Serving the entire Northern Michigan Area
(231)386-7668
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Organic Lifestyle
Here at Lord & Lady being an eco-construction company is more than a saying, it's a way of life. Our founders, Thomas and Laura Cavendish, are not just eco-builders, they're modern homesteaders: eating organically, raising lifestock, farming and more. Living and breathing this lifestyle, working everyday towards it, gives them a deeper understanding of your eco-choices, from construction to gardening.
Sometimes these choices can be intimidating and overwhelming or seem too expensive. However, some choices are simple, like responsibly disposing of the waste from your project. At Lord & Lady, we proudly keep almost all of our waste out of landfills: through sorting, recycling, reuse, donations and more.
Lord & Lady strives to use as many eco-friendly materials as possible. Many products would change the budgets and therefore need your approval and thought before being implemented into your product, but many others are not any different in cost. Those that are equivalent in cost, we use everyday, for your and our health. Those materials include things like: caulks, adhesives, stains, varnishes and low VOC paints.
Thomas has a background in green living, having grown up in England, raising animals and vegetables since he was born. Laura grew up in Michigan, with her closest ties to nature being through her maternal grandmother, who was very active in the Garden Club and the "original green recycler." Apart from that, Laura's life growing up, was far from the lifestyle she now leads, reinforcing that even if you've spent your life eating fast food and hot dogs, that change is possible, one step at a time.
Everyday Building Materials
Beginnings
Living, Practicing and Spreading the Green Life
At Lord and Lady Construction one of our goals is to help homeowners build, remodel or fix problems in an eco-friendly way, making healthier choices for their families and the planet!
There are so many choices, so many options, standard materials or eco-friendly - from windows to caulk to insulation and more, all seemingly the "right" choices, with prices on all scales. We work to help you navigate through these choices, educating you about all of them, so you can make informed decisions on what are the right ones for your family.
We feel that one of the most important things to remember when making eco-choices, is that no one can do everything all at once. Rather than bog yourself down trying to do every green thing you hear about, just pick one thing that seems easy or important to you and do that. Do that one thing until it's normal, then pick something else to try. One step at a time, you can change your life! Here are some ideas you could start with:
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Recycle: Paper, plastic, batteries, styrofoam, electronics. It will not only help you realize what you consume, it will also reduce your waste, which can reduce your trash bill.
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Use Energy Efficient Lighting: About 11% of your energy bill is dedicated to lighting, now that CFL bulbs are the norm, make sure to change them all over, this change can reduce your lighting consumption by 50-75%. And if you have the ability, consider switching to LED's, they have a much longer life and are even more efficient!
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Use VOC-free paints: That awful smell with regular paints comes from VOC's like formaldehyde, carcinogens, neurotoxins and other irritants. Using paints free of these toxins is an easy way to help you and your family breathe easier.
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Use Shades: Help your house hold its temperature. Close shades in the summer and open them on sunny days in winter!
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Build with Green Choices: This will lower your utility bills, protect the planet and conquer health concerns all at once. Though some green building options are expensive, others are not, like home design and size, so take time to research and discover what even a tight budget can do. Learn more about a variety of green materials and choices on our blog.
