How to Create an New Jersey Environmentally Friendly Bathroom with Renovations
Renovations designed to help make homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly have been becoming more and more popular over the last several years, and it's easy to see why. Having a more environmentally friendly home isn't just great for the environment, but it's also safer and healthier for you and your family—plus, it can save you a lot of money on your energy costs. If you're remodeling or renovating your New Jersey home's bathroom, doing it with some "green" options is one of the smartest decisions you can make.
Creating a more environmentally friendly home is as simple as conserving water, electricity, and other resources and forms of energy. The professional New Jersey remodeling contractors at All County Renovations can help you select the perfect green options for your bathrooms, and we've also compiled some of our favorites.
Here are a few of the best things you can do to create an environmentally friendly bathroom:
1. Use Non-Toxic Building Materials
Using green, non-toxic building materials is a great way to make sure that you're harming the environment, and it will also help you create a living space that's safe and healthy.
2. Use Soybean or Cotton Based Insulation
Insulation that is made from materials derived from soybean or cotton will be completely non-toxic, which makes it safer to install. It's also safer and healthier to have in your home, and better for the environment.
3. Make Sure the Hardwoods You use are Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an organization that was created as an initiative against deforestation. All FSC certified woods are rapidly renewable.
4. Build with Cork and Bamboo
Any features you're constructing for your New Jersey home's bathroom renovations can be made with cork or bamboo. These woods grow much more quickly than trees, so they are much less wasteful of the Earth's resources. Another plus: they're very attractive and durable.
5. Stay Away from VOC's
VOC stands for volatile organic compound. These compounds have distinctively low boiling points—so low that they tend to evaporate at room temperatures. Some VOCs, like formaldehyde, are found in common products like paints and sealants, and they can easily poison your indoor air if you aren't careful.
When VOC's must be used, it's recommended that they are used in well-ventilated parts of your New Jersey home. Try to find products marked "Low-VOC" or, preferably, "No VOCs".
Use Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixtures
Standard toilets use around 3-5 gallons per flush, and in an average home in New Jersey, they can account for up to 30% of indoor water consumption. Installing low-flush toilets (which use around 1.6 gallons per flush) can drastically reduce the amount of water you waste in your home. There are also dual flush toilets, which have a low-flush button for liquid waste, and a higher flush button for solid waste.
