| Once considered purely utilitarian, bathrooms are | | | | attractively designed products and materials that |
| increasingly places for rest, renewal, and | | | | reduce water consumption. |
| self-pampering. Plan your bathroom remodel to | | | | Creating a Green Bathroom |
| achieve both looks and luxury; incorporate "Green" | | | | Begin your bathroom remodeling project with a |
| design components to contribute to a healthier | | | | design that incorporates your family's needs. Prepare |
| setting that is more environmentally friendly and that | | | | a checklist of the improvements you'd like to include. |
| also carries lower ongoing costs for you. | | | | Assess how you will most effectively reduce |
| Health-focused designs maximize fresh air and natural | | | | humidity in the bathroom. While your window may |
| light. This focus serves to reduce the risk of injury, | | | | meet code requirements, is it really open all winter |
| as well as to identify and rectify such potential | | | | long, or do you need a supplemental exhaust fan? |
| problems as molds, allergens and toxic chemicals. | | | | Carefully evaluate the materials you choose. For the |
| Green remodeling techniques are specifically designed | | | | vanity counter, choose materials where surfaces are |
| to be durable and to create a safe environment with | | | | manufactured to resist absorption of bacteria and |
| materials that are made from manufactured products | | | | which can easily be cleaned without harsh chemicals. |
| with as few toxins as possible. | | | | For the shower, consider a one-piece shower pan |
| The Dangers of Mold | | | | rather than a tile pan, to reduce the possibility of |
| Mold is the number one problem for household | | | | mold building up in tile pan grout. Similarly, give |
| contamination, infection and disease and the | | | | thought to single-panel wall shower and bath |
| bathroom is the primary source of mold | | | | surrounds. |
| contamination. | | | | For the vanity cabinet, select woods that are |
| Mold, a simple fungus, adheres to and grows on | | | | renewable and certified by the Forest Service Council. |
| surfaces where there is a high degree of continuing | | | | Examine your water usage and identify ways in |
| moisture -- often on damp floors and unsealed grout | | | | which you might conserve. Flow reduction devices for |
| lines. Mold spores can float on mild air currents caused | | | | showers and faucets don't interfere with good water |
| by simply walking into the room. Inhaled mold and | | | | pressure. |
| fungal spores produce allergic reactions, as well as | | | | The newer low-flow toilets have improved greatly |
| hypersensitivity to other lung irritants and infectious | | | | since 1.6 gallon-per-flush toilets first became law in |
| diseases. "Some forms of mold found indoors | | | | 1994. No longer is it necessary to flush multiple times. |
| produce toxins which can be carcinogenic, induce birth | | | | The Toto Aquia dual-flush offers one button to flush |
| defects, and can affect the immune system," says | | | | liquids that uses only 0.9 gallons, and a second button |
| David Johnston, a certified LEED contractor. | | | | for the now-standard low flow of 1.6 gallons for solid |
| If your remodeling project is precipitated by a mold | | | | wastes. Even newer in the market are several High |
| problem, pay attention to more than just the latest | | | | Efficiency toilets which only uses 1.28 gallons per |
| trend in vanity counters, shower systems, and | | | | flush. |
| faucets. Be sure to eliminate all mold-infested | | | | A significant way to reduce energy usage is with a |
| materials in the bathroom and adjacent areas after | | | | tank-less water heater. Tank-less or "on-demand" |
| tear-out and before you begin installation. | | | | water heaters don't waste the gas or electricity used |
| Environmental and Expense Factors | | | | to constantly keep traditional 40-to-70 gallon tanks of |
| Although bathrooms are usually smaller than kitchens, | | | | water at 120 degree temperatures. Another bonus is |
| bathrooms are the largest user of critical resources - | | | | that there is no large storage tank taking up space. |
| the place where most of the indoor water is used in | | | | Ventilating fans should be installed with timers, to |
| a home, and where the highest percentage of | | | | enable a departing homeowner to leave the house |
| energy is consumed. | | | | before properly venting excess, damaging humidity -- |
| According to the Environmental Protection Agency | | | | knowing that the fan will turn off in a set period of |
| (EPA), the average person in the United States uses | | | | time. Consider a humidistat-controlled vent fan in |
| 90 gallons of water per day. Most of the water used | | | | rooms that don't have adequate ventilation otherwise |
| is for bathing and showering. Additionally, a leaking | | | | -- the control will automatically sense the level of |
| faucet can waste up to 2,000 gallons in a year, and a | | | | moisture in the bathroom and run the vent until |
| leaking or running toilet can waste 200 gallons a day. | | | | reaching selected degrees of dryness. |
| Green remodeling offers the opportunity to consider | | | | |