Sid Greenwald Seeks Greener Homes

By KATIE SPARKS Palisadian-Post Contributor Are you beginning a remodel or building your dream home? Wondering what you can do to help protect our environment and fight global warming? Pacific Palisades resident Cindy ‘Sid’ Greenwald has expert suggestions that everyone can do. Greenwald, who lives on Radcliffe Avenue with her husband and two children, was an environmental attorney for the Air Quality Management District before moving on to do environmental reports for private companies. She wanted to branch out with these companies and have them begin working with ‘green’ materials, but found that these companies just weren’t ready to embrace the sustainable changes that were needed. Wanting to do more, Greenwald recently started her own business, Sustainable Design Source, from her home office. She can help you navigate through all the different options that are available when you remodel or build a new home. Sid can also do an environmental audit on your existing home and tell you how to make it ‘greener’ and more efficient when it comes to using energy. The ideal situation begins with Greenwald consulting with the architect before plans are drawn. This process educates the client about the possibilities that can be implemented in the design, within the client’s budget. Of course, the easiest way to lower a home’s carbon impact is to size-down on square footage. Also, orienting your house properly, using southern and western exposures, is valuable when building from ground up. Installing windows that open and close, and using passive solar for heat and light are other great options. By installing working windows, people can open them to vent rooms when the weather is hot, instead of turning on the air conditioner. It’s a small thing, but Greenwald has been surprised that a lot of architects, concerned about aesthetics, don’t suggest installing them. When remodeling or demolishing one’s home, sending materials to a recycling company before the bulldozer arrives is an easy way to help protect our landfills while enabling someone else to save money by reusing materials that you are disposing’a kitchen sink, for example, or wood siding. Deconstruction is increasingly efficient and also provides a good tax write-off, says Greenwald, who works with the Re-Use People in Pacoima. ‘Everything is a trade-off, a balancing act,’ says Greenwald, describing how she helps people decide on materials for a ‘greener’ house. For example, ‘If you look for a carpet that is recycled from old pop bottles, the carpet looks great, but it needs a stain repellent,’ Greenwald says. ‘The repellents that have Scotch Guard contain chemicals that may be carcinogenic. So everyone has to find what’s best for him or her. Concrete flooring is great, but if you’re not building a modern home, then use another material.’ If you’re going to put in new flooring, what are the choices of the flooring available? Will it be durable? Does it have toxic chemicals? Greenwald helps you look at the environmental aspects and the trade-offs. What about under-floor radiant heating versus the regular heating systems most people use? ‘People have to decide what is going to be more efficient,’ Greenwald says. ‘If your home is small enough, you may not need radiant heating.’ Tiling made out of recycled glass can be another alternative. Do you buy it locally or does it have to been shipped from afar? If you have something that is shipped, but is recycled, is it worth that particular benefit versus the energy needed to ship the product? ‘Lighting is tricky these days,’ Greenwald says. ‘LCD lights (Liquid Crystal Display) are really made for free standing lights. Even though the manufacturer tells you they can be used for recessed lighting, there are problems. The recessed lights are expensive and they get too hot, causing them to burn out much faster, even though they are suppose to last 10 to 12 years. None of which helps the environment.’ Back in 1999, when Sid and her husband Peter (also an attorney with the Air Quality Management District) remodeled their home, they were already aware and proactive when it came to using green materials. But they found to hard to find expert information, and the people they worked with were resistant to incorporating these materials. The contractor, Greenwald said, didn’t know how to install cork flooring or blue- jean insulation (which is made from recycled denim trimmings and absorbs more sound and more heat), and she had to overcome his resistance. Also, workers had to put in the cork flooring in the kitchen twice because of their lack of experience. Greenwald, through her company, can now serve as an informed ally for homeowners who want to use green materials, but don’t know how to proceed or what questions to ask their architect and builder. ‘People are hungry for the knowledge on how they can make a difference,’ Greenwald says. ‘But even with all the ‘green’ resources now available, it still takes time to research everything and find the best products and solutions. That’s where I can help people.’ In the world of green construction, less impact is the goal. With nearly limitless and sometimes confusing options, homeowners concerned about smart environmental decisions can benefit from Sid’s guidance. Contact: 459-2608.