Q: I’m thinking about pursuing a remodel of my home but am afraid of exposing my children to harmful materials during construction. How can I minimize this risk?

A: If you’re like many homeowners, you want to buy green products to keep you and your family healthy and safe. No one wants to expose their loved ones to toxins and chemicals.

A 2018 study by the Shelton Group, published in Eco Pulse, found that the number one reason cited by respondents for choosing green products in three categories was the health and safety of their families. Others include conserving natural resources, preventing waste and inefficiencies, and mitigating climate impact.

Whatever your reasons for seeking contractors that use green products, there is an excellent but little-known resource to help you make your selection: The Red List.

What’s on the Red List?

According to the International Living Future Institute, it lists the “worst in class materials prevalent in the building industry.” How your contractor uses it (or doesn’t), can have a significant impact on your remodel project, as well as the environment.

The easiest and most effective thing you can do with this list is have a conversation with your contractor about your health, safety, and family wellness needs and how to limit harmful materials on the project. This is especially important if you and your family will be living onsite throughout the construction phase.

The Red List demonstrates to the contractor how important using green products is to you and gives them the info they need to best advise you throughout the project and reduce harmful toxins and chemicals wherever possible.

What are the limitations of the Red List?

Simply put, the list isn’t exhaustive. Many big brands develop the materials they use in their products in different plants, and some are unwilling to disclose every material or ingredient used in each product. The company may consider such information proprietary, and it’s understandable for them to protect their intellectual property and assets.

However, these days, even a modicum of transparency—especially regarding environmental impact—can enhance a brand and build consumer loyalty. When it comes to the environment and consumer health, protecting proprietary secrets is increasingly seen as a liability. As a homeowner with a family, knowledge is a better selling point than secrecy. The Red List arms you with that knowledge.

Ask your contractor if they’re already using the Red List.

If your contractor is already familiar with it, chances are good they have at least a passing interest in green products, materials, and resources in the building industry.

In the best-case scenario, they may be actively reviewing and monitoring updates on the list to avoid using, working with, and offering products made with listed items. This requires extra time, research and care to ensure that products they use are both green and a good fit for the remodeling project.

Communication and collaboration with your contractor or design-build firm will be frequent once the process begins, and it may prove overwhelming at times. The earlier you discuss your desire to use safe, green products, the better off you’ll be when construction begins. With the Red List, you’ll both have a powerful tool for making the best choices for your family and the environment.

Paul Kocharhook is the owner of Pathway Design & Construction, a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). If you have a home improvement, remodeling, or residential homebuilding question you’d like answered by one of MBAKS’ more than 2,700 members, write to homework@mbaks.com.

Doing your homework will help you have a more successful experience

Q: I’ve been looking to remodel my living room and kitchen. I have decent credit and a few mostly unused credit cards. Is paying for these home improvements with credit cards good idea?

A: Credit cards are enormously useful in remodeling-related purchases, provided you use them wisely. Here are just a few of the advantages of buying services and products with a credit card:

• Paying contractors. Contractors who accept credit cards also agree to the legal terms set by the credit card companies. In the unfortunate situation that work is left incomplete or subpar, you can dispute the credit card charges, giving you potential leverage when you’re unsatisfied with a job. That’s a level of security paying with cash or check can’t guarantee.
• Buying appliances. Using a credit card for big-ticket appliances and electronics like refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and TV sets can help rack up cash back or airline miles for rewards cardholders. But for many people, this is just a bonus compared to the benefit of an extended warranty. Along with a manufacturer’s warranty, many credit cards offer extended product warranties if your product bites the dust in the first few years of purchase. Some cards also offer price protection if the purchase price is lowered within a certain time frame.
• Shopping online. Often the most unique fixtures and accent items can be found online. When you make purchases online, credit cards typically offer protection against fraudulent charges, along with items lost or damaged with shipping. And if there is an unexpected problem, you can keep your cash in pocket while the dispute is settled, and not the other way around.
• Note: Make sure that your credit card(s) offer these benefits before making a purchase.

Clearly, credit cards are incredibly useful for major home purchases, but it’s important to manage them well to avoid outstanding bills, unmanageable debt, or low credit scores. Now that you know what you want to purchase with credit cards, here are a few tips for getting the most out of them without incurring unexpected costs or problems.

• Make payments on time. Due dates are easy to miss. All it takes is a vacation or busy schedule on the due date to miss a payment—and accrue late fees and interest charges. Prioritize paying on time—every time—even if that means setting up monthly email alerts, smartphone reminders, or autopay systems.
• Pay more than the minimum. Minimum payments on your statement balance look straightforward enough, but be warned. Minimum payments are there to keep your account in good standing but come with interest charges and can hurt your credit score.
• Read your card agreement and know your terms. When you open a new credit card account, you should read the customer agreement and account opening disclosures thoroughly. This way you’ll know what to expect when it comes to due dates, interest rates, fees, etc.
• Check monthly statements for accuracy. Billing and transaction mistakes are known to happen. You can protect your credit by checking your statements carefully online or when they arrive in the mail. If you do find an error, call your credit card issuer immediately to let them know and identify possible fraud.
• Stay well below your credit limit. It may seem like staying below the limit is enough, but how far you stay below your limit can affect your credit score. There is no one ideal number, but credit experts recommend using less than 30% of your total available credit.
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately. If your card is missing or you think someone might have made off with your account number, report it lost or stolen immediately. Many card issuers offer $0 fraud liability where you won’t have to pay for unauthorized charges, so be sure to report a loss ASAP.

Carly Kogler and Robert Martin are vice presidents of Capital One Spark Small Business Card, Washington State, a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). If you have a home improvement, remodeling, or residential homebuilding question you’d like answered by one of MBAKS’ nearly 2,800 members, write to homework@mbaks.com.