our most recent project at my house was a bunch of river stones in the backyard. I moved them to the front and used them as mulch to cover bare ground. They serve the same purpose and added a much needed detail that our front yard was missing. They will also come in handy when we finally "go native."

It's not an easy task, but buy American if you can. The more local it is the better. We live in an Ikea world where the most affordable options are most likely things not made in the USA. Overstock.com has "Made in the U.S.A." options as well as manufacturers who advertise proudly that their products are made right here in the U.S.
Do your research. There is so much information that cannot be covered in one article about household hazards. A great resource is the The Green Home Guide. They give you their picks for green options from countertops to flooring.

Not everything you do in your renovation has to be green, not even one thing if that's what you choose. But it is important to know there are many options out there. It doesn't hurt to educate yourself. You never know, you might actually like one of them. And it's not just about being green, there are real health benefits to avoiding some of the products out there. The best thing we can do is educate ourselves and learn as much as we can before we make big changes and choices for our homes.