Whether you’ve hired a home remodeling company or are making small improvements yourself, consider choosing eco-friendly products. Eco-friendly products offer the same quality as traditional options, and without significantly more cost. Here are just a few environmentally-friendly choices you can incorporate in your remodeling project.
Paint
Before buying your paint, consider one of the many lines of zero VOC paint. Zero VOC paint contains none of the volatile organic compounds that contribute to lower air quality during and after painting. The zero VOC brands available from many manufacturers are only slightly, if at all, more expensive than a normal paint. Switching your paint type is a very easy way to create peace of mind about air quality, and reduce the amount of harmful compounds that enter the environment during remodeling. Take a look at Benjamin Moore’s zero VOC paint line Natura®, which is also asthma- and allergy-friendly.
Flooring
You can find many options for flooring with low environmental impact. If you are looking for a wood floor, one of the best options is cork flooring. Cork can be used virtually anywhere in your home. It’s produced from tree bark, which does not harm the tree when harvested. Its resilient character makes it resistant to scratches and easy to care for. The price range is in line with other hardwood flooring options. US Floors offers a wide line of cork flooring.
Another consideration is recycled tile. Many tile manufacturers offer tile that is as much as 90% recycled for prices almost identical to those without recycled content. We love Florim’s Pietra Romana and Charleston collections, Roca’s Avila collection, Monocibec’s Domus Aurea collection, and Oceanside Glasstile’s recycled glass mosaics. An additional option for environmentally friendly flooring is reclaimed flooring. Many older homes and buildings are being salvaged and the wood is saved, cleaned and offered as reclaimed hardwood flooring.
Kitchen & Bathroom
With a bath or kitchen remodel, t’s very easy to switch out plumbing fixtures for low-flow versions to soften your home’s impact on the environment. Since some locales (such as California) require water-limiting fixtures, American manufacturers have created hundreds of low-flow products which perform equal to or better than older models, while using less water. Many 1.28 gallon-per-flush toilets are equal in price to older 1.6 gpf models, and are sometimes cheaper due to their popularity. On websites like Build.com, you can find a range of products at different price points. Try narrowing your plumbing fixture search to “Made in America,” “WaterSense Certified,” “Low Lead Compliant” or “CA Drought Compliant,” even if you don’t live in areas where these regulations are present.
Another environmentally-friendly option is engineered countertops. Cambria engineered countertops are made in the USA, and provide the durable and luxurious look of granite without having to be transported across the ocean. They are available at a price point similar to a mid-level granite color. Because Cambria is 93% quartz (an extremely hard mineral), it is actually stronger than granite. It is also non-porous, so it does not have to be resealed with chemicals and does not harbor bacterial growth.
Explore the Options With Synergy
If you’re looking for a home remodeling company that can help you choose eco-friendly products, contact Synergy Design & Construction. At our new Reston showroom, we will help you throughout the design-build process to select the best products for your home and budget. Call us at (703) 766-6333 to get started on your project today!
