A Guide To Counter Lighting For Your Kitchen

If you’re just getting started with a kitchen remodeling or a few small updates, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Should the countertops be granite, quartz, Corian, Formica or wood? What about the flooring – tile, hardwood, or laminate? When you move onto lighting decisions (often one of the last considerations a homeowner makes), you may be ready to throw in the towel and go for anything your contractor recommends.

Hold that thought! Under cabinet lighting is poised to bring out the colors and details of your countertops and backsplash, complement your wall color, and add warm ambiance to the entire room. It’s not the type of decision you want to slough off. And besides, once you know a few basics, it’s an easy choice. Read through the two considerations below and you’ll be ready to choose kitchen undercabinet lights that are perfect for your home.

Fixture Styles. This determines how the light will be distributed on your counters. If you have little time and energy in your hands to consider one aspect of your under cabinet lighting, let this be your choice. Now, picture your ideal kitchen with your favorite appliances, cabinets, wall colors, and most importantly, beautiful lighting. Hone in on those countertops: Is the lighting concentrated in mini-spotlights along the counters, creating a dramatic effect? Or is it distributed evenly for a more subtle glow?

You are analyzing the difference between puck lights and linear lights. Puck lighting results in the spotlight effect that comes in the form of small, usually circular light fixtures that shine down in pools of light on the counters. Linear undercounter lights are the opposite, with long, slim, low-profile light fixtures that are meant to light in a uniform manner. You may also encounter light strips in your search for under cabinet lighting. These are similar to linear lights but often don’t have the glass diffuser. Therefore, you see a bit more of the individual light bulbs with light strips than you do with linear lights.

Light Source. Now that you have decided whether you will go for puck lights, linear light fixtures, or light strips, it’s time to pick out the light source. Options here are LED, xenon, and fluorescent. You may also find halogen and incandescent under counter lights, but those light sources give off so much heat that it’s better to avoid them. That heat output can do a number on perishable food items you are storing in the cupboards above the lights, or fruits and veggies sitting out on the counters below. Fluorescent light fixtures get a bad rap for light quality because the older styles do not render colors accurately and have, unfortunately, made their way as permanent staples in office lighting. Don’t let that fool you! Modern fluorescent lights are available in a variety of color temperatures and provide high-quality light output that flatters your countertops and your complexion. If you go with “warm white,” you’ll be surprised by how well it emulates incandescent light bulbs. You can also opt for “neutral white” or “cool white” if you’re not a fan of the yellowish shades. The best part about fluorescent under cabinet lighting is that it’s incredibly efficient.

Xenon is the light source that many people aren’t too familiar with. Here’s the scoop: Xenon is a type of incandescent lighting which simply uses a bit of xenon gas inside the glass envelope of the light bulb in order to lengthen it’s lifetime. This one’s a beautiful choice for under cabinet lighting as it gives off an attractive warm light and it’s fully dimmable. Xenon does produce some heat, however not as much as halogen or incandescent lights do. Still, if you’re looking for a light fixture that’s cool to the touch, avoid xenon lighting.

Finally, the pinnacle of energy efficiency: LED under cabinet lights. Yes, they’re a little more expensive to purchase but their lifetime is downright impressive. You won’t have to purchase replacement light bulbs for years with LEDs, hence you can save money for the rainy days. Most LEDs aren’t dimmable, but some light fixtures have two levels of brightness. Many LED under cabinet lights give off a brilliant white light while others have a few options for color temperature, similar to that of  the fluorescent lights described above.

About the Author

Emily Widle is a blogger for Pegasus Lighting, an online retailer that sells a variety of unique lighting products for your special needs, including puck and linear under cabinet lighting.

Does Your House Plan Leave A Green Footprint?

If you are looking to building a new home and excited to create something that leaves as little harm to the environment as possible, you need to start your planning with the house plan itself.

Having everything mapped out at the start, will allow you to streamline your energy efficiencies and allow you to create a home that is both practical and green all at the same time.

What You Need To Consider

When it comes looking at floor plans, there are a couple of key points that will drastically improve how green your home ends up:

1.  Are You Taking Advantage of The Elements?
   Depending on where you live, there are specific benefits of having certain parts of your house facing in specific directions. Which direction gets the most sun/shade? Where do your afternoon breezes come from? Knowing the answer to these questions allows you to mould your house plan to suit your environment.
2. Match Your Living Spaces with Your ClimateLarge open and free-flowing living areas can be amazing, but heating and cooling them can become quite expensive – both for yourself and the environment. While having big sliding doors and windows that allow cross breezes makes this style perfect for hotter locations, if you live in a colder climate that requires heating, smaller living areas where you can close off connecting rooms, will definitely use less heating.
3. Consider Your Materials
   The products that you build your house with obviously play a big role in energy efficiency. Make sure you research the products that your builder recommends, especially:
   • The Type of Insulation
   • Exterior Wall Material (Bricks, Fibre Cement, Blocks Timber)
   • Appliances (Is your toilet low flow? Are you using energy efficient shower heads? Do you have energy star appliances?)

   Make sure you think about these elements during the blueprint stage, as you do not want to be making changes later down the track.

4. What is Your Lighting Plan?And finally, now is the time to start thinking about how you will want the inside your house to look when it gets dark. Obviously you are going to want lights, but what type and how many? Ceiling lights have long been a large contributor to your power bill and it is not uncommon for main living areas to have 6-10 down lights in one room. The easiest way to go green when it comes to lighting is to use ‘energy efficient’ LED or CFL light bulbs. Not only to they use less electricity to run, but they last longer – which means less bulbs in our landfill.
5. Have You Thought About Solar?Probably the most important, and most expensive, change you need to consider when building a ‘green’ house is installing solar panels. Both general solar power and solar hot water drastically decrease your reliance on the power grid – and can save you a heap of money. The problem is the initial installation cost which can be quite steep, which is why a lot of average income earning people never get them installed.If you are stuck on the money problem, I would recommend going with the solar hot water option first, as hot water is a large proponent of your electricity bill each month and is definitely a great first step.

As you can see there are a lot of simple things you can do at the house design stage that will allow your house to leave a bigger green footprint.

Indoor Water Features Humidify Your Environment

There are many reasons to include indoor water features in your home or workplace. One reason you may not know is that features such as indoor fountains naturally work as humidifiers.

Why Use Indoor Water Features?

Many people purchase humidifier machines because of the health benefits they bring. Using indoor water features instead brings you all the benefits of humidifier machines, while also giving you the beauty, tranquility and relaxation that a fountain provides.

Indoor fountains are also much quieter, offering the soothing sound of flowing water as opposed to the humming and whirring of an electric machine. They also produce less moisture at one time than humidifiers do –too much moisture can lead to wood or carpeting in your house mildewing or rotting.

Benefits of Humidifying Your Environment

There are many health factors involved in humidifying your home or office environment. Indoor atmospheres are much drier than those of the natural outdoors. During colder months, you probably also use a heating system to circulate warm, dry air. An overly dry environment can lead to respiratory problems, compromise the immune system, and increase fatigue. It can also dry out your eyes, skin and hair, causing discomfort and negatively affecting your appearance.

Using indoor water features adds moisture to the air, making it fresher and easier to breathe. Humidified air improves overall respiratory function, thus strengthening your immune system and helping your body fight illness. It helps you feel more alert and energized, and helps your skin and hair stay vibrant and healthy.

Everyone in your home or workplace will benefit from the positive effects indoor fountains have on the atmosphere. Even indoor plants will be healthier; plants need moisture in the air as well as the soil in order to stay sprightly.

Ionic Balance

Another health benefit you get from using indoor water features instead of humidifiers is a better ionic balance. Electrical devices, such as televisions, stereos, and even the humidifiers themselves, emit positive ionic molecules, which is a main reason why indoor environments have an overly positive ionic balance. Positive ions are known to cause depression, deplete your energy, and lead to problems with circulation and respiratory function.

Flowing water, on the other hand, releases negative ions into the environment. Outdoor atmospheres, particularly those near bodies of water, naturally have high concentrations of negative ions. Indoor water features help create a healthier ionic balance in your home by releasing negative ionic molecules. This makes your indoor air fresher and easier to breathe, and fights the negative effects of the positive ions released by your electronics. You will find yourself with more energy, a stronger immune system, a better mood, and improved overall circulation and breathing.

Function Meets Style

Indoor water features are not only functional, they also improve the aesthetic appeal of your home or office. They bring life to any room and serve as a stunning and unique artistic feature. There is a seemingly endless array of styles and materials to choose from, so you can find something that is perfect for any interior design.

Types of indoor water features range from small, portable tabletop fountains to huge, cascading indoor wall fountains. Materials used to make them include stone, marble, copper, and stainless steel. You can incorporate painted artwork, an engraving of your business name or logo, or design elements such as lights, mirrors, candles, wood, or pebbles.

Indoor water features can be used in any room of the home or workplace. They can serve as a relaxing greeting at the end of a long day when placed in your entryway, or calm you during a meeting when used in the boardroom.

Whatever you choose, indoor water features bring many benefits.

Polly Godwin is the owner of IndoorFountains.com, a company specializing on indoor wall fountains as well as home and business décor.

Teslin: Environment-Friendly Plastic Alternative for ID Cards

Plastic cards are widely-used items because of their lightweight and durable quality, making them ideal for IDs, bank cards (ATM, credit, and debit), keycards, as well as point-of-sale activation cards among many others. This convenient access to privileges and services makes the plastic card a staple in our daily lives. But these plastic cards are made out of PVC plastic, and while PVC is inexpensive and durable, certain chemicals used to make this material can pose a risk to the environment and to people’s health. A number of businesses have recognized the need for a suitable, more sustainable alternative to plastic PVC cards — and one latest innovation called Teslin seems to be the ideal substitute.

Teslin substrate, commonly referred to as ‘Teslin paper’, manufactured by PPG Industries in Barberton, Ohio is a microporous, synthetic material that is soft, yet strong, and can absorb inks readily; has a high bond-ability, is water-resistant, and is highly printable, flexible, and durable. These characteristics make Teslin an ideal alternative for plastic cards — reducing health and environmental risks while offering the same quality and convenience as PVC cards.

Ultra durable
Teslin is able to withstand harsh environments and taxing processes, remaining pliable even in extremely cold temperatures and surviving heat of up to 200° C. It can be steam pressed and dry cleaned as it is waterproof, resistant to abrasion and tearing, and stands up to a large assortment of chemicals.

Highly printable
Being a porous material, Teslin has a highly absorptive quality allowing inks to set almost instantly, producing vibrant colors and awesome print definition. Furthermore, it is compatible to most printing processes and technologies, thus doesn’t require special inks or equipment. It can be printed on both sides, doesn’t crack upon folding, and doesn’t need an edge seal when laminated.

Uniquely designed
Teslin feels soft to the touch and offers a valuable cushioning quality for embedded electronic applications. It remains flexible at temperatures down to -70° C, while maintaining heat resistance up to 200° C. Teslin has less reaction to static than other synthetic materials.

Inherently secure
Teslin forms adhesive bonds as much as 10 times stronger than those of other substrates — requiring no edge seals to produce durable, secure products, making it inherently tamper-resistant and tamper-evident. Teslin can also accommodate the embedding of security features within the material, allowing security system simplification and reduced costs for businesses.

Aside from regular ID cards, Teslin is also a preferred material in a variety of technology-focused applications such as e-Passports and radio frequency identification (RFID) cards and labels.

Teslin might as well be the future of cards and identification systems, and it’s a great thing that it has recyclable plastic material that provides for long-lasting, durable products enabling reduction and conservation of resources.

About the Author

Interested in anything and everything sustainable, May Flores is a freelance writer and graphic artist who occasionally does work for Cardprinting.us, an online provider of plastic cards and key tag printing services.

4 Quick Tips For Eco-Friendly Pest Control

1. Use Traps

For the majority of pests, including ants, roaches and rodents, there are traps that can get rid of them while being harmless to the environment. These devices are preferable to insecticide sprays and powders for many reasons. For one, they are scalable, meaning that you can purchase exactly the number that you need to control the problem without having leftover pesticide that you either have to store or properly dispose of. Also, they are reusable, and can be reset and replaced as many times as you need until the problem is under control. Lastly, they do not leave any toxic residue, unlike some pesticides, making these devices safe for children and pets as long as they are hidden, so that they are not accidentally triggered by anyone other than the targeted pests.

2. Consider Non-Toxic Bug Killing Powders

There are two main types of pest control powder that are non-toxic to humans and other mammals, but incredibly toxic to insects. The most popular of these is diatomaceous earth, which is made up of the fossilized remains of small plankton-like creatures called diatoms that lived many millions of years ago. Its chemical structure on a microscopic scale is such that it is highly abrasive to the protective exoskeleton of insects and will kill them through dehydration after they come into contact with the substance. The second type of organic pest control powder is known as boric acid, and it works in much the same way, by damaging the pests’ protective covering and leading to their dehydration and death. Both of these powders have a similar toxicity to table salt, that is to say they are completely harmless to mammals. So you can employ them wherever you need some extra pest control help.

3. Encourage Natural Pest Predators

This is something that escapes most people when they’re trying to think of how to deal with pest issues, but it can be one of the best, most eco-friendly, and lowest cost options for pest control that there is. For instance, if you’re dealing with a mouse or rat problem, having a cat around your property can do wonders for decreasing the population. And even leaving some bugs that you might think are pests, such as spiders, can drastically reduce the number of actual pest insects such as crickets and flies. Spiders in general are not a problem, as most of them do not bite and even fewer of them pose any threat to humans, so leaving them alone to eat more annoying insects is a good strategy for reducing the problems you might face.

4. Don’t Make Pests Feel At Home

The main reason people get infestations in the first place is that they have unknowingly rolled out the welcome mat for these bugs or rodents. Things as simple as garbage that hasn’t been taken out regularly enough or food that might have fallen under an appliance can be a huge attractant for pests of all kinds. Making sure to concentrate on keeping a very clean home will go further than most other pest control efforts, and what’s more it doesn’t cost anything. The most important measures that you can take are cleaning up messes right away, taking out trash every night and keeping it in sealed containers, and keeping food sealed away either in the fridge or in airtight canisters.

By following these 4 tips, you will have the upper hand over pests, all without the potentially harmful effects of pesticides and other products. Good luck!

About the Author

Sam Gerald is a writer specializing in pest control topics, particularly the greener options for getting rid of annoying bugs such as bed bugs. To learn more please visit Do My Own Pest Control.

Tips On Cleaning Up Your House Exterior

Just as with the rooms inside your home, the exterior of your house can wind up becoming dull, messy or weathered. Since the exterior of a home is exposed to the elements and, perhaps, is seen less by its occupants, it can be easy to allow this area to stagnate and eventually result to the building appearing unattractive. Freshening up your home’s exterior may take some time but when you end up with a brighter, cleaner, more appealing property, it’ll be worth it.

The first step should be to clean away any rubbish and waste that has accumulated outside. Sometimes this is simply a case of picking up discarded packaging, cigarette butts and so on, and taking them to the bin, while in other cases, you’ll need to remove items such as rogue tree branches that are encroaching on your patio from your garden. Use a power washer to clean any paving slabs around the rubbish bins and pull up any weeds that are ruining the look of the place. Take a mop or vacuum cleaner and remove any cobwebs or other debris that have appeared on things such as your acrylic house signs or in corners near drain pipes. Also, consider changing your house sign if needed, or putting one up if you haven’t got one yet. House signs instantly add worth and uniformity to the aesthetics of your house.

If the weather is reasonable, you may want to get outside and give the exterior of your house a lick of fresh paint. You could just use a new coat of the same colour or you could opt, instead, for a new shade to help spice things up. Ensure that you’ve carefully considered the surrounding area, though, before you choose your new paint since you’ll want to fit in, to some extent, with what’s around you. For example, picking a really bright paint may make your house look brash if every house near you is painted in very low-key colours. Some climates also suit certain colours more, such as light colours and hot weather. Also, discuss the colours you’re choosing with others in the household and reach an agreement before you start to make any radical changes.

If you’re having trouble with foliage, try clearing leaves away before they turn and cut down any dead branches you come across. This will help you make room for new plants, which will present a brighter home exterior when they grow and blossom. Trim any shrubs or bushes down to size  near your house’s entrance to create a neat impression.

A big job will come in the form of cleaning your home‘s outside walls. Luckily, you only need to do this a few times eack year at most, but it does mean your home’s exterior will be free from the dirt and debris that has slowly built up and so will be much cleaner as a result. A power washer is useful for this task, so ask a friend to borrow one or else rent a unit. You can use this power washer to attack the dirt across the entire exterior of your property.

About the Author

Our guest blogger today is Zoe, an avid design blogger and freelance copywriter who loves to share her knowledge through content on the internet. Currently, Zoe is writing for house sign company House Name Plate. Tweet your thoughts on this article to @bloggingstyle.

Furniture in the Digital Age

The need for high tech gadgets in today’s world has become a necessity rather than a simple luxury. You may often wonder, “What’s next?” If this is a thought that goes through your head, then I now have an answer for you: furniture for the digital age, which is the era that we are currently living in.

As each year passes, there are more and more pieces of furniture designed, developed and introduced to the world –to individuals seeking a way to always be connected to their lifestyle. The “New York Times” compiled a list of top digital age furniture and here are our 7  favorite pieces.

Alarm Dock for Areaware
Most of us have done away with traditional alarm clocks and simply use our iPhone to do the wake-up calls in the morning. But, instead of just setting the alarm and sitting the iPhone on the nightstand beside your bed, you can now turn your iPhone into a stand-up alarm clock with the Alarm Dock for Areaware by Jonas Damon. This Alarm Dock for Areaware makes it more convenient for you to see the time as it lights up on your iPhone like a conventional alarm clock, saving you the time and effort t0 press a button for the screen to light up.

M2L XXL Chair
Don’t you hate it when someone is trying to look over your shoulder to see what you are texting your boyfriend or what you are looking at on the internet? Aggravating, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid things like this from happening? Try the Scene XXL Chair from M2L. It has a high back that permits privacy and even comes with a tablet table.

Hollandia iCon Bed
Do you like to listen to music when you go to sleep at night but have trouble hearing the stereo from across the room? What if you could use your iPad to listen to music and be able to hear it incredibly well while lying down in bed? The HollandiaiCon Bed is modernly designed and comes with a headboard that is equipped with, not just speakers, but an amplifier to make your music sound even better, and, not one, but two iPad docking stations.

D’E-light from Flos
How would you like to have an attractive, modernly designed table lamp that could charge your Apple iPad or iPhone? It could prove to be very convenient in our modern-day, high-tech world and now you can do so with the Flos D’E-light lamp with a Apple device docking station.

Lovegrove&Repucci Concerto Desk
Like the look of a piano but don’t actually want one in your house? What if you could have a desk that was shaped just like a piano and can charge your iPod? You can have it with the Concerto table by Lovegrove&Repucci.

Science and Sons Phonofone III
If you are into modern art or even music, you may find the Phonofone III by Science and Sons to be astonishingly attractive. Not only will it be an attractive piece to your home décor and current art, but it can be used as an Apple iPhone docking station, too.

Jonas Damon Vintage TV iPad Dock
Flat-screen TVs are what we use these days, but they can prove to be pretty expensive. With that being said, how would you like to be able to watch a movie on your Apple iPad without having to hold it yet still get the flat-screen feel? With this iPad docking station based off the design of a vintage television, you can get the vintage design and flat-screen TV all in one.
Which piece of digital furniture is your favorite?

About the Author

Lisa is an avid yoga enthusiast who enjoys writing in her spare time – home of www.usdish.com.

Eco-Friendly Patios = A Happier Home and Outside Environment

Eco-friendly items are getting more and more popular as people become aware of the human imprint on the surrounding world. Harmful emissions and toxic chemicals permeate many common items, from chairs to lighting fixtures. Is there a way to decorate a favorite area in the house -like the patio- with mostly eco-friendly materials? Manufacturers are responding to the public’s growing desire for environmentally symbiotic materials, thus creating a number of alternatives for the savvy consumer.

Remember visiting the local home improvement store and purchasing those mass produced plastic patio chairs? Consumers are no longer forced to purchase these items. Commonly, alternatives are patio furniture made from recycled sources. For example, if a wine enthusiast plans to host a tasting party in his patio, he may fill the area with chairs constructed from recycled wine barrels; the wood has this vintage appearance that can generate conversation during the party and you are saving a tree from destruction to create an artistic wooden chair.

Chairs may be comfortable for a few visitors, but what if you have quite a number of guests? A strategically placed patio bench is another option for homeowners. However, instead of recycled materials, some manufacturers are relying on sustainable materials that have a heavy growth cycle such as eucalyptus. Benches and small tables can be produced from this durable material for a soft wood appearance.

What about the patio floor? Most patios are permanently attached to an apartment or house foundation, but they can be decorated with flooring mats for a different look. Most eco-friendly mats are created from recycled materials. For example, a specially designed mat made from flip flop parts is a conversation starter and a bright addition to an otherwise basic floor design.

Using light energy from an eco-friendly source can pose a challenge. A lot of people tend to use candles as an alternative, however, these can easily be knocked over possibly causing a fire hazard. In addition, the tar and other chemicals that ignite through the candle’s body are not friendly to the air. Solar energy source is a good alternative as the solar panels can soak up the sun’s rays during the day and illuminate the patio at night. The soft light will create a relaxed atmosphere after the sun goes down.

Natural light that comes from the sun gives off a warm and cozy ambiance to any room, but there are also times that summer evenings can become chilly, that is why carbon fiber heating elements within patio heaters are eco-friendly alternatives to gas heaters. This technology physically heats the surrounding areas by emitting infrared rays rather than heating the surrounding air molecules. As a result, there are no harmful gases that exude from the heater, including carbon dioxide.

For those on a limited budget, decorating the patio can be as easy as moving a few strategic items from inside to the outside. Placing an inside vase on the patio’s table with some picked flowers from the garden is one simple way to add a personal touch to the patio’s aesthetic sense and does not cost money at all. Strategically placed indoor plants along the patio’s perimeter will also add more visual depth for a relaxing day and evening with friends and family.

About the Author

Kelly is a home improvement writer/blogger who focuses on patio decor, including designing with goods from Patioshoppers.

Eco-Friendly Fabrics and Paints You Can Use in Your Home

Home is where the heart is. So, it’s no wonder you want to keep your home clean, healthy, and relaxing. For homeowners wanting to spruce up their space using more earth-friendly materials, home decor companies have come a long way when it comes to creating eco-friendly fabrics and paints. You can respect the environment and still maintain a cozy space all your own.

Beautiful Bedroom Fabrics

If you’ve been thinking it’s time to get back to the basics of love — or the basics of interior design, at least — then you’ll adore the elegant simplicity of the stunning bedroom collections created by John Robshaw. His hand-stitched duvets, shams, and pillows feature such eco-friendly fabrics as organic cotton and 100 percent silk. Also, Robshaw frequently travels to Asia to help create jobs in the textile industry.

Refreshing Bathroom Accessories

The one place in the house where you’re actually comfortable going au naturel is in the shower or tub, right? When you’re in the bathroom, wouldn’t you also want to be surrounded by natural fabrics? Pure Fiber offers an assortment of fluffy towels and bathrobes made from bamboo yarn for homeowners who care about the environment. These products come in various colors, including white, gray, blue, and brown. In other scrub-a-dub-dub news, Pottery Barn boasts a series of pure organic cotton shower curtains.

Green Home Office Decor

Working from home can save you serious time and money because it allows you to skip long commutes. Why not reinvest some of that cash back into beautifying your office? Spruce up your floor with natural fiber rugs. You can find handwoven rugs made with wool, jute, seagrass, and sisal. Pull a similar trick with your window shades. Eco-friendly blinds consist of renewable resources, like bamboo, rattan reed and jute.

Healthy Kitchen Choices

The last thing you want in your kitchen is a bunch of chemicals lurking about. So, if you’re remodeling or redecorating the space where you eat, choose your paint wisely. Some types of paint contain volatile organic compounds, commonly known as VOCs. Major manufacturers, such as Glidden and Sherwin-Williams, make low-VOC interior paints for healthier homes. If you’re sick of sloshing spaghetti sauce all over your shirt, try a hemp apron on for size.

Cool Children’s Room Ideas

Being a baby is a tough gig with all that eating, crying, sleeping. Swaddle your little bundles of joy in organic sheets and thermal blankets. BabyEarth.com has a wide selection of natural nursery items, including a fitted cotton waterproof crib pad, for anyone who is preparing for a baby. SimplyBabyFurniture.com features a few brands of cribs made with nontoxic, lead-free finishes and wood that is harvested in an environmentally responsible way.

As your children get bigger, you can add a touch of class to their rooms with 100 percent linen bed skirts and pillow cases from Pom Pom at Home. If you decide to brighten a kid’s room, remember to pick a low-VOC paint.

 

Amy Moczynski is a freelance writer for Myrtle Ave. Pediatrics, a pediatrician’s office serving Oldsmar and Clearwater

The Biggest Myth About Green Remodeling

Green may be the newest and fastest growing trend in home remodeling, with natural materials showing up in every room and consumer awareness at an all time high, but the green remodeling perception still has one major myth it can’t seem to shake. While everyone knows that using environmentally friendly materials and practices in a remodel is beneficial for the environment, most people still think green remodeling is a good deed done purely for the environmental factors, not for selfish reasons. This, fortunately, is definitely not true.

Green remodeling is as beneficial for the average homeowner as it is for the environment. Unlike some other eco-friendly things you could spend your money on, green remodeling is really all about being selfish. Sure, by using recycled materials and installing low flow faucets you’re conserving the planet’s natural resources, but you’re also saving thousands of dollars on the remodel itself and over the years on your utility bills. What homeowner is going to say no to that? That “feel good” feeling you get from installing a dual flush toilet or using recycled glass tiles on the counter really comes more from being able to brag about your savings than how much you’re helping the environment. And if what you want is to brag about single handedly saving the environment, make sure your old materials are properly recycled for someone else to use.

Think of it this way: you could easily spend over $30,000 on a mid range kitchen remodel with hardwood floors, custom lighting, all new appliances and a great new countertop, but your neighbor could spend the same amount putting in sustainable materials, eco-friendly light bulbs, adding natural light and buying Energy Star and Water Wise appliances and faucets, and then have lower water and energy bills than you, racking up the savings year after year. The fact is that green remodeling costs about the same as traditional remodeling, but savings over the years add up to make it the more affordable and more cost effective option. This is especially true for families who use a lot of energy as the savings will add up even faster.

The great thing about this myth, finally being busted, is also busting its sister myth: the idea that while savings from green remodeling do add up, it can take many years and isn’t feasible for those who need savings right now. This used to be true but hasn’t been in many years, thanks to the surge of green materials and products on the market driving availability up and costs down to traditional levels. Today, any homeowner can put in energy efficient appliances, water smart faucets, sustainable materials and even more sophisticated additions like solar roofing panels for the same price as non-green products once tax deductions and other supplements are factored in that keep initial costs down. Once your green remodeling products are installed, you’ll see savings on your utility bills the very next month and will continue seeing savings until you’ve accrued enough to pay for those products and appliances all over again.

Lindsay Mineo writes a home remodeling blog for Palatin Remodeling, including on green remodeling topics. Follow her on Twitter for more remodeling tips and advice.