Water-Saving with Green Bathroom Remodeling
Between your shower and your toilet, bathroom facilities are responsible for 42-47 percent of the water consumption in your home. That's right. Nearly half the water you and your family uses leaves your home via your bathroom. What can you do about it?
A dual flush toilet is a great start. These toilets allow you to flush one way when disposal needs are light, and another way when they're heavier, rather than applying full force every time you flush. You can put in a new toilet or add a dual flusher to your old one. Either way, you'll probably save over 15,000 gallons of water over the course of the year, not to mention how much you can save on your water bill.
As for the shower, a low flow shower head will still hit you with up to 2 gallons of water per minute while potentially knocking a third or more off your water consumption. Other water-saving shower options include attachments that allow you to flip a lever or press a button to temporarily pause the flow so you don't waste any water while you're lathering up, or a time that shuts the water off after you've showered for a predetermined amount of time.
Other Green Bathroom Options
Water-saving methods aren't the only sustainable bathroom remodeling options you can choose. A heat-exchange ventilator fan can help get rid of odors and mold without letting you lose heat as heated air escapes. To save electricity, replace the on-off switch with a timer.
If you're re-tiling, consider ceramic tile, which is sturdy, low maintenance, and low on toxicity. Tiles made from recycled content or even better.
Be sure to fit light fixtures with CFL or LED bulbs to provide high levels of illumination without burning gobs of electricity.
Whatever remodeling choices you make, look for products with low VOC or no VOC content and materials with Green Seal certification. For more on how you can remodel your bathroom with the environment in mind and find great savings while doing it, contact GreenerzRemodeling.com.
