Friends of the Earth: FAQs: Can I do up my house in an environmentally responsible way?

Can I do up my house in an environmentally responsible way?

Yes, green DIY is easy and effective.

Repair or re-use. See Salvo for information on reclaimed and salvaged material.
Most large stores stock Forest Stewardship Council certified products - where the wood is from a managed source.
Household paints can give off dangerous fumes as they dry. Try water-based paints which contain fewer volatile organic compounds.
Some furnishing materials are made from recycled sources - see the Buy Recycled list.

The books listed below will help you with ideas and solutions for greening your DIY activities — all available from our publications section:

For further ideas and information, please see:

Our 'Living' web site
George Marshall's energy efficiency project
The Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) for a list of alternative products.

Why not find out if second-hand shops, charities or friends can take any unwanted materials.

Green DIY should introduce you to plenty of new and resourceful ways of making changes in your home.

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

FAQs - frequently asked questions

We've put together some of your most frequent questions, so if there's something you need to know, chances are someone has already asked it. Have a look through the full list to see if you can find what you're looking for.

Our website has over 6,000 pages of information, covering a wide range of topics from biodiversity to pollution so if you can’t find what your looking for try using:

You could also take a look at our forum - which covers green lifestyle issues, local activism and campaigning.

Last modified
Content: July 2006