Sometimes, it takes seeing things done the wrong way to really drive home that there is a better way to get things done. For Ryan and Shane Murphy of Berlin, Md., becoming a “green” company was sort of a natural step.
Ryan said he has always been the type to recycle and finds ways to recycle most everything he uses, whether it be a soda can or a piece of hardwood flooring. But working for a large “production-style” construction company, where houses are churned out with little emphasis on quality or waste reduction, didn’t seem to fit his lifestyle.
“I have lived my whole life like this,” explained Ryan Murphy. “And for five years, I worked for a production-style construction company, which was the complete opposite end of the spectrum. And it dawned on me how bad it is. It’s ridiculous how much waste there is. And, ultimately, you are wasting money.”
“Living my life and working for them, it came to a head, that there is a better way to do things.”
Murphy said he and his brother and partner Shane have more than 20 years of painting and construction experience between them and started their business, Go Green Painting and Home Improvements, together about two years ago. Regardless of the products chosen by the clients, they work green aspects into every job they do.
Murphy explained that homeowners might want a “normal” hardwood floor from Home Depot, and the Murphys can help with installation but will be sure to recycle all scraps. And, when painting, they use no-VOC paints to minimize the amounts of carcinogens off-gassed into the air, as people spend the majority of their time indoors. And the company is sure to always recycle their paint cans and do staged cleaning in containers to minimize waste products entering local waterways.
“No matter how it goes down, we are a ‘green’ company,” he explained.
The types of things that Go Green Painting and Home Improvements can assist homeowners with includes installation of solar water heaters, low-flow plumbing fixtures, grey-water solutions, roofing, flooring and painting and more. They are a Certainteed-certified master craftsman of fiber cement siding, which is a fire retardant and made from 30 percent post-industrial waste.
Go Green Painting and Home Improvements is recognized by the state of Maryland as a Green Registry member, and Ryan Murphy sits on the Board of Directors of Grow Berlin Green, an initiative to make the town as green as it can be. They are licensed and insured as a contractor and could build a house from start to finish, as well as any of the remodeling/upgrade work that they do.
“It’s the little things we do, so I know when I leave work, I know I did my best to tread lightly,” he explained. “From beginning to end, regardless of what facet of construction it is, we can offer the customer a green alternative,” he added. “Some of them can cost more up front but save money in the long run.”
Other things, such as not having Dumpsters on job sites and instead making sure to recycle everything it’s possible to recycle, actually save homeowners money, so there is a balance to be found.
“We live in a very disposable society,” concluded Murphy. “It’s crazy how much trash people produce, and there are finite materials and resources, and we are blowing through them.” He added that many West Coast states are way ahead of the curve in the industry, and it is just up to others to catch up.
“There will be a time when green is no longer a fad — it will be synonymous with construction,” he predicted. “And we are the green contractor. We have got the knowledge, the products and the insight to be that.”
Go Green Painting and Home Improvements can be reached online at http://gogreenpaintingandhomeimprovements.com or by phone at (410) 251 9464.
