If you are planning on remodeling your kitchen, going energy efficient Renovation is a great way to give your kitchen an upgrade. Since a kitchen remodel is a large task and the greenest of remodeling tasks means starting over from scratch, it will give you the chance to put a lot of green options into your kitchen. It does not matter if you are only upgrading your cabinets, appliances, or plumbing going green remodeling in your kitchen is a good beginning to having your whole home be green.

Even though the cost of green remodeling a kitchen is very important to people that own a home, it is not easy to pinpoint exactly how much it will cost. Every homeowner that is considering going green may only want their kitchen to only have a certain level of environmental friendliness, and so does the scope of a person’s green kitchen remodels. However, there are some general things that I can share with you about going green in your kitchen:

• Just because you are going green, does not mean it will cost more. The majority of green remodeling materials can compete when it comes to cost with the traditional ones. They could even cost less than the options that are not environmentally friendly.
• Going green remodeling means having low-maintenance kitchens that are built to last. That means that you will pay less for things that need to be fixed and replaced for the life of your kitchen.
• Another benefit of go green remodeling is that it will lower your energy expenses, at the present time and for many years in the future.
• The real worth of a green kitchen cannot be seen in monetary terms. Your indoor living space will be healthier. As previously mentioned, you will also have building materials that are of high quality but do not need a lot of maintenance. You will also be committing to being environmentally responsible.

Things to Avoid in Kitchen Improvement Process. While you are going green, these are the ways that you can do so in an energy efficient manner:

• Buy Energy Efficient Appliances: Replacing your appliances with appliances that are “Energy-star rated models” can lower the expense of using your appliances by over thirty percent. Just getting a brand new refrigerator can save enough money to light your house for three years.The reason for this is that manufacturers are regularly making technology and methods of insulation better. Also, refrigerators that have the freezer on top use ten to twenty-five percent less energy than the same kind of model where the fridge and freezer are side-by-side. Some states and utility companies in some regions will give you a rebate if you buy Energy Star appliances. There are also energy saving or quick wash cycle dishwashers. They do not run as long as long as other dishwashers which means that they save energy and water. You can also get a dishwasher that has an air-dry feature, which means it dries your dishes with circulating fans instead of heating elements that use up a lot of energy.
• Insulating Hot Water Pipes: If you insulate your hot water pipes, it prevents heat loss as hot water runs from your hot water heater to your faucet. This means that your hot water heater does not have to work as hard to heat your water.
• Install Low-Flow Water Faucets to Cut Down on Water Usage: This type of faucet can cut down on the amount of water that you use by sixty percent.
• Install an “On-Demand” Hot Water Circulation Pump: his kind of pump sends hot water to your fixtures all throughout your home within a few seconds. Your water resources will not get wasted while it waits for the water to heat up. Your hot water heater will operate in a very productive manner which will lower your energy costs.
• Install Radiant Floor Heating: Radiant floor heating will make your kitchen more energy efficient. That will make the heating more comfortable and consistent. It will also get rid of airborne particles that come with forced air heating and can heat all parts of the house from the basement to the kitchen.
• Skylights and Windows: Skylights and windows can provide your kitchen with natural light, a connection to the outdoors, warmth, and fresh air. Instead of having a wall of windows in your kitchen, you should strategically place the right kind of window or skylight for the best views, ventilation, and energy performance.
• Install an Under-The-Counter Water Purifier: This type of water purifier has about ten times the filtering capacity of a water purifier that you mount on your faucet. A high-quality purifier with an activated carbon filter will get rid of heavy metals, bacteria, and pesticides as well as the bad smell and taste.
• Composting: Instead of disposing of your food waste in a garbage disposal, use the natural process of waste disposal also known as composting. There are small composters that will fit directly under your sink in order for you to make composting an easy part of your kitchen remodel.
• Ceiling Fans: Instead of having the people that remodel your home, install fancy lighting, have them install ceiling fans in your kitchen. Kitchens produce a lot of heat, especially when it is hot outside. Just having your stove on for forty-five minutes can increase the temperature of your kitchen. That will make you have to turn your air conditioner up and transmit harmful pollutants into the air. The less that you lose your air conditioner, the better it is for the environment. A ceiling fan can greatly cool your home down without ever having to turn your air conditioner on.
• Eco-Friendly Backsplashes: Even though a lot of people do not pay much attention, there is no reason that your backsplash should not have an eco-friendly look as well. Having it painted is the best way to add a touch of color to it. The recycled colored glass is inexpensive and can be used to add color to your backsplash instead of paint or tile. If you have more money to spend on your remodel, then consider getting a stainless steel backsplash. It will definitely get the attention of your friends and family in Herndon VA.

Going green does not mean you have to settle for poor quality or sacrificing the appearance and comfort of your home in order to get environmentally friendly products. Actually, the exact opposite is the truth. These methods of kitchen remodeling will make your kitchen more comfortable and of higher quality as well as long-lasting:

• Having Satisfactory Insulation Installed: The right type of insulation will make the temperature of your home be more consistent which means that your kitchen and all the other rooms in your home will be comfortable. Insulation also helps drown out sound which means that your kitchen will be quieter as well.
• Green Flooring is The Most Favorable Kind of Flooring: Bamboo, cork, recycled content ceramic tile, stone flooring tile, and FSC-certified engineered flooring are not only some of the most attractive materials to make flooring out of that are available on the market, but they are also some of the most low-maintenance floorings that you can buy.
• Green Countertops Have Variety But The Same Characteristics: The characteristics that they share are that they are made of recyclable or sustainable materials, how binders that are low in toxins and are made utilizing an eco-friendly process. They vary by the materials that they are made out of. You can get environmentally friendly countertops that are made out of recycled paper, recycled glass, reclaimed fly ash, cement, and reclaimed wood. One set of countertops is made out of renewable bamboo fiber, post-consumer recycled paper, and water-based resin glue.
• Nothing Can Top Custom Cabinetry: When it comes to getting kitchen cabinets that are the best of the best, nothing compares in custom cabinetry when it comes to quality, appearance, function, or design. You can get these custom cabinets made out of green materials like bamboo and wheat board.
• The Location of Appliances: Appliances that generate a lot of heat such as stoves, ovens, and dishwashers should be kept away from refrigerators. You need to make sure that there is enough air space around all of your appliances to vent away ambient heat. They should not be in exterior walls of a home because that makes them more difficult to heat and cool and increases the chances of frozen pipes and mold.

When you are planning energy efficient green remodeling with your contractor, that is the time to decide what type of materials will be used during your remodel. If your materials have been certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, the Forest Stewardship Council, or Cradle to Cradle, you can have the peace of mind knowing that they have undergone a very thorough certification process to see if they are environmentally friendly. People also donate items like doors, windows, tiles, doorknobs and other materials to salvage yards once their remodel is complete just like you can. There are also environmentally-friendly materials that you can substitute for traditional remodeling materials. For example, linoleum can be used instead of vinyl. Greenpeace says that vinyl is the most environmentally harmful plastic available. The substances in it like dioxin and phthalates can cause very bad health issues. Having your floors made out of actual linoleum (that is made out of linseed oil) is the best environmentally safe flooring option. When it comes to the paint on your walls, paint with no or low VOC is the best choice. The traditional paint choices release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There are now paints on the market that does not have volatile organic compounds in them. You can also get caulks and sealers that are low in VOCs or do not have any in them at all. Instead of having carpet or hardwood floors installed, get bamboo, cork, or reclaimed wood floors. Carpet is not a good flooring option due to the fact that it emits VOCs. If you have to have carpeted floors, look for carpet that is certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label and Green Label Plus programs due to the fact that they emit low amounts of VOC.

Part of an environmental redesign of your kitchen is what you do with the materials after the remodel of your kitchen is complete. The less waste that there is after your remodel, the better. Some of the materials you may be able to use again. You can also resell or donate any materials that can still be used. Places like salvage yards would be more than glad to take these items off of your hands. Organizations like Habitat For Humanity accept donations of used building supplies. They provide them to the communities that need them the most and the communities use them to build homes for people that are in need. When it comes to making your kitchen go green, it is a good idea to properly plan it out with your remodeler. A lot of homeowners make mistakes in remodeling without knowing that they are doing so. These mistakes are unhealthy, not energy efficient, and wasteful. No matter how you look at it, it is a wise idea to go green when you remodel your kitchen. It will lower your energy costs, make your home a healthier place to be, and make your kitchen high-quality and comfortable. Of course, it is a good choice for the environment. If you think that remodeling your kitchen in a green fashion is just right for you, be sure to talk to us about it. We will help implement the essential ideas to make your energy efficient green remodeling environmentally friendly. It will be our pleasure to help you get the environmentally friendly kitchen design of your dreams. Not only will be helping you get the kitchen you will love for many years to come, we will also be helping out the environment as well.