 Green Home Renovation
Green Kitchens
Eco Bathrooms |
May 3, 2012 Save Water in the Kitchen
An Energy Star–certified dishwasher was a must to save water and energy. This Whirlpool model will certainly help. The Sebastians’ new dishwasher is about 10 per cent more energy efficient and 12 per cent more water efficient than non-Energy Star models. If you’re still running a pre-1994 dishwasher, it’s time to pack it in: upgrading could save you enough every year (about $40) to buy a year’s worth of dishwasher detergent (nontoxic and biodegradable, please!). Once you’ve got the new dishwasher, remember to use it wisely. That means full loads, opting out of heated drying, and using a light or energy-saving wash cycle for slightly soiled loads. Bonus: running the dishwasher wisely is actually greener than hand-washing dishes. Woohoo!
April 18, 2012 Buying wood flooring
Things are happening fast at the Sebastian home for the eco-kitchen makeover. Cabinets have arrived and Burke is busy installing the cabinet boxes. But this week we’re all about the flooring. The new floors just went in. Nice, eh? Would you believe the core of this affordable laminate from Rona is made of 90 per cent recycled wood fibres, wood shavings or recycled wood products? These fibres are pressure-bonded with biodegradable resins. More than 85 per cent of this laminate’s components can be recycled. Laminate and wood flooring looks great, adds warmth and can be a green choice at home. Here’s what to look for when you’re shopping: Hardwood
Laminate
If you’re considering other kitchen flooring choices, check out the advantages and disadvantages here.
April 4, 2012 Green your Demolition
That’s the environmentally unfriendly side of greening your home: waste disposal. Most construction workers are under pressure by homeowners to work fast, so crews arrive with crowbars and a garbage dumpster and toss everything to landfill without making an effort to salvage what might be re-used. The green way to remodel is to think deconstruction, not demolition. Here’s how to reduce waste if you’re renovating a kitchen. 1. Salvage sturdy cabinets, faucets and sinks. Secondhand kitchen cabinets can provide storage in areas where appearance is less of a concern, such as garages, basements or laundry rooms. Take photos, then ask the contractor to remove cabinets carefully and set them aside. Call your local Re-Store (these building supply stores benefit Habitat for Humanity Canada) and arrange to send photos, since they won’t accept everything. Or list re-usable materials free on Craigslist or Kijiji. 2. Reuse decent appliances. When their old range conked out in January, the Sebastians purchased a new one just weeks before they won the contest. Since no ovens or ranges are Energy Star–rated, we’re working with their 2012 model. 3. Recycle half-decent appliances. We’re upgrading the family’s fridge and dishwasher to max out their energy and water savings. Their existing appliances date to the mid- to late-2000s. Since these would be a step up for another household running older models, we suggest selling or giving them away. Don’t be tempted to plug in that fridge in the basement or garage or you’ll lose all the energy (and money!) savings you earned by upgrading. 4. Retire an old fridge or freezer. If yours are 15 years older or older, they’re energy-wasters. Find out if your local utility company offers free appliance removal. Ontario Power Authority removes qualifying refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners or dehumidifiers; BC Hydro and Hydro Québec both pay $30 to homeowners for each spare fridge they pick up for recycling.
March 20, 2012 Tip for Greener Kitchen Cabinets
We’re busy hatching plans to transform our contest winners’ space into a beautiful, functional eco-friendly kitchen. Right now we’re finalizing our order for one key element of green kitchen design: kitchen cabinets. We want the Sebastian family to have a kitchen that’s healthy in every way, so this is a big decision. Here’s why. Many materials and finishes in a kitchen remodel arrive with that new kitchen smell — which could mean they’re off-gassing potentially hazardous vapours into the air you and your family breathe. You’ll find that most attractive and affordable kitchen cupboards are built from particleboard or medium-density fibreboard (or MDF, as your contractor will call it). The only snag is these building materials contain a secret ingredient: adhesives that contain urea formaldehyde. To make any kitchen or bathroom cabinets more eco-friendly, you can seal the exposed edges. Minimize your exposure to this harmful glue by asking that the factory seal the exposed particleboard on cabinets, or the underside of laminate countertops, with several coats of a water-based low-VOC sealant. Or do this yourself once these items are delivered to your home. Even better, shop for formaldehyde-free products and protect your indoor air. Stay tuned to see which cabinets we decided on!
February 23, 2012 Meet the winner of a $40,000 green kitchen!
Cooking is about to get a whole lot greener in the Sebastian home in Pickering, Ont.: Shelley Sebastian is the lucky winner of a $40,000 kitchen in the EcoHome Renovation Contest presented by EcoLiving and Rona. Her name was selected in a random draw. We loved how she put efficient lighting and energy-saving appliances at the top of her list, so the family can show their young daughter the importance of going green at home. Stay tuned to this blog to see the renovation come together. We’ll post photos and renovation tips as we collaborate with the Sebastians and a contractor to design a green kitchen using products from Rona. That means a water-saving faucet, high-efficiency, dishwasher, low-VOC kitchen cabinets, Energy Star home appliances, and more. It’s a win-win: Shelley gets the cutting-edge kitchen, but you get a blueprint for how to save money, energy and water in your kitchen too! |
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Saving water was one of our top goals as we planned the Sebastians’ green kitchen renovation. After all, water isn’t unlimited and it doesn’t come free. In fact, less than 1 per cent of the earth’s water can be used for drinking. Check your old utility bills and you’ll notice how rates have crept upwards over the past 10 years. 
Next stop: the faucet. Most kitchen faucets wash 8.3 L/minute down the drain. We fell hard for this gorgeous 
We showed up on day one to watch the start of the eco-kitchen renovation. The Sebastian family had removed all their belongings, and Burke Cook and Brennen Wilson of Goodwood Trim Carpentry arrived to protect the rest of the home and begin the demolition.
