Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, CO: Solar Hot Tub

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:55:09 -0500

Today, Steve will help a Boulder, CO family fulfill their dream of an "Ahimsa Platz," or non-harm home, by installing a Faraday cage to block out electromagnetic waves. He'll also help the family install a recycled hot tub that runs on solar power.

Then, Steve helps the next generation of craftsmen learn a green collar job by deconstructing an old farmhouse in Fort Collins, CO.

Later, Steve works on a wine cellar insulated with denim and a fitness room that's powered in part by an exercise bike.

Ensuring the full "ahimsa" ef]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Baltimore, MD: Straw Bale Garage

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:54:02 -0500

Host Steve Thomas helps a car restoration enthusiast and his wife build a garage using all-natural insulator-straw! Then, Steve helps revitalize a Detroit, MI, community by constructing the first eco-smart modular home in the neighborhood. Since it's built in a factory to reduce waste, all Steve and the crew need to do is crane it into place, secure the two halves together and the homeowners are almost ready to move in.

Later, Steve will help install a century-old wood-burning stove in an 1871 former schoolhouse.

A car enthu]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: St. Paul, MN: Double Trouble

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:55:43 -0500
Host Steve Thomas tries to help a St. Paul couple make eco-smart improvements to their home, but fate seems to be against them. They'll try to build a porch out of Forest Stewardship Council-certified cedar, but they have the wrong wood! Steve then tries to install salvaged oak flooring in the dining room, but the floor's not level! Finally, they'll be able to install a rainwater catchment system made with wine barrels; that is, until the gutters start leaking.

Later, Steve helps a green inventor test his sunshade device on an unsuspecting neighbor. After that, Steve will pitch in with local electrical workers as they install the first wind turbine in Detroit, MI.

The house, before Steve & co. start to take it apart. (below)

Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Arlington, MA: Super Insulator

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:55:38 -0500
Host Steve Thomas helps two Arlington, MA, families work on a large insulation project for their duplex. The upstairs neighbor is ultra eco-savvy, while the downstairs neighbor is skeptical. Will Steve be convinced that the super insulation project is cost-effective or will the upstairs neighbor be left in the cold? Later, Steve installs a weather station and ceiling fans at a Washington, DC home to regulate the temperature.

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our tv schedule for local listings.

Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: St. Paul, MN: Family Affair

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:55:48 -0500
Steve builds a bike garage from structural insulated panels in St. Paul. Later, Steve travels to Virginia to help a couple renovate their first home by installing radiant floor heating and a sun tube for natural light.

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our tv schedule for local listings.

Products featured in this episode:
Home Design from Strand Designs
Insu]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Falls Church, VA: Building Dirt Cheap'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:58:01 -0500
Host Steve Thomas helps a Falls Church, VA, couple build their home out of mud bricks. Steve is skeptical since the materials are dirt cheap, but how strong can the bricks really be?

He puts his money where his mud is with a highly scientific endurance test: running them over with a truck! Later, Steve will join a father/son team as they restore their San Antonio, TX, home to the highest green standards. Then, Steve checks out the tiniest homes in Texas—all made from recycled materials!

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our tv schedule f]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, CO--Smart Home

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:20:24 -0500
Host Steve Thomas helps build a sustainable and practical home for people with disabilities in Boulder, CO. He jumps in on inventive projects like an adjustable oven range and then discovers just how tricky it is when the slate floor he lays won't work for a wheelchair.

Later, Steve helps a do-it-yourselfer family install permeable pavers. Then, Steve builds a cabin from trees salvaged from forest fires.

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our tv schedule for local listings.

Watch The Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR--Ultimate Bachelor Pad

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:20:58 -0500
Here comes the bride...and she's about to move in to this Portland, Oregon fixer-upper! Host Steve Thomas helps the bachelor get his pad in shape for her. But the honeymoon's over when Steve tells the husband-to-be that the rain screen wall is going to be problematic with the way it's been installed. Will they be able to compromise? Or is the homeowner wedded to his original plan?

Later, Steve will help two busy architects build an eco-smart playroom for their kids.

Watch the slideshow from this episode.

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nati]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR: Locally Grown

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:31:55 -0500
Host Steve Thomas will help a Portland, OR couple build with local materials—and we mean really local! The couple is using wood from their own backyard to make a countertop and earth for their mud floors.

Later, Steve will help turn one New Orleans couple's Hurricane Katrina nightmare into a green dream. He'll lend a hand in building their new eco-smart, storm resistant home. Finally, Steve will answer the question—how many people does it take to screw in an energy-efficient light bulb?

View the Slideshow from This Episode

Renovation Nation: about the show.

]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii: Solar Army Base

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:20:08 -0500
Today, host Steve will help create what will hopefully be the largest solar community in the world on an Army base in Wainae, HI. He'll work on installing metal frameworks and solar panels that stick right on to the roof.

Later, Steve will help an Austin, TX family with their indoor air quality and tour one of the greenest neighborhoods in Austin. Believe it or not, it used to be an airport! Then, Steve learns about a new kind of renewable energy in Kona, HI—water power!

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our tv schedule for local listin]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii--Historic Ranch Restoration

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:35:31 -0500
Host Steve Thomas travels the country looking for people who push the envelope of green building and design. Steve travels to North Kahala, Hawaii to help a couple add some green systems to their historic ranch starting with a rainwater collection cistern and natural ventilation. Later, Steve will help a Portland, Oregon couple build an addition to their log cabin using one of the earliest eco-smart building techniques. Then, Steve will step out of the norm by trying his hand at making lamps from renewable and reclaimed materials.

Renovation Nation: about the show.

Don't miss this episode of Renovation Nation! Check our Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, Co—It's Called Boulder for a Reason

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:22:07 -0500
Host Steve Thomas travels to Boulder, Colorado where he constructs a backyard greenhouse. All goes well, until Steve and co encounter an actual boulder while putting in the foundation. Once that renovation riddle is solved, an energy-efficient metal roof is installed on the main house.

Later, Steve travels to Houston, Texas and meets the Hedges, the owners of the world?s largest domestic solar array. Steve puts the final solar panel in place and slathers the walls with Venetian plaster, a CO2 absorbing compound that has been around since the Ancient Egypt.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve helps build a greenhouse which will produce year-rou]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Detroit, MI—The Gift of Green

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:38:29 -0500
Steve Thomas travels to Detroit, an area hit hard by tough economic times to help Saturn's Hands on Homes volunteers and Habitat for Humanity build homes for deserving families. One such deserving recipient is Sherrell English, a single mother of two daughters, Raven 20 and Robyn 17. Sherrell applied to Habitat after her rental home was robbed not only of valuables, but also of linens, dish soap, and brooms.

In this episode, "The Gift of Green," Steve pitches in, pouring cement, installing cellulose insulation, planting native plants, and caulking walls to make the homes as efficient as possible.

Further reading on green renovation tips from this episode:

Radiant heating saves money and ]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Chesapeake Bay, MD—Big Bucks for Retirement

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:20:56 -0500
Host, Steve Thomas heads to Maryland to help a couple plan for retirement by installing solar panels to cut their energy costs. But, uh-oh, looks like rain is a factor. Will Steve get the panels up or will he get rained out?

Later, take a journey deep into the heart of Texas--literally! Steve explores an aquifer and gets a firsthand look at why water conservation is important. He also stops by an eco-smart superstore.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

A cost-benefit analysis reveals that putting solar panels on your roof can control your costs during retirement.

Exploring a]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Washington, DC—Corking the Kitchen

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:58:53 -0500
Renovation Nation host Steve Thomas visits Washington, DC where he helps a couple install a recycled countertop, permeable pavers and cork floor. The permeable pavers will reduce the amount polluted runoff that reaches local watersheds.

Later, Steve helps a Boulder, CO, couple figure out the recipe for a home with no carbon footprint. They whip up one part geothermal, one part innovation and a lot of solar panels for their new green home.

See photos of these building projects in the Renovation Nation Slideshow: Corking the Kitchen and No Carbon Footprint

Products and contractors featured in this episode:
Living Green in DC]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Alexandria, VA: Presidential Salvage

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:22:22 -0500
Host, Steve Thomas travels to Alexandria, Virginia to help a sculptor and stay-at-home dad build an eco-friendly yoga studio. For this project they used salvaged materials, including some wood from President Obama's inauguration! Later, Steve helps a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, couple rebuild after Hurricane Gustav. The wife wants to rebuild green, but the husband wants to learn a little more about the benefits of green building first.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve uses salvaged materials for the green yoga studio.

Steve talks about the benefits of spray insulation.
]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, Oregon—Salvage Brothers

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:49:16 -0500
Steve Thomas goes to Portland, Oregon to help the Moon Brothers with their goal of building the greenest house in America. They used salvaged materials and reclaimed wood to make their project a green one. Then, Steve helps a Boulder, Colorado couple update their home's style from rural to urban, with sustainable building materials from their own backyard.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve installs steel wall frames and wood reused from pallets.

Steve checks out a composting toilet.

Steve cuts down a Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Baton Rouge, LA—Carport on a Dime

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:46:29 -0500
Steve Thomas shows a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, architect how to build a carport on a dime. To keep the project green, and relatively cheap, they use salvaged building materials. Later, they greenovate the inside of the house by installing window frames salvaged from a nearby sugar mill. Then, in Portland, Oregon, green building is for the birds when Steve constructs an eco-smart chicken coop.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve helps build a carport with recycled wood and concrete.

Steve installs windows salvaged from a nearby abandoned sugar mill .

]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR—Rock, Paper, Scissors, Concrete

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:46:50 -0500
Today, host Steve Thomas will lend a hand with a Portland, OR couple's ground-up renovation. He'll help install siding on a rain screen wall, put in a concrete counter in their bathroom and weld an eco-smart balcony guardrail. Later, Steve will help out at-risk students in Maui, HI as they build a bamboo structure. They'll also visit the forest where bamboo is harvested on the island.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve works with a family to build from bamboo.

Steve works with an Oregon family that builds from ... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Fairhope, AL: Eco Extermination

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:33:31 -0500
Host Steve Thomas helps a couple in Fairhope, Alabama by channeling their excess rainwater into eco-friendly rain gardens. Before he can get to that, he has to find a way to get rid of wood-eating insects from their salvaged wood and he has to do it in a green way.

Later, Steve builds a fence from bamboo grown right in a Philadelphia couple's very own backyard. Then, Steve will install their pellet stove, if only that darn stud wasn't in the way...

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve must deal with pesty termites the green way.

Steve builds a fence with bamboo found in the Flemm]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Experiences the Coldest Production Ever

Fri, 15 May 2009 15:46:24 -0500
Steve Thomas is the host of Planet Green's Renovation Nation, a program that focuses on making green renovations to homes across the country. In his regular column on PlanetGreen.com, Steve goes behind the scenes of the show and offers additional tips and insight on green renovation.

When we renovated the historic house in Little Compton, Rhode Island, it was dead winter and brutally cold. In terms of the whole season, that's when the cold found us and that's when the cold followed us. The cold was unrelenting. It followed all the way through the year, even into Texas.

You wouldn]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii—Bamboo Tree House

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:40:00 -0500
Host Steve Thomas explores a rainforest in Hana, Hawaii, looking for materials to build an eco-smart tree house. He gathers palm fronds for the roof as well as guava and bamboo timber for the structure. Nothing about building this house is conventional—will Steve be able to put down his power tools and meditate with the homeowner?

Later, Steve will work on a hotel in Little Compton, Rhode Island which was built in 1854. His challenge is to add innovative green systems, like geothermal heating and cooling, and still preserve the hotel's historic integrity.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:

Steve works with bamboo in the Hana, Hawaii tree house.

Learn more about Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation FAQ

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:09:03 -0500
There's so much to do when it comes to green building/renovation. Where do I start?

Can you use spray foam to insulate an energy-rated metal roof?

How sturdy are solar panels? Can they survive hurricanes?

Is my geothermal well deep enough?

In this economy and with trying to reduce our carbon footprints. we want to downsize our home, but how?

What is a Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Philadelphia, PA—Habitat Goes Green

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:36:11 -0500
Steve lends a hand with the Habitat for Humanity volunteers in Philadelphia who are building affordable, green homes. Then, Steve helps a Tucson couple set up an eco-smart room for their new baby.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:
7 Steps to Better Air Quality in Your Baby's Nursery
Building with Bamboo is Essential
A Child is Born During a Renovation Nation Shoot!

Products Featured in this Episode Include:
]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

A Child is Born During a Renovation Nation Shoot!

Thu, 07 May 2009 13:34:04 -0500
Steve Thomas is the host of Planet Green's Renovation Nation, a program that focuses on making green renovations to homes across the country. In his regular column on PlanetGreen.com, Steve goes behind the scenes of the show and offers additional tips and insight on green renovation.

One of my favorite stories out of Tucson was that the woman whose home we were renovating had a baby during the project. The project was to redo the baby's room and do it green: Low/no VOC paints, a crib made of FSC Forest Stewardship Council wood, etc. The expectant mother was very concerned about Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Tucson, AZ—Greenest House in America

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:14:10 -0500
Steve lends a hand on what might be the greenest house in the country. These Tucson homeowners are going for the most LEED points ever. Then, Steve will meet a Houston couple so committed to eco-smart living, they're downsizing their entire living area to less than half the space of their previous home. Not everything is bigger in Texas!

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:
Rain Screen Walls are Like Gore-Tex for Your Home
How to Downsize Your House
2 Ways to Green Your Roof on a Budget
Learn P]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Score LEED Points Like the Imuses

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:32:00 -0500
Steve Thomas is the host of Planet Green's Renovation Nation, a program that focuses on making green renovations to homes across the country. In his regular column on PlanetGreen.com, Steve goes behind the scenes of the show and offers additional tips and insight on green renovation.

The Imuses are building a house that they hope to be the greenest house in America by scoring the most LEED points ever. It?s a modern house. It's not all that big, about 3,000 square feet under-roof. It's hot in Tuscon, and they have to have a pool. However, the pool is replenished through rainwater collection.

The whole house wi]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Tucson, AZ: Harvesting Desert Rain

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:48:25 -0500
Steve Thomas, host of Renovation Nation travels the country in search of the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas for green building and design. First stop Arizona, where Steve meets a family who wants to install a rainwater tank next to their home that is on an uneven foundation. Later, Steve helps a backyard engineer in Texas finish his solar invention that's the first in America. While in Texas, Steve lends a hand in on a different kind of eco-smart home— a green doghouse complete with a solar-powered fan!

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:
... Read the full story on Planet Green

How to Install a Solar-Powered Fan in a Dog House

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:37:47 -0500
Steve Thomas is the host of Planet Green's Renovation Nation, a program that focuses on making green renovations to homes across the country. In his regular column on PlanetGreen.com, Steve goes behind the scenes of the show and offers additional tips and insight on green renovation.

In Austin, I helped the Watuchi's put a solar panel on a doghouse. The fan lowered the temperature of the structure by about 30 degrees, which the dog probably liked. The Watuchi's seemed happy with it, and I got a kick out of renovating a doghouse. You may want to try this project yourself. Here are the instructions.
]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Steve's Journal

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:25:12 -0500
SPECIAL: Ask Steve Thomas Anything (About Your Home)

Featured Posts
Check out these posts from Steve Thomas and Renovation Nation.

Steve Thomas's Five Bubbles of Green Building

All Journal Entries By Episode

Renovation Nation Episode: Detroit, MI: the Gift of Green
How Sturdy are Solar Panels
Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: New Orleans, LA—Greening a Historic B&B

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:34:36 -0500
Host Steve Thomas is in New Orleans helping to restore a famous painter's studio damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Steve needs to maintain the historical features of the studio but when he runs into some unexpected surprises in the wall he must find an ecological solution.

Later, Steve travels to Boston and meets a couple trying to reduce their carbon footprint by building an eco-smart office in their own backyard. Storm clouds are brewing, so they race the rain to get the office built, insulated, and ready to go.

Get Behind the Scenes Info and Project Ideas from this Episode:
The Pros and Cons of Living in a Historic House
Read the full story on Planet Green

Steve Thomas's Five Bubbles of Green Building

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:41:53 -0500
The main reason I came up with this bubble diagram was to answer the question, "what is green building?" Some of what we now call green building has been around for a long time and some of the other aspects are relatively recent.

Energy

The most prominent bubble is energy, because that's what we spend the biggest part of our budgets on month to month. Think of energy as "energy in" and "energy out." Energy in is all the inputs required to keep the building running—electricity, gas, heating oil, water. Obviously, the more you conserve, the less you use, and the more you improve the building Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: New Hampshire: Timber Framing

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:59:02 -0500
Today, Steve makes hardware the blacksmithing way. Then, Steve will show you how to heat your house with rocks. Later, Steve installs a heater that generates its own electricity.

Further Reading on alternative heating:
Repair Replace (Recycle): Your Hot Water Heater
How to Go Green: Home Heating
Greensburg Homebuilders: Green Home Heating

Check out the Planet Green Schedule to catch this episode of Re]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation's Steve Thomas at Greenbuild

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:41:33 -0500
On Renovation Nation, Steve Thomas shows everyday homeowners how to implement green building solutions into their renovation and remodeling projects. Though Steve makes it look easy, bringing these eco-friendly solutions to the mainstream consumer is not a simple task. Many green building systems require special knowledge to select and install and there are not many homeowners or contractors familiar with the technology.

To help address this problem, Steve Thomas will be introducing a panel at this year's Greenbuild event to discuss the nature of the green building market. The panel, consisting of several leaders in th]]>... Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation on Planet Green - On TV

Renovation Nation Episode: St. Paul, MN: A Victorian Restoration

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, CO: Solar Hot Tub

Renovation Nation Episode: Baltimore, MD: Straw Bale Garage

Renovation Nation Episode: St. Paul, MN: Double Trouble

Renovation Nation Episode: Arlington, MA: Super Insulator

Renovation Nation Episode: St. Paul, MN: Family Affair

Renovation Nation Episode: Falls Church, VA: Building Dirt Cheap'

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, CO--Smart Home

Watch The Read the full story on Planet Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR--Ultimate Bachelor Pad

Watch the slideshow from this episode.

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR: Locally Grown

View the Slideshow from This Episode

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii: Solar Army Base

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii--Historic Ranch Restoration

Renovation Nation Episode: Boulder, Co—It's Called Boulder for a Reason

Renovation Nation Episode: Detroit, MI—The Gift of Green

Renovation Nation Episode: Chesapeake Bay, MD—Big Bucks for Retirement

Renovation Nation Episode: Washington, DC—Corking the Kitchen

See photos of these building projects in the Renovation Nation Slideshow: Corking the Kitchen and No Carbon Footprint

Renovation Nation Episode: Alexandria, VA: Presidential Salvage

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, Oregon—Salvage Brothers

Renovation Nation Episode: Baton Rouge, LA—Carport on a Dime

Renovation Nation Episode: Portland, OR—Rock, Paper, Scissors, Concrete

Renovation Nation Episode: Fairhope, AL: Eco Extermination

Renovation Nation Experiences the Coldest Production Ever

Renovation Nation Episode: Hawaii—Bamboo Tree House

Renovation Nation FAQ

Renovation Nation Episode: Philadelphia, PA—Habitat Goes Green

A Child is Born During a Renovation Nation Shoot!

Renovation Nation Episode: Tucson, AZ—Greenest House in America

Score LEED Points Like the Imuses

Renovation Nation Episode: Tucson, AZ: Harvesting Desert Rain

How to Install a Solar-Powered Fan in a Dog House

Steve's Journal

Renovation Nation Episode: New Orleans, LA—Greening a Historic B&B

Steve Thomas's Five Bubbles of Green Building

Energy

Renovation Nation Episode: New Hampshire: Timber Framing

Renovation Nation's Steve Thomas at Greenbuild