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We have been trying to be as environmentally conscious as we can in everything we've done to our house. Now that the day is drawing near for the kitchen remodel, we're looking for ways to stay green. We're planning on the following
2 Light tubes to increase natural light without the heat transfer of a skylight.
Led cabinet lighting.
Energy efficient appliances
Marmoleum floors (probably)
low VOC paints
Anyone like to share what they did or any suggestions?
we're trying to be green as well. we're getting paperstone certified countertops and using recycled glass tiles on a backsplash. in terms of appliances we're downsizing to an 18" miele dishwasher which will hopefully reduce energy/water usage and a 24" deep x 24" wide x 79" high vestfrost fridge which is apparently very energy efficient. (it also is very helpful when cramming things into a teensy kitchen)
we really wanted to do bamboo cabinets from henrybuilt but they're a few orders of magnitude out of our price range. ikea is a great match of relatively low impact with low prices that will allow us to get higher end, more efficient appliances and the paperstone countertops.
pgans, we may at some point install light tubes as you described--i'd really be interested hearing your take on them if you go that route. are you using the ones that have lights built in as well, or do you have separate lighting?
We are going to use the ones that do not have a light, and we are set on using them. It's just more cost effective to not get the ones with lights, plus there will be slightly less reduction in sunlight coming in.
For other lighting in the kitchen we will be using dimmable recessed cans. Not the best for energy, but then again we won't be using them nearly as often. If we go the LED under-cab and toe kick route, We should be able to get away with using only those unless it is at night.
Our remodel is in July, and I will be blogging probably every night during, at least putting up pictures. I know how fun/ helpful it is when I've seen other people doing it. You can subscribe to my blog also, which will give you updates. You will also love the Paperstone, they have a very natural feel. Which color are you getting? If you are DIY (or even if not) check out their handyman specials on their page, as you can get some pretty good deals.
we've done just about everything else ourselves since we bought this house 3 years ago but someone put her foot down and said we weren't doing the kitchen ourselves, so someone else will be installing it, including counters. We're looking at the black paperstone (obsidian maybe?).
Our house is pretty small but has lots of light for being in the city. Everyone we've talked to says we don't need the solatubes but it would make a big difference, I think.
I'll keep an eye on your blog, pgans. The toe-kick LED is a cool look. We'll try to post details about our kitchen once things get underway too
How exciting! We did a reasonably green renovation last year, including the kitchen.
What countertops are you looking at? We've got quartz in the kitchen because I couldn't find a bright white countertop in a green material other than IceStone, and we couldn't afford that. Caesarstone is an environmentally conscious company, and I often see quartz hailed as a green choice, but I'm not sure why -- I know our quartz was manufactured in Israel and shipped.
We put Shetkastone (reycled paper) in the new bathroom, but it scratches easily, so I'm not sure I'd put it in a kitchen. I really like Paperstone and Richlite (but they don't come in white, for our kitchen), and I adore IceStone and other recycled glass countertops with a cement or concrete base. EnviroGlas uses recycled glass and you can make up your own mixes -- this countertop uses a resin base instead of cement or concrete. I found the company really easy to work with, but I didn't care for their light resins -- I really, really wanted a bright white, and I was being difficult.
Which light tubes are you using? We used the Velux Sun Tunnels in three places in our new space, and we love them. We did put the lights in, since we placed them in a walk-in closet, a bathroom, and a hallway that didn't have other lighting. I can't tell you how much they brighten up the space.
We used the Paperstone in Slate, which is a discontinued grain but looks exactly like obsidian. Shipped from Washington to Texas the total cost for 2 4'x10' slabs (1" thick) was around $1700. That's around $22/sqft!!! I will take that price any day.
I'm not sure which brand of light tube we will use. Do you have any comments on yours? I'd love to see pictures if you happen to have them also!
These are some pictures of the installation of the Sun Tunnel. We rarely turn the lights on inside of them, never during the day. It does seem like more light came through before the cap was put on at the end, but you can't have it open to the elements, I guess. One thing to consider -- you will have what look to be plastic bubbles on the roof of your house -- that's where the light comes in.
These are some pictures of the installation of the Sun Tunnel. We rarely turn the lights on inside of them, never during the day. It does seem like more light came through before the cap was put on at the end, but you can't have it open to the elements, I guess. One thing to consider -- you will have what look to be plastic bubbles on the roof of your house -- that's where the light comes in.
That looks great! Thanks for the pictures!! What an excellent idea to harness the power of the sun, without the extreme heat put out by skylights. I'm not worried about the external bubbles, plus at our house they will be facing the rear. We're pretty lucky as the roof slopes toward the south on this side of the house which will give us good light throughout the year.
What size did you get? Are you pretty happy with your choice? I see they come in many sizes so we are trying to figure out what would be best. Of course I could get a huge one, but it wouldn't look as nice and it would probably be overkill.
You mentioned using Low-VOC paints. You can go zero VOC with Olympic Premium Low Odor - check the side of the can - the base is 0 VOC, so depending on the pigment added, you may still be zero when all is said and done. Ask the paint technician to see the Material Data Safety Sheet for the pigment to check the VOC level of the pigment as well.
I used soapstone counter tops - it was between that and Paperstone Certified. Paperstone was a little more expensive and shipping from Seattle to Cincinnati was high both environmentally and economically. I got my soapstone from NJ on a free shipping special. Soapstone is mined at a shallower depth then granite and is more durable - it won't stain. I'm thinking of getting Paperstone for some other projects in the house though. I also have Enviroglas counters and floors - they are in Plano, TX and I love it. It has a polished finish though, so scratches would show on it. Of course butcher block is always a safe choice as well. Thanks!
You mentioned using Low-VOC paints. You can go zero VOC with Olympic Premium Low Odor - check the side of the can - the base is 0 VOC, so depending on the pigment added, you may still be zero when all is said and done. Ask the paint technician to see the Material Data Safety Sheet for the pigment to check the VOC level of the pigment as well.
I used soapstone counter tops - it was between that and Paperstone Certified. Paperstone was a little more expensive and shipping from Seattle to Cincinnati was high both environmentally and economically. I got my soapstone from NJ on a free shipping special. Soapstone is mined at a shallower depth then granite and is more durable - it won't stain. I'm thinking of getting Paperstone for some other projects in the house though. I also have Enviroglas counters and floors - they are in Plano, TX and I love it. It has a polished finish though, so scratches would show on it. Of course butcher block is always a safe choice as well. Thanks!
We did use the Olympic brand paint from Lowe's in the bedroom we are refreshing right now!! It was so nice to not have that nasty smell while painting, how refreshing! Plus it covered really well (over dark red of the previous owner).
I'll have to check out the Enviroglas just out of curiosity as we are in DFW. Paperstone handyman specials are hard to beat, plus you can get really good deals if you just need a small piece for a bathroom or something. There is no way we could have bought Paperstone without getting it through their specials page.
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