Green Bathroom Remodel
The most talked about advantage of green bathroom remodeling is that it saves energy and water resources. Also take advantage of recycled or refinished materials. Bathroom remodeling makes the property attractive to homeowners, hotels or motels, apartments, or anyone else who has bathrooms that need to be updated. This is especially important in a sluggish economy where prospective property buyers are looking for properties that already have energy and water efficient fixtures installed.
Home improvements add value to any property. And that’s why real estate agents who know the advantages of remodeling are telling those they help sell their properties that potential home or property buyers are looking for energy-efficient fixtures and appliances. Realtors who understand and embrace this knowledge use it to sell four times as many homes as their competitors.
Bathroom remodeling in combination with refinishing involves considering many factors before you begin your home renovation. Whether your motivation is environmental responsibility or saving money, a bathroom remodel will keep you satisfied. Your bathroom is your place of solitude, health, hygiene and relaxation.
Many building supplies vendors are selling bathroom remodeling supplies that are made from recycled materials like tile; vanities and floors, for example. Recycled fixtures, like refinished sinks and countertops, save money and conserve natural resources. Old fashioned claw foot tubs are becoming popular again. Newer tubs aren’t as good as the originals, so many homeowners prefer traditional, older-style clawfoot tubs.
Environmentally sound bathroom remodeling starts with good consideration of water resources. How is the water used? That means close attention must be paid to how much water is used when flushing the toilet and also how much water is used by the shower heads. For example, switching from an old standard toilet to a much smaller dual-flush toilet can reduce your water use by 22 percent.
Refinishing, coupled with good use of environmental assets, can save apartment owners and other commercial institutions money on their energy and water bills. It takes a fair amount of energy to pump water into a purification facility, process it, and pump it into the house. Also, energy is needed to process the waste that leaves the house. And when you add in the energy it takes to produce hot water, you see that there is a substantial amount of energy involved.
According to the American Water Works Association, toilets consume an average of 20.1 gallons of water per person, per day in a home that does not have water conserving fixtures. That’s a lot of water in a day and about 30 percent of the water that a person in an average household uses indoors in a day. So for good savings, consider water-saving fixtures like low-flow toilets. Dual flush toilets are the way to go.
According to the Federal Energy Management Program, just upgrading a 3.5 gpf (gallons per flush) toilet to a 1.6 gpf model reduces annual water use from 27,300 gallons to 12,500 gallons. Another way to reduce water use and save money is to use low-flow toilets and replace bathroom showerheads.
Home renovation offers the opportunity to move from energy-intensive incandescent lighting to more energy-efficient fluorescent and halogen lighting. Since the goal here is to save energy, it’s time to add insulation to cover openings that lose energy, while avoiding more energy-hungry features like heated floors.
By refinishing, beauties like antique claw foot tubs can be restored like new. Many ceramic tiles may not need to be thrown into landfills. Colors can even be changed to match your bathroom decor. Remember, not replacement, but refinishing is your best remodel option.
Today, there are varieties of good recycled tile products. There are also materials for your walls and even your bathroom countertop. Use non-toxic grout and caulk.
To achieve maximum efficiency for your bathroom, be sure to upgrade your plumbing supply and drain lines. Proper shutoff valves must be installed and ensure that the hot water system works smoothly. With all other considerations, make sure you have a budget to remodel or refinish the bathroom.
Remodeling a bathroom with durability in mind
Bathroom remodeling offers the opportunity to remodel with a long-term view, as most remodels are done to last a few years. It is estimated that 40% of the waste that goes to landfills comes from home remodeling, which includes bathroom remodeling. Remodeling bathrooms to last only a few years adds to landfill and has a huge impact on our environment. When considering your home improvement, pay attention to how long you want your remodel to last.
Benefits of Green Bathroom Remodeling
The best environmental benefits of bathroom remodeling are achieved when building materials, lighting, and ventilation are combined with equally environmentally sustainable products. By using products that are not environmentally friendly, we cross out the achievements we have made in reducing VOCs. The same goes for the products used in cleaning.