The Smyrna office of Bob Parks Realty is working hard to go green. So far we’ve set up lots of recycling bins, we’re collecting eye glasses, and we’re encouraging agents to carry over the efforts into home. We’ve been writing recycling ideas on shamrocks (e.g., teach children about recycling at a young age, re-use gift bags, etc.) and sharing them. Today my shamrock was drawn from a bowl and I won a Home Depot gift card.
Also at our meeting this morning, we heard from Woody Bruhn of TINTDesign Window Tinting. He presented his 3M window tinting products which do seem to be a great way to save on electric bills. Tinting your home windows greatly cools a home in the summer (not to mention that it helps keep items from fading in the sun). Twenty percent (20%) of all electric bills come from heating and cooling, so by tinting your windows at home it will take two to five years to pay for the window tinting you do. The pricing is about $5 to $7 p/square foot of window, so an average window might cost $80. Mr. Bruhn said you could use any product to clean (windex, etc.) but would not recommend using newspaper to clean the tinted windows because the “wood” in the newspaper can tear after extended use. He also said he had to do two re-do’s due to cats shredding the bottom of a door window.
I haven’t had my own windows tinted, but it’s something I’d definitely consider. Another agent in my office has had most of his house done and he highly recommends it. He showed some placemats he had on his table for two years and how they faded next to a new set. With the window tinting, his placemats are now unchanged.
If you do investigate, Mr. Bruhn does free estimates. Just tell him Kathy Tyson of Bob Parks sent you! 
