Whether you're building an addition, putting in floors or slapping some paint on a wall, there are environmentally friendly ways to do renovations.

To do a green renovation, look for and buy materials that use renewable or natural products. Ensuring that paint and insulation you buy are free of potentially toxic chemicals is also important to health.

Another green approach is to buy salvaged or surplus materials, giving landfill-bound products new life. Habitat for Humanity's ReStore in Langford is one such reused-materials store. Although its stock varies, it carries items donated by community members as well as construction contractors.

"We primarily sell cabinets and countertops, building supplies and doors and windows," says Patti Sullivan, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Victoria. "It is recycling, because it's not going to the landfill. [Our donors] can't sell it, but we can, both new and used supplies."

Profits from ReStore sales support Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for families in need. Other than price, that's the reason people shop there, Sullivan says.

Other second-hand materials stores on Vancouver Island include Demxx Deconstruction, near Coombs, which carries a wide variety of materials, including clawfoot tubs and parts. Syd's Demo Salvage (www.sydsdemosalvage

.com, online sales only) and General Salvage (3108 Jacklin Rd., www.victoria

tradingpost.com) also sell materials for reuse. Some salvage yards have out-of-the-ordinary items as well: Syd's has some Oak Bay Beach Hotel headboards for sale, Demxx has a supply of reclaimed wood and some salvaged church pews and General Salvage has a seemingly endless supply of vintage handles and knobs.

There are renovation projects in Victoria that have made extensive use of environmentally friendly materials and practices. The Mountain Equipment Co-op building in downtown Victoria is one example of a large-scale green renovation. Renovation of the building, originally built in 1892, used decorative wood boards from trees reclaimed from flooded reservoirs. Natural linoleum, an anti-bacterial linoleum made from cork sawdust and linseed oil, is used in the lunch room. The meeting room has carpet tiles, which don't require glue, often formaldehyde-based, to install. Reclaimed wood and strawboard are also used throughout the building.

Using reclaimed materials can also be done just for style. The bar at Stage Small Plates Wine Bar, in the Cornerstone building in Fernwood, is made from salvaged planks from the now-demolished Mayfair Lanes bowling alley. It provides a unique esthetic.

Another concern for those doing renovations is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These are organic chemical compounds that vaporize and enter the air. They are in most fuels and solvents, as well as scented products such as perfumes, shampoos and body washes.

Some VOCs are harmful or toxic and, in high concentrations, can affect indoor air quality and your health. Look for glues and paints that don't contain high concentrations of VOCs.

For more information about green renovations, grant programs and incentives, as well as information on the salvage yards, visit

Steve Carey's blog at www.timescolonist.com/rethink.

GREEN YOUR RENOVATION PLANS

Here is some information to keep in mind when you're shopping for products for an environmentally friendly renovation.

WINDOWS

The B.C. government's Heritage Branch encourages consumers to repair, retrofit or reseal existing windows, rather than replace, as modern windows are made out of vinyl or aluminum, materials which require a lot of energy to manufacture. Instead, people are encouraged to improve their existing windows by doing things like repairing or adding weatherstripping, caulking and reglazing, for example. Installing storm windows or another panel of low-emissive glass is also an option.

If you must replace a window, look into buying Energy Star-qualified windows. Sometimes you can find new products such as these at the ReStore or a salvage yard.

PAINT

If you are painting, try to find a paint with no-or-low VOCs. Benjamin Moore paints makes one, but check eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm for more brands.

FLOORING

- Bamboo: Harder than oak, bamboo requires little energy to grow, and unlike trees, which take many years to mature, bamboo can be harvested every four or five years. It resists moisture and has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. The downside: It has to be shipped from Asia.

- Cork: This flooring has a warm feel to it, and comes in easy-to-install tiles and planks. Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree, and is harvested not by cutting the tree down but by pulling the bark off the tree, which can be done every 10 years with no harm to the tree. Most cork comes from Portugal, where laws control the harvesting of cork. It is a natural insulator, and is resistant to water.

- Wood: Forestry Stewardship wood is another option. Look for where it's harvested, milled and shipped from to ensure you get wood from the closest source possible. Check the Forestry Stewardship Council's website, www.fsccanada.org, for more information.

- Natural linoleum: Vinyl flooring has long been king of the kitchen and bathroom, but natural linoleum is making a comeback. Made from linseed oil, cork sawdust, pine rosins and colour pigments all mounted on a plant-fibre backing, natural linoleum is an anti-bacterial, anti-static, durable product well-suited for high-traffic areas. Forbo's Marmoleum is one brand, and it comes in sheets and tiles. Marmoleum Click is another natural linoleum which allows for glueless installation, and is a certified asthma- and allergy-friendly floor by the Asthma Society of Canada.

- Carpet: Instead of carpet made from a petroleum product, such as nylon, acrylic or polyester, look for varieties that use natural fibres such as wool, silk or hemp. Carpet tiles as well as recycled carpet made from old soda bottles and recycled cotton are options. No matter what type you go with, ensure it isn't backed with latex or PVC.

- Reclaimed wood flooring: Second-hand materials companies occasionally carry flooring that was removed from a building prior to demolition. This is a way to get a unique wood into your home without worrying about environmental impacts.

INSULATION

- Recycled denim: This insulation uses scraps from the jean-making process. It's fire-, mold-, pest- and moisture-resistant. Because it's cotton, it's not an irritant to the skin or lungs. It contains no VOCs and also acts as a sound barrier. It comes in batts, so it's suited to installation only before drywall goes up, unlike cellulose.

- Cellulose: Made from recycled newspaper and paper products, it's a blown-in insulation, so it works well to fill in small and hard-to-get-to spaces. The paper-based insulation is also treated with additives to make it resistant to fire, mold, pests and moisture. It's a good choice for a renovation, provided you can find someone to install it.

- Fibreglass: If you decide to go with fibreglass, look for one without formaldehyde. Often a problem for people with asthma, formaldehyde is considered a carcinogen.

- Foam Insulation: Most foam insulations are petroleum-based and contain VOCs. If you have no other choice, try to use a one that uses soybean oil rather than petroleum, and look for one that has no VOCs.

Sources: B.C. government's Heritage Branch, Natural Resources Canada and Guide to Sustainable Living by

Ed Begley, Jr.