kl's Profile

Hi, there. Very good suggestions by many.

There is nothing inherently wrong with concrete construction, as long as it's done properly. It should have been constructed with integral insulation, and it definitely sounds like it was not. If you can get your landlord on board, I think the best course of action would be to construct a wall on the interior with insulation and drywall. This would help immensely.

@razzie777 - the vapor barrier is key! You should be able to put in insulation and drywall if it's done properly.

Also, if you can get into the overhead space and lay some insulation there, that would be great.

As far as the windows go, to add insulation without taking away from your daylight, look into something like this:

http://www.climateseal.com

They're basically just storm windows that you put in on the inside, and are pretty affordable.

Best of luck!

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. Recycled toilet paper was pretty much the first transition I made, way back when I was a poor college student. Yeah, it's a little bit more expensive, but seriously, not even close to making a big difference in my grocery bill. If you're spending more for organic foods, green cleaning solutions, etc., I think you can probably afford to spend less than a dollar more for some toilet paper.

I've used Seventh Generation toilet paper for years. Sure, it's no extra-fluffy, your baby will sleep on it TP (such as Charmin). But it's about the same as, say, Quilted Northern. It's not the scratchy stuff you'll find at most office buildings in their bathrooms. I've always been happy.

It seems a little silly to me that people on a site dedicated to buying green things would make such a fuss about such a tiny little thing.

Lots of good comments here. I agree with most of them, but wanted to add my two cents as well (I'm just never satisfied unless I can share my opinion...)

I tend to be a bit more modern in my approach, so this may or may not suit your style at all.

I agree with the idea of placing small rocks/pea gravel over the concrete. Perhaps to address the drainage issues true blue mentioned, it might be possible to permeate the concrete by drilling holes to allow the water to seep through. Then you could cover some or all of the surface with rocks. Xeriscaping is very big these days, i imagine it must be possible to do something similar over concrete. You could perhaps separate the area into several smaller areas - one for the little one to play, one for outdoor dining, etc. - and use different surfaces to denote this.

I also agree that stairs are important. Though perhaps they're behind you in the picture and just not visible?

I think the planters along the retaining wall are a good idea as well. Personally, I would go for rectangular planters butted up against the wall. The added soil and plants will help add at least a little more porous surface to absorb any runoff from that slope. Since it looks like that retaining wall is beginning to slope a bit, if you can afford it, I'd redo that wall. If you can't, as an interim solution I'd take down those posts and put the planters in front to hide the slope and use a material that's not likely to cave as well, like masonry. If you're industrious, you could take that on as a DIY project. Or not...

I also agree that you need some added warmth back there. I think you could achieve this through the planters. But I also have a slightly different idea for your shading. If it were my space, i would put in a slatted wood sun shade over the door that stretches over to the grass. Again, if you're industrious, this is something you could easily do yourself. It would just take some dimensional lumber, a hammer and nails. I would stain them a nice dark color to match that small amount of trim on your house. I saw a picture of something similar in a magazine and clipped the picture for my scrapbook, but don't have it with me as I'm out of the country for 2 weeks. But if you're interested, I can send it to you upon my return. A somewhat similar aesthetic, though a completely different use, is this:
http://www.metropolismag.com/webimages/2896/mjb2656_t346.jpg

This is a fun project! I know it's daunting, but it's like a blank slate - so many possibilities! And I do think you could do most of it yourself, if you want to.

Good luck, and have fun!

I'm currently living in Houston myself, and this is something that's bothered me for the duration of my stay here. There are so many things that make me sad about recycling here. If recycling is being underused in an area, the city will actually take recycling away from them. Recycling is currently available in only a small percentage of the city. What's worse, an even smaller percentage of those who have curbside recycling actually take advantage of it.

I did the calculations once, and I think it was less than 1% of the city was actually recycling. I contacted the city to start a conversation about how to improve it, and they were less than receptive. There is a committee within the city government that is supposed to be dedicated to increasing recycling efforts. However, they and their programs are not visible, and they also seem to be uninterested in feedback.

Part of the problem is the way the government is set up down here, causing gated communities like your sister's to be responsible for their own programs. Without going into specifics, it has a lot to do with sprawl and annexation laws.

I'm lucky enough to live very close to a separate city within the bounds of Houston that has a very good recycling program, so I save up my recycling and take it there. Before I lived here, though, it was extremely difficult for me to recycle. And, unfortunately, I haven't found a good way to deal with it other than being diligent.

You know, there's actually a competition going on right now in Houston (of all places...) for a similar thing. Here's the link: http://www.the99khouse.com.

Green, small, relevant, affordable. It's all the things Houston's known for not being. And they've got a pretty nice jury lined up. I'm excited to see the outcome.

i've been using method's hardwood floor cleaner lately. but i use it on all surfaces, not just my hardwoods. i inadvertently spilled about a pint of paint on my tile floor in the bathroom, and method cleaned it all up, including the grout. it has a pleasant almond scent, to boot. and i like that i can use it and don't have to worry about my cats subsequently walking on it and ingesting chemicals.