A GREEN BATHROOM REMODELAre you planning a bathroom remodel? How about a green bathroom remodel? After all, its one of the most used rooms in the home and one that your guests are almost guaranteed to see.It’s also the room that people will spend time in alone. For this reason, it’s important to have a really great looking, efficient bathroom. And making your remodel "green" is, well, the right thing to do. Planning a green bathroom remodel means you should consider the overall picture and make sure you have the time and money to do everything you've planned. But, take heart ... there are lots of inexpensive projects that can help you improve your bathroom, be greener and save money. You might start by comparing prices on products and materials created with conservation in mind. Save Green. Live Green. Explore a variety of Eco Options only at homedepot.com Following are a few ideas for your green bathroom remodel that can save you big bucks now and over the years. Replace Your Old Toilets If every home in America replaced their old toilet with a new high efficiency one, nearly a trillion gallons of water would be saved each year! All new toilets are now low flow toilets by law and they can use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Prior to 1994, most toilets used at least 3.5 gallons, or about 20 gallons of water per person per day. Click HERE for a FREEBIE ... a way you might be able to have a low-flow (or, technically, lower flow) toilet for free! Not all old toilets can use this tip, but if yours is one that can, this green bathroom remodel can have you saving money on your very next water bill!Green Countertops Products like Vetrazzo, (right) are entirely made from recycled glass and each is unique. Most are smooth and flat, but some are slightly bumpy, which, for some, adds to the appeal. And the rule about blues being more expensive does not apply, as all colors are basically the same.Comparable in strength, scratch resistance, thermal resistance and durability, this product can be used wherever ceramic tile, granite, marble or other natural stone surfaces would be used. There are many other green bathroom remodel materials on the market today, with new ones coming out all the time! For more info, click countertop or search green countertop or recycled countertop using the Google Custom Search Box (upper right). A New LinoleumThis is a resilient floor covering made of burlap, canvas, or felt and surfaced with a composition of (if you can believe it) wood flour, oxidized linseed oil, gums, other ingredients, and coloring. A green bathroom remodel you can almost eat!The layers are pressed together to make this product. Originally, English rubber manufacturer, Frederick Walton, patented linoleum in 1863, replacing Kamptulicon (camp-TUL-ékon), a costly rubber composition. In the manufacture of linoleum, linseed oil is exposed to the air in a succession of thin films until it's a rubbery consistency, and then ground and mixed with pulverized wood and other ingredients. Because it's made of organic materials, its widely used in non-allergenic homes, hospitals and health care facilities. For other floor options search organic flooring. Paint The Bath GreenNot green paint! Environmentally friendly, non-toxic paint. And there are many green paint choices out there for a truly green bathroom remodel.Conventional paints often contain heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), insecticides, bactericides, mold inhibitors, binding agents, and formaldehyde. Your green bathroom remodel should maybe start here. New environmental regulations plus consumer demand have led to the development of low-VOC and zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and finishes. Most paint manufacturers now produce one or more non-VOC variety of paint. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health. And ... really, a green bathroom remodel should use these products. Search voc paint. Green Bath FixturesGood low-flow or water-saving faucets and showerheads deliver what feels like full-volume water. They provide equal or better performance than conventional fixtures, while saving water costs, water heating costs, sewage costs, and more. Low-flow showerheads that are designed to federal standards (2.5 gpm at 80 psi) incorporate a narrower spray area and a greater mix of air and water than conventional showerheads. You now can buy faucets that automatically shut off at pre-set times, are hands free (meaning they come on as your hand moves under them) and are temperature set to deliver a pre-set temp each time they're turned on.There are new residential fixtures with foot and leg controls that function like those you see in doctor's and dentist's offices! And atomizers that deliver water in small but abundant droplets to cover larger surface areas, pulsators that vary spray patterns with pauses between spurts or by pulsating between strong flow and light mist, aerators that mix water droplets with air to cover the desired surface area and regulators that can be set to reduce or stop the water flow when the user needs (for shampooing, lathering, etc.). Search low flow fixtures. An OverviewGreen materials and ecological design are cutting edge ways to implement sound health and hygiene practices, ensuring that clean water, clean air and healthy environments remain available for everyone. Your bathroom is a great place to start getting green!
1. For an updated version of a classic backsplash, look into recycled glass, ceramic or porcelain tiles for the walls—now available in every color and sheen imaginable. You even have the option of choosing eco-friendly caulk! 2. Of course you should opt for environmentally friendly countertops. There are new products and materials coming on the market all the time. 3. For vanities and cabinets, avoid materials like particle board that contain formaldehyde. Instead, seek out sustainably harvested woods or rapidly renewable materials like bamboo, wheat straw, or sunflower plants bound with resins free of volatile organic compounds. 4. Effective ventilation makes for a more enjoyable and healthier bathroom. Operable windows and good ventilation systems are a good way to keep fresh air circulating through the space. 5. Consider what will flow out with the water as it leaves the bathroom. Live in compliance with your commitment to a clean environment and your green bathroom remodel by thinking about the use and disposal of cleaning and body care products before you buy them. 6. Think about low flow faucets for both the sink and the showerhead. As listed above, this is a great way to save money and help save the planet. 7. If you don't like linoleum, there are other flooring choices to consider. Finished bamboo and cork will give your floor a new, edgy look and recycled materials and Earth-friendly laminates come in a wide range of styles and colors. 8. A low flow toilet might be your first consideration, as the savings are there immediately and will continue year after year. If you have a home built in this century, however, you may just have the right one already. If you have a remote vacation home or live outside the city, consider a composting toilet. Many of these use no water at all, require no septic system, turn the waste into organic matter and will never clog or overflow! And while you're thinking and planning, the bathroom designs featured on this website (AllBathroomDesigns.com) might just be the spark you need! |
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