A cool thing for both us at Olive Branch as well as our customers, is that we get to use (hence "test") the products we carry. I am a lover of paint, and I love it that I can run down to the store and mix up a color to put in my house even if it's 10:00 on Saturday night (I know, not everyone's idea of a fun Saturday night). The cool thing for customers is that we have tested Yolo paint extensively. And I love this paint. It goes on smoothly, dries quickly despite the lack of toxic-chemical-drying-agents, looks beautiful, and an especially nice feature is that is cleans easily. I take very good care of my paint brushes, and before Yolo I hated how the chemical-laden paint hardened near the base of the brush before I even finished painting sometimes.
We also had a left-over piece of IceStone, which we installed as a hearth for our wood-burning stove. I can't believe how beautiful it is and it must wear terrifically as a countertop because ours is on the floor and gets ashes and wood and dirt on it and it is still shiny and gorgeous.
Here at the store, we have Marmoleum Click flooring, and even though it's not rated as a commercial floor, it's held up great and is an absolute dream to clean. Dirt truly does not stick to it. We also have a Caroma dual-flush toilet in the store and can attest to it's effectiveness and cleanliness using an amazing .8 or 1.6 gpf of water.
Most exciting, we just were trained and installed American Clay wall surface on one side of our store. The look and feeling is awesome and each addition like this makes the store more of a pleasure to be in. It's so remarkable when I walk into a non-green store, the sharp scent of chemicals is amazing. It feels good here in the store and I am so pleased that we are selling these feel-good products to others!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Success at Olive Branch
I am happy to report that Olive Branch Green Building Supply is successful. We incorporated on Earth Day (April) 2008. Here we are February 2011 feeling really good about being in business. We acknowledge San Diego for going green and choosing healthy, non-toxic, recycled material. Our customers have come from Vista, Chula Vista, Alpine, Rancho Bernardo, Clairemont, Del Mar, Solano Beach, Carlsbad, Bankers Hill, Mid City, North Park, really from all over the county, its just great. We thank you for your business and we appreciate your referrals and we would like to invite you to "click" on our "speaker series" and come talk to the professional about your project.
www.olivebranchgbs.com
Friday, February 4, 2011
OLIVE BRANCH THROUGH AN EMPLOYEE’S EYES
Hi, my name is Brett Huelsman and I am a member of the Olive Branch team. I haven’t been here long, only about three months, but it’s been an amazing experience so far. I have met a lot of great people who are committed to keeping our Earth healthy and clean, which is exactly what Olive Branch is all about.
Throughout my life I have always been interested in our eco-system and how to keep it running smoothly now, and well into the future. I still remember one of my favorite days as a kid in elementary school was Earth Day. I went to a small rural school that gave each student a small tree to plant on this special day. I can still remember my devastation when I found out the person that my Dad had hired to mow our lawn while we were on vacation had accidentally mowed over my most recently planted Earth Day tree!
In addition to my interest in the green movement, I also have a passion for policy and government. In December of 2008 I completed my Juris Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Two years into a three-year program I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I actually finished law school. This all changed when I took an elective called Environmental Law. Finally, an aspect of law that doesn’t involve dissolving marriages or chasing ambulances! Green policy was much more my style.
After I graduated law school I accepted a position as a Legislative Analyst for the Hawaii House of Representatives. What a cool experience this was! It even became more awesome when I was told that I would be following the committee that handled all of the environmental policy making. Hawaii is an especially green state, so it was such a treat to be able to see their lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, brainstorming on how to create green energy and jobs. One of their initiatives that intrigued me most was the use of ocean waves to create clean energy.
Being a part of Olive Branch and their vision is truly something that makes me happy. I come to work everyday knowing that I am doing something positive and that I’m helping people achieve their green aspirations. As of now, “going green” is more of a personal choice for most people. However, it is my belief that Olive Branch is a pioneer in the green movement. Soon, there will be more policies at both the State and Federal levels that will incentivize and in some cases even mandate the use of green building supplies.
Many of the great leaders we read about in history books were pioneers. They had a passion for an idea that was not yet the status quo, but they believed in themselves and their ideals. If you’re passionate about ensuring that our planet is clean and healthy for years to come, stop by and see us at Olive Branch. Please don’t feel obligated to make a purchase, we just want to meet you and include you in our green family. We look forward to seeing you!
Hi, my name is Brett Huelsman and I am a member of the Olive Branch team. I haven’t been here long, only about three months, but it’s been an amazing experience so far. I have met a lot of great people who are committed to keeping our Earth healthy and clean, which is exactly what Olive Branch is all about.
Throughout my life I have always been interested in our eco-system and how to keep it running smoothly now, and well into the future. I still remember one of my favorite days as a kid in elementary school was Earth Day. I went to a small rural school that gave each student a small tree to plant on this special day. I can still remember my devastation when I found out the person that my Dad had hired to mow our lawn while we were on vacation had accidentally mowed over my most recently planted Earth Day tree!
In addition to my interest in the green movement, I also have a passion for policy and government. In December of 2008 I completed my Juris Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Two years into a three-year program I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I actually finished law school. This all changed when I took an elective called Environmental Law. Finally, an aspect of law that doesn’t involve dissolving marriages or chasing ambulances! Green policy was much more my style.
After I graduated law school I accepted a position as a Legislative Analyst for the Hawaii House of Representatives. What a cool experience this was! It even became more awesome when I was told that I would be following the committee that handled all of the environmental policy making. Hawaii is an especially green state, so it was such a treat to be able to see their lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, brainstorming on how to create green energy and jobs. One of their initiatives that intrigued me most was the use of ocean waves to create clean energy.
Being a part of Olive Branch and their vision is truly something that makes me happy. I come to work everyday knowing that I am doing something positive and that I’m helping people achieve their green aspirations. As of now, “going green” is more of a personal choice for most people. However, it is my belief that Olive Branch is a pioneer in the green movement. Soon, there will be more policies at both the State and Federal levels that will incentivize and in some cases even mandate the use of green building supplies.
Many of the great leaders we read about in history books were pioneers. They had a passion for an idea that was not yet the status quo, but they believed in themselves and their ideals. If you’re passionate about ensuring that our planet is clean and healthy for years to come, stop by and see us at Olive Branch. Please don’t feel obligated to make a purchase, we just want to meet you and include you in our green family. We look forward to seeing you!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
American Clay Product Introduction
Coming soon to Olive Branch! Would love to see all you creative types play in the mud!!!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tank vs. Tankless Water Heaters
I get asked my opinion on what I would suggest for a water heater, Tank or Tankless.
In this blog entry I will evaluate this often asked question.
A 40 gallon water heater typically has a 40,000 btu output. A tankless water heater to replace a 30 or 40 gallon water heater has 199,000 btu output. This means you need to upsize your gas line to 1" or 1 1/4" for an inside install or install an exterior tankless right next to your gas meter and run a very short 3/4" gas line. I'll just say right now that I would only recommend a tankless if it is installed outside next to the gas meter. This method of installation results in zero venting costs and more space for the inside.
My #1 recommendation is to go with a 40 gallon tank water heater. 40 gallon is a more popular size, so the cost difference is not that much more than the 30 gallon. We import 90% or more of our water in San Diego, and the conveyance system crosses over 2 fault lines. If we had a serious earthquake and our water lines broke, you would then also have 40 gallons of stored drinking water instead of just 30 gallons.
Water is the deal here in San Diego. My customers often tell me they will put buckets under their faucets to catch the cold water coming out of the hot water line until hot water finally comes. (I don't like this because slip, trip and falls are a serious risk in a bathroom and water is 8 lbs a gallon)
Contrary to popular belief, a tankless water heater saves gas, not water. Tankless water heaters are noisy, so if outside next to the bedroom or kitchen window, you will likely be annoyed or distracted. Tankless water heaters do not produce instant hot water. You will have an average of 45 seconds of cold water coming out of your hot line, which is the same for a tank water heater. However, a recirculation pump will improve your hot water time with a tank water heater.
I hope this blog helps anyone who is looking for information on which type of water heater is best for their particular needs!
Lisa
Olive Branch G
In this blog entry I will evaluate this often asked question.
A 40 gallon water heater typically has a 40,000 btu output. A tankless water heater to replace a 30 or 40 gallon water heater has 199,000 btu output. This means you need to upsize your gas line to 1" or 1 1/4" for an inside install or install an exterior tankless right next to your gas meter and run a very short 3/4" gas line. I'll just say right now that I would only recommend a tankless if it is installed outside next to the gas meter. This method of installation results in zero venting costs and more space for the inside.
My #1 recommendation is to go with a 40 gallon tank water heater. 40 gallon is a more popular size, so the cost difference is not that much more than the 30 gallon. We import 90% or more of our water in San Diego, and the conveyance system crosses over 2 fault lines. If we had a serious earthquake and our water lines broke, you would then also have 40 gallons of stored drinking water instead of just 30 gallons.
Water is the deal here in San Diego. My customers often tell me they will put buckets under their faucets to catch the cold water coming out of the hot water line until hot water finally comes. (I don't like this because slip, trip and falls are a serious risk in a bathroom and water is 8 lbs a gallon)
Contrary to popular belief, a tankless water heater saves gas, not water. Tankless water heaters are noisy, so if outside next to the bedroom or kitchen window, you will likely be annoyed or distracted. Tankless water heaters do not produce instant hot water. You will have an average of 45 seconds of cold water coming out of your hot line, which is the same for a tank water heater. However, a recirculation pump will improve your hot water time with a tank water heater.
I hope this blog helps anyone who is looking for information on which type of water heater is best for their particular needs!
Lisa
Olive Branch G
Saturday, August 21, 2010
thank goodness for family!
This week we were so happy to have our nephew Kevin visit to see Olive Branch. Besides enjoying the company of family, we got to show Kevin the store he invested in back when we were scraping together dollars to start up. He scraped his own dollars up and felt that green building was a great way to invest. Although the money was something we desperately needed, the faith that we were doing something he believed in was even more important to us. Having someone that believed in us propelled us and still does. Every customer and friend that is behind us keeps us going. Moreover, using our own savings and retirement was a risk but we felt a huge responsibility to the dollars given to us by someone we love. We still do. ( We're waiting for Kevin's sister Tammi to come out and see her part of the store too.) Kevin lives in hard-hit Detroit and can see that things need to be done differently. We were so proud to show him what we're doing and what's going on here at the store. And someday we hope those investment dollars translate into a payoff!
lynn, co-owner Olive Branch
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