7 Bathroom Remodel Design Tips for a Healthier and More Eco-Conscious Home*

Office bathroom at Kaltimber. Ironwood countertop & towel handle, rustic iron wastafel and tiare flower.

These seven simple tips will help make your bathroom greener

When you’re remodeling any part of your home, most of your concerns tend to revolve around the time, cost and effort required for the project. Making your home more eco-friendly doesn’t always top the list of priorities at this stage, but it really should. The planet (and your wallet) will thank you for it!

Bathrooms, in particular, are immense guzzlers of water and energy. A bathroom renovation is the best time to consider small changes that can add up to huge green results.

1. Low-VOC Materials

As you probably know, lead plumbing should be replaced right away, but that isn’t the only thing to worry about from a health perspective.

Many traditional materials emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that affect indoor air quality and pose a serious health risk for years. While choosing paint, grout, adhesives, caulk and sealers, opt for low-VOC or no-VOC materials as much as possible.

2. Better ventilation

In addition to foul odors, damp bathrooms offer the perfect breeding ground for mold, bacteria and a host of other nasties. Make sure you’ve got adequate ventilation and maintain good airflow to keep your bathrooms dry.

Installing a bathroom fan isn’t always enough to release trapped moisture and heat from the space. Check that the fan expels air out of your home instead of into the spaces between walls and ceilings. To reduce energy use, consider an exhaust unit with a timer switch, motion sensor or humidity sensor.

3. Water Conservation

Bathrooms are responsible for almost half of all water used in a household, with most of it literally going down the drain. Newer low-flow showers and faucets, low-flush toilets and high-efficiency heaters offer excellent water-saving features.

Adopt better bathroom habits (shorter showers, repairing leaks and drips, closing taps while brushing/shaving, etc.), but take a good long look at your faucets, shower heads, toilet flush units and heaters, too.

4. Energy-Efficient Lighting

Whether it’s a small bathroom remodel or a larger space you’re taking on, the right lighting choices can cut down energy use tremendously. There’s a wide range of LED lights and low-wattage lighting systems that use very little electricity and emit less heat, too, so look into your options.

These may cost more initially, but the energy savings can make up for the difference in as little as a year (and they last up to 20 years!). Use natural light to your advantage with skylights and windows.

You can find more on how to improve bathroom lighting in the very well made article of our friends Ashton Real Estate. From light levels to safety consideration this guide will help you making the right choices.

5. Water-Resistant Surfaces

Wallpaper and carpeting are your worst enemies during a bathroom remodel, since they offer no resistance to water. In a damp space, these materials will become a hot spot for mold and bacteria faster than you’d believe, and they’re often high in VOC emissions, too.

Bathrooms need to withstand heavy use, cleaning and water exposure. Stick to low-VOC finishes and materials that are water-resistant, such as ceramic or recycled-glass tiles. These are stylish and eco-friendly, and available in various designs and colors to suit every interior space.

6. Sustainably Sourced Fittings

Natural materials like bamboo and wood are popular choices for bathroom cabinets and fittings, but make sure they’re from sustainable sources.

Particle board and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) surfaces emit a carcinogenic gas called urea formaldehyde, so seal them with low-VOC or non-VOC materials or avoid using them at all.

7. Natural Products

While this isn’t technically a bathroom remodel tip, we believe it’s important, especially since natural and organic products help improve indoor air quality. Using chemical-laden products in an eco-friendly bathroom makes no sense, does it?

Instead, opt for cleaning products (or body, skin and hair care products) that are fragrance- and chemical-free.

Taking all these considerations into mind before you begin renovating your bathroom is the easiest way to ensure you have a clean, green space. Happy remodeling!

 DESIGN

Would you like to add a design touch to your new greener bathroom? In its classy latest article Top Reveal shares 20 elegant design for a new bathroom, for a new you.

CLEANLINESS

As you're upgrading your bathroom, make sure to take into account how easy it will be to clean it in the future. HomeViable.com shares a comprehensive article on bathroom cleaning to help you through it. 

Recycled ironwood countertop, rustic iron wastafel, custom lights; a combination of material and craftsmanship in our office bathroom/toilet.

*source - Earth911.

 Earth 911 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Earth911 also teams up with other affiliate marketing partners to help keep our lights on and the waste-fighting ideas flowing. If you purchase an item through one of the affiliate links in this post we will receive a small commission.

The Many Gifts of Pine Wood

Have you think of a serious idea on the type of wood utilized to create your household furniture? Would you identify the distinction between a piece of pine bedroom furniture as contrast to cherry bedroom furniture? If your answer is no, then we share the same sentiment. Majority of the people shop based on appearance and price without even knowing the type of wood that was utilized to come up with these items. Yet, you have a fairly excellent reason to begin thinking of this.

The class of wood selected for furniture will define how sturdy the furniture is, how long it will last, and the strength of the furniture as well. It will also make a difference on the appearance and color of the furniture if it is not painted. This is where the idea of having information of the difference between several types of wood furniture becomes so crucial.

Out of all the wood furniture available in the market, pine wood furniture is one of the most famous selections. Now, let us take a look at why it is very enticing and appealing for a lot of individuals.

Aesthetics: The natural wood color of pine is very beautiful. It has a lighter shade of wood that can be painted or stained to probably any color that you want. Yet, a lot of people who buy pine wood furniture opt for its natural beauty to witness the appealing wood grain. When it is appropriately manufactured, it is the natural beauty that is appealing to a lot of individuals. Natural beauty of pine wood exudes elegance and gives sophistication to the entire home.

Durability: Pine wood is regarded as a strong wood that creates sturdy furniture.  As long as it is well-maintained, pine wood furniture will surely last a lifetime. You can even buy pine wood furniture for your children without having to worry that it will collapse easily. It is a known fact that durability is considered to be one of the most essential things to consider when buying a furniture. One of the reasons why people tend to replace their furniture at a short period of time is because they do not buy high quality furniture that is dependable. Metal and plastic furniture is a bit cheaper as compared to solid wood furniture, but they also wear up a lot faster because the materials per se are not that sturdy.

Pricing: Basically, you can expect a much higher price for a durable piece of wood furniture as compared to something similar which is made from metal sheet or plastic. However, there are sure fire ways to get cheaper wood furniture. Pine wood is a very cost efficient wood source so you can practically find high quality furniture made from pine that costs minimal as compared to the similar furniture from other types of wood. The quality is still prevalent however, you will pay less.

Because of a light color of pine wood, a lot of pieces of pine furniture have a very warm, country feeling to them. You can utilize pine to come up with virtually any style of furniture, but is basically utilized to create pieces with a homey traditional feel.

Pine wood - source Decordezine

OSB Sub-Flooring

Home buyers nowadays, not to mention those contractors and property builders are passionate about the “green movement”, paying close attention to factors like reduced power consumptions, environmental effects and interior air quality as prime issues. As builders nowadays push to become a lot competitive in the marketplace by giving its own pie environmental responsibility to their offering, Oriented Strand Board or more commonly known as OSB sub-flooring is emerging as one of the most efficient product choices to obtain significant recognition.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB) has proved itself as one of the important materials in the construction industry specifically when it comes to flooring, roof sheathing and wall sheathing. New innovations thrive to drive the benefits and application of this extraordinary sustainable construction material.

OSB subfloor with tongue and groove. Picture egger.com

The “OSB Panel” which is environmentally friendly came from renewable fast growing trees of minimal diameter, and is utilizing minimal levels of dodgy levels of dangerous formaldehyde when compared with same products. OSB is practically cost efficient as compared to asbestos or ply board.

This ground-breaking oriented strand board panels are long-lasting, durable, consistent and reliable from one specific classification to the next, and are capable to supply building contractors with the choice of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Chain of Custody Certified wood, that is practically the wood used to come up with these types of woods. These woods are harvested from managed forest so we don’t have to worry about extinction.

Further, if you are a building contractor working with timelines like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or more commonly known as LEED or the National Green Building Standard, several classes of sub floor products can aid you in attaining this goal if the sub floor products do not add resins like urea-formaldehyde.

With the prices being competitive, you will surely realized that in long term, you will save significant amount of money because based on clinical studies, OSB’s have a life expectancy on regular basis doubled ply boards and other subfloors. Oriented Strand Board flooring is durable and dependable for even the most challenging business and residential flooring needs. However, OSB should not be open to the dampness or weather on a continual basis, and should be flat installed, beneath or inside covers and shielded from the elements before installing it.

These types of pioneering materials are very useful not only because of its durability but of its essence in the environment. The superficial factor of these boards will not readily tell you its benefit in the environment, but the long term effect can practically be rewarding in your house and in the environment as well. It is high time for homeowners and building contractors in shifting its use instead of ply boards and plywood to using OSB as it supply unimaginable benefits and advantages in and out of your house. True enough, Oriented Standard Boards could be the material of the future in coherence with sustainable development and green movement.

Is Amazon Rainforest On the Verge of Dying?

There are no other ways but to present to you one of the most important discussions that we can share with you. This article is cut in to three portions so that we can be able to relay to you important points of this topic. As we write this article, we cannot help but empathize and feel not only for the immediate victims but for the entire earth. Imagine destroying your lungs… How can we be able to breathe? That is what the world is experiencing right now…

They are the first to suffer from forest fire

Hold Up! The whole world knows what happened with the Amazon rainforest. Yes, you are right, the world’s largest lung is about to die. Nobody knows what truly transpired with the fire. No one can really pinpoint what is the cause and reason of the catastrophe. All we know is that not only the Amazon rainforest is damaged, but the entire humanity as well.

Some of us might not experience the impact of the increasing wildfire especially in terms of their ferocity and frequency. But the truth of the matter is, they consume forests and destroy lives. Is there a more efficient way to battle them? Could the circular bio-economy aid in saving the dying Amazon?

While it is true that some parts of the world may not feel the impact, slowly, it is getting in to our very nerves in terms of economy and sustenance to the forest’s natural resources.

Wood, for instance is in extreme shortage because of what happened. Not to mention the animals and other plant species that has been in extinction because of wildfire. Mind you, more than 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been eradicated in the world map. What was once green in shade can now be seen as grayish charcoal in the satellites and can barely be seen in clear because of smoky sights that somehow transcends loss of life, did you see it?

Animals, for instance and different kinds of species are also damaged and wiped out without express aid. How about the tribes and ethnic groups that settles and wanders throughout the rich forest? How are they going to cope with this disaster?

Well, these are the major points of discussion that can be lingered on not only  now, but in the generations of tomorrow. How can fight these occurrences that happen naturally, or intentionally, as we speak? Common fire management practices are equipped with several solutions. Controlled fires which were broadly restricted by colonialist authorities had long been utilized by indigenous and ethnic groups to manage their forests and lands and to secure their group and community from huge scale wildfires.

The next part of this discussion focuses mainly on how the Brazilian Environmental authority has done to battle and cure this endemically natural disaster that cut lives and resources all over the globe. Is there still a way to mend the broken lungs? If there is, how long can we be able to attain its richness and beauty? Will it be on this lifetime?

The first part of this discussion has shown the cause and effects and all the questions that might arise in this phenomenon. This time, we will pay close attention to the meat of this topic. And on how the people, nation, and bodies directly affected by the large-scale wildfires are acting.

In the past few years, the Brazilian Environmental Authority has been working with the aid of ethnic and indigenous peoples. They have been acquiring knowledge from seniors in terms of battling fire, employing ethnic firefighters and putting budget in the application of these best practices on a wide scale. This practice has evolved in to a concrete and stable Fire Management technique with the use of prescribed burns at specific times of the calendar so as to stay away from big scale destruction when the dry and hot wildfire seasons say hello. Common know-how is the framework of all the exercises of prescribed burns in the Amazon territories and is already being practiced in seven Brazilian States namely ROraima, Mato, Grosso do Sul, Grosso, Maranhao, Tocantins, Goias, and of course, the Amazonas. We are speaking of eleven million hectares.

As to this writing, more than sixty percent has been damaged because of large scale wildfires. The construction and furniture industries are crying in terms of shortage. According to statistics, almost fifty five percent of furniture makers and companies all over the globe are getting their supplies and resources in the Brazilian region of the Amazon rainforests. There has been somehow a retard in the production of wooden furniture. On the other hand, construction industries all over the globe, especially in the European region are somehow affected on this.

Hold up! We are only talking on one facet of the problem. And we have yet to tackle the entire economy in terms of other resources which are obtained and acquired in the Amazon rainforest.

Unimaginably, communities across the world will surely struggle in dealing with the increasing impacts of climate change in relation to sustainable development. At this crucial juncture, in our entire humanity, we as a person need to learn, listen, support and respect ethnic traditional knowledge.

Basically, the circular bio-economy is a fast growing approach for more sustainable and industrial development. It is a fusion of twin key sustainability principles. First, it involves utilizing more bio-based and renewable resources for value added items like energy, wooden materials, food and chemicals by utilizing organic waste streams from agriculture and forestry. On the other hand, biodegradable products are taken back to the environment and thereby re-inserting as part of the entire cycle.

By this regard, we can be able to eliminate wildfires even during dry months simply because fires are taken out in the equation. We are to make sure that we make no room for fires. Easier said than done, but it is doable.

The last installment of this discussion is the culmination of the ultimate solution which is bio economy. Let’s continue to read and be educated.

As we have discussed, there were twin key sustainability principles and we still owe you the second one. Well, it keeps those sustainable products and materials in use longer by means or recycling, remanufacturing, sharing and reusing. Instead of throwing them away for sole a sole purpose, might as well make another life out of it. In that regard, we can be able to make the forest be cured in a faster way because we will not need that much. Meaning, we will not also be getting that much. And the end goal is here is for the forest to recover faster than the usual.

In the past article, we asked you if the Amazon can still recover during our lifetime. The answer is yes. And the ultimate solution to that is the most essential part of a circular bio economy which is cascading the utilization of biomass resources.  In relation to this, the main purpose of cascading is to enhance resource efficiency by capturing the significant embodied in materials while decreasing demand for fresh primary items and materials. This idea can be efficiently applied to cascading the use of wood items, paper, and a lot more.

Direct burning of rainforest resources, as we have witnessed in Brazil over the last few months, is the direct opposite of cascading utilization. It destroys not only essential natural habitats but is ultimately wasteful and inefficient from an overall foresight. A swift transition in to a circular bio economy could reinforce a strong innovation development and environment of new high value items like food, supplements and wooden products.

Artistic creation of wild fire

But, to be able for Brazil to take advantage from the rich genetic resources of the Amazon rainforest, it will require protocol and policies in order to preserve the biodiversity of the rainforest to be able to make sure functioning ecosystem in using the natural resources in a sustainable development.

For those of you who have been following us for the past months, this is ultimately what we are talking about in terms of sustainable development. Even before the wrath of the Amazon wildfire occurred, we are already talking about sustainable development. If only our discussion reached the persons affected of such disaster, we may have the chance to prevent it or at the very least, minimize the situation.

But the damage has been done. And we are not stopping from here. We should move forward and embrace what can be done to be able to let the Amazon rainforest in the most efficient and fastest possible time. At the end of the day, we want to see that rich green back in to the picture from up above. There is still a solution. We just have to strictly abide by it.

Truly indeed, the Amazon rainforest it the world’s last rich rainforest. It serves as a lung to our habitat. I cannot imagine the world without it. So, while there is still a solution, we contribute in our little own way.