tiny step #12 – green up the garage and workshop

while you’re cleaning out your garage this summer, consider greening it as well.

unplug your power tools
figure out which cordless tools  get the most use, then unplug the chargers on all the rest. most cordless tools have nickel cadmium (nicad) batteries, which will hold some charge for up to a year. they lose 15 to 20 percent of their juice each month, but only take a couple of hours to power up again. newer tools with lithium ion batteries lose just 2 to 5 percent of their charge each month, so they’ll be ready to go even if you haven’t charged them in ages.

spread sawdust on your floor
take the superfine shavings captured by your dust collection system, wet them down, then push them around with a stiff broom to sweep your concrete garage or workshop floor. the mix is as good as a power-guzzling shop vac at picking up dust but doesn’t swirl it into the air.

seal your doorway
making your garage more eco-friendly also means protecting your home from the fumes that might leak in. it’s important to make sure that the doorway from the garage into your main living area is properly sealed. add weatherstripping if there is not any already, and make sure that cracks are sealed with caulk or expanding foam.

save used paint thinner
after cleaning oil-based finishes from brushes and tools, allow the dirty solvent to sit overnight. the sludge will settle to the bottom of the jar, leaving a layer of clear thinner on top. carefully decant the clear thinner into a clean jar, and reseal it for future use. be sure to dispose of the leftover sludge at a hazardous-waste-disposal site–never down a sink drain or into a street gutter.

stay away from the rake
sounds like a dream come true right? unfortunately, this isn’t your excuse for not doing yard work. this simply means that the tools you’ve been using are probably not safe for the environment. many yard tools are made from plastic, each factory using pvc materials(to create plastic) emits harmful toxins into the air when producing these tools and even more when destroying them. to be safe, use steel or metal tools.

mix it up in the garage
combine all those cans of leftover white paint that inevitably collect after you decorate the house and use them to paint the garage or workshop. (make sure only to mix latex with latex and oils with oils.) you’ll keep the stuff out of the trash, and by adding the semi-glosses to the flats and eggshells, you’ll end up with a sheen that’s easy to clean.

isolate the garage climate
the garage is probably one of your least insulated rooms in the house. it will be coldest in the winter, and warmest in the summer. minimize this impact by keeping any doors closed that connect the garage with your house. this will keep your energy costs down for heating and cooling your home. additionally, extra appliances like spare refrigerators and freezers can take a toll on your electric bill, especially when you’re trying to keep food cool in your summertime garage. for example, a refrigerator uses almost five times the electricity the average television uses. rather than combating constant temperature fluctuations, assess if you really need a second refrigerator. if so, perhaps a smaller unit for beverages will work better than a full-size cooler.

turn things on their heads
store paint cans upside down so the solvents–which separate and rise to the top–get trapped under the bottom of the can. not only will paint last longer, but solvents won’t be able to slowly seep out through the lid this way.

to find out where you can safely dispose of products you might find while cleaning and greening your garage or workshop visit http://earth911.com/

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