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Simple Ways to Go Green

by eclectic on April 22, 2008 in Green with 1 Comment

On this Earth Day, remember that going green does more than benefit the earth — it benefits your pocketbook by saving money on energy bills. Some of the following tips are inexpensive and easy, while others require an initial investment but pay for themselves in time.

  • Since older models require significantly more energy to run, consider replacing your air conditioner or furnace if they are more than 10 years old. Before you buy, look for Energy Star rated models which meet strict EPA and Department of Energy guidelines.
  • Plant deciduous trees to shade the south side of your house. Deciduous trees will shade in the summer and lose their leaves in the winter to let more sun (and heat) into your house. For more landscaping tips visit HGTV and for more about planting trees visit American Forests.
  • Reduce water consumption and lower the cost of heating water by repairing leaky fixtures and installing low flow shower heads, faucets and toilets.
  • Make sure the walls and attic are well-insulated, adding more where needed.
  • Prevent wasted heat or cooling by sealing leaky windows.
  • Replace bulbs and lighting fixtures with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. These pay for themselves with the savings they provide.
  • Recycling kitchen waste into garden compost is another great way to contribute to the health of the environment. It not only reduces the amount of garbage going into landfills, but makes for healthier plants, too. Learn how at HowtoCompost.org

Finally, look for green products to replace your everyday household items. Green cleaners, paper products and even DIY tools can be found at your local store. For DIY, we at Eclectic Products have developed an adhesive that is earth-friendly without sacrificing the strength. Amazing EcoGlue is an industrial-strength adhesive for the green-conscious DIYer. EcoGlue has less than one percent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by weight, no animal derivatives and virtually no hazardous pollutants. Even the bottle and packaging are recyclable.

E-6000 Projects Galore!

by eclectic on April 15, 2008 in Uncategorized with 3 Comments

We have some crafty fans out there of E-6000, our popular craft adhesive.

A few of my favorites:

Cassette Wallet from Chezlin - how to make a wallet from the shell of a cassette tape. Very cool!

From Cyndi at Jewelry and Beading: A basic bead embroidered project. Beautiful jewelry “embroidered” with beads using E-6000.

Cork Business Card Holder from Not So Maudlin. Great way to reuse corks.

If you’re a crafter and would like to share a project here on the Eclectic Products blog, we’d love to see it!

Amazing GOOP inspired poetry

by eclectic on April 8, 2008 in Just for Fun with No comments

Recently, we came across a lovely literary blog called The Elegant Variation. On it, was some wonderful “found poetry” by Fiona Maazel. Now, according to Fiona, she happened across the testimonials page on the Amazing GOOP Web site and was inspired to write some short poems about the stories therein. Thanks to Fiona for letting me repost these for you here. Enjoy

*

On a whim around my home
I discount new friends.

Car started in ’73 but
people last for years
lost and dried one way or another.

*

Partners live in dead-end months of
need.
Stretch, run, work.

*

Men in full-service apparel have
clientele in Tasmania.
I figure the perfect love regards glue
As a competition.

*

Fiona Maazel is a writer in Brooklyn, NY. You can find more about her books, movies and poetry here.

Repair, Don't Replace: Tips for Saving Money

by eclectic on April 5, 2008 in DIY, General Information, Home Improvement with 2 Comments

Having the right DIY tools around the house can help you save money. Before you buy something, take a look around. Do you have something you can repair? or modify to suit new purposes? Ingenuity is frugality at its best.

Do a 30-minute walk through your home and check for things that you can repair easily and save money in the long run. Some ideas;

  1. Walls & Ceilings: Check for loose molding and cracks.
  2. Floors: Look for wear and tear, like linoleum lifting at the seams or edges or cracked or loose stone or ceramic tiles.
  3. Hardware: Inspect for loose towel racks, door knobs and pulls, hooks and other objects attached to the walls.
  4. Countertops: Check for cracked or loose ceramic tiles or lifting laminate.
  5. Window & Door Frames: Look for openings and leaks in the seal, which could reduce the efficiency of any heating/cooling system and cause water damage.
  6. Household Objects: Check for broken toys, game gear and decorative or damaged household pieces like rubber coated dish racks or plastic pot handles.

You want a strong one-part adhesive that works on a variety of surfaces and dries to a rubbery, flexible, water-resistant finish. Our Amazing GOOP has all these characteristics (of course!). It’s one of the strongest one-part adhesives available.

Regardless of which product you use, follow these tips for best results:

  • The surface should be clean and dry. You can even roughen the surface a little (with mild sandpaper) to ensure maximum GOOP grip.
  • Hold the GOOP under warm water for easier flow. (It’s a good idea to store the GOOP in the house so it stays relatively warm).
  • Apply a thin coat of GOOP. Allow it to partially cure (dry) for 2 – 10 minutes before you bring the two surfaces together. This seems counter-intuitive, but we’ll trust the chemists on this one.
  • Carefully bring the two surfaces together. The bond is strong, so be careful about placement.
  • Allow the repair to dry for 24 hours, more or less depending on room temperature. Warmer rooms will cause the GOOP to dry faster and cooler rooms, slower.

For more on frugal living, check out Zen Habits. And remember, it costs nothing to be nice.

You can find Amazing GOOP at most home-improvement and hardware stores. Visit our Web site for more info.

Choose Green Materials for a Healthy Home

by eclectic on March 30, 2008 in Green, Home Improvement with No comments

A house becomes a home when we make it our place of renewal and family — a place where we unwind from our busy days and connect again with each other. We design interiors filled with the things we love to create a place of laughter, light and beauty.

But a home is more than a haven for us — it is a place that can have an impact our health and even the environment. More and more Americans are choosing building practices and using products that conserve energy and water and keep the air they breathe cleaner and healthier.

Organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council and the National Association of Home Builders know that the components in some materials used in building or remodeling your house can seriously affect your health and the environment around you —chemicals from carpets, adhesives and sealants, and paints and coatings, for example, are released into the air and your lungs. How do you know if your home is really a healthy home?

Ask your contractor what kinds of materials and products (such as caulks and adhesives) are used and what he does to make sure your home is environmentally safe and earth-friendly.

Investigate the level of “VOCs,” or Volatile Organic Compounds, in these items. In a 2002 bulletin, the Solvents Industry Group of the American Chemistry Council stated that “the solvents used in products such as coatings, adhesives and consumer products are generally classified as VOCs that can be emitted into the air after they perform their function.”

The building industry knows that solvents are an important component of a wide range of high performance products used in building and remodeling homes. It also knows that those products need to be as safe as possible. More and more manufacturers are stepping up by producing industrial “green products,” especially caulks, sealants and adhesives, which are high performance but environmentally safe for construction. You can ask that such products be used in the construction or remodeling of your home wherever possible.

You can also do your own research about what’s available.

  • The Green Home Guide offers solutions from granite countertop sealers to wall paint and wood stains to water-wise bathroom choices.You can even”ask a pro.”
  • The National Association of Home Builders has green home building guidelines available for download. “NAHB’s voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to be a tool kit for the individual builder looking to engage in green building practices and home builder associations (HBAs) looking to launch their own local green building programs.”
  • Your Green Home is a Corvallis, Oregon store that also takes online orders for green supplies and building materials. Pretty good selection and reasonable shipping costs. Of course it’s important to consider the shipping when calculating your “greenness.” If you’re on the east coast, find a local supplier and save the environmental cost of freight.
  • Want some inspiration? Check out the HGTV Green Dream Home. Seven basic sustainability areas were targeted during the building of HGTV’s Green Home 2008: innovation and design, location and linkages, sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, awareness and education. Find out more here.

Have more resources you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments!

Looking for a green adhesive for making basic repairs around the home? Check out Amazing EcoGlue. This water-based adhesive is environmentally safe (it has less than 1 percent volatile organic compounds), with virtually no hazardous air pollutants and no animal derivatives. The bottle and packaging are recyclable, too.

The Adventures of Mr. Amazing! Vol. 1

by eclectic on March 29, 2008 in Uncategorized with No comments

Click here to watch the adventures of Mr. Amazing video (windows media file).

Or, view it via YouTube below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZtPetyKUJo&hl=en]

It's an Eclectic World

by eclectic on March 17, 2008 in General Information with 1 Comment

We’re thrilled to join the blogosphere with our very own Eclectic Products blog.

Here’s what we have in mind:

  • Product tips, tricks and information
  • Projects and how-tos
  • Videos
  • Customer stories
  • Behind the scenes

If you use an Eclectic product and would like to submit a project, you can visit our testimonials page (click on submit your story) or email info@eclecticproducts.com.

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