Are you Eco Friendly?
Are you using Bio-Based Products?
Are you aware of the toxicity of your home’s Volatile Organic Compound output?
I know. Sometimes, it’s not easy being green.
If the thought of “going green” sends you into a tailspin of overload paralysis, consider the wisdom in using baby steps and taking one room at a time. Keeping in mind the old adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” let’s take a step back and look at making environmentally friendly improvements to one of the most-used rooms in your home: the bathroom.
David Johnston, author of Green Remodeling[i] offers a number of energy efficient improvements specific to the bathroom:
- High-performance, low-flow shower head with chlorine filter
- Compact fluorescent bulbs
- Lighting controls
- Windows that open
- Water filters
- Low-flow faucets
- Insulated plumbing and pipes
- Insulated hot water tank
- Solvent-free adhesives
- Low-flow or greywater flushing toilet
If you’re intending to incorporate finishes such as countertops and/or cabinetry to your bathroom, be sure to use water resistant elements such as exterior-grade plywood or solid wood, says Johnston:
“Solid wood can be a healthy alternative. The best woods to use are FSC-certified with a low-VOC, water-based wood finish. If you decide to paint the finish, use a hard wearing, washable, low- or no- VOC and formaldehyde- free paint.”[ii]
Whether or not you perceive yourself as being environmentally savvy, it’s good to know the world around is becoming increasingly “green” which makes it much easier to jump onboard. I found several of these products at a reasonable rate on sites such as Amazon.com, McDaniel’s Do-It Center, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Sears.
Choosing to implement these or other ecologically friendly changes to your home has a number of long-term benefits such as: better energy efficiency, reduction of hazardous toxins (mold, formaldehyde, lead, etc.), higher resale value of your home, and reduced water/heating costs over time. Best of all, they WILL make you eco-friendly.
If you’re in the market to buy or sell a home, I’d love to help. My name is Joni Kerley, Real Estate Agent specializing in Snohomish County. Give me a call sometime at 425-343-4545.
Photo used courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
[i] Green Remodeling, by David Johnston. A Mother Earth News Book for Wiser Living, New Society Publishers, 2004.
[ii] GreenBuilding.com, September 30, 2011.
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