The Washington Home & Garden Show Offers Some GREEN Ways To Improve Your Home

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- The doors are open on this year's Home & Garden Show and green is the new gold with more and more things are going green. Angie's list has gone green so that their users can know what contractors use green techniques.

There are roof tiles from DiBenidetto roof tiles in Kansas City that are made of concrete and foam. They come in many styles and they offer durability and great energy savings.

SOLgenics is another company that will save you money and they believe solar is a great investment. Douglas Shamlin of SOLgenics said,"...we actually did a comparison between a 3% CD and investing in solar and we found out the number came out between 6.4 and 6.5%."

They also have a really cool window insert that can make a big difference. "I can take this panel and flip it around so that during the winter it reflects heat back into the home and during the summer it reflects heat away from the home."

If conserving water is a priority Premier Ponds may have the answer.

Mike Kurylo explains, "It's an advanced rain barrel. Rain barrels are above ground, and you can see them, rainwater harvest system stores the water underground"

It's also filtered and that makes it cleaner.

Kurylo makes another great point, "If you can store rain water and not have to tap into your faucet, we're all benefiting."

Don't like the smell of paint? Mythic Paints has a green solution.

According to Gina Schaefer of 5th Street Ace Hardware, "It is the only zero VOC, zero carcinogen non toxic paint on the market right now".

And unlike most other zero VOC brands, "You can put any color into a mythic paint".

Speaking of painting, I wasn't sure why John Kiernan of Blue Line Studios was painting a marble looking canvas until I asked. He makes custom 'green' counter tops.

"The counter top is based on cement properties, tumbled glass, 100% green, and it's final layer is 2 part epoxy which is 100% green."

The really great thing about these new green technologies is their cost. While some are comparable to more conventional products, the ones that cost more initially will save more over time and you often end up making money in the long run.