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Kitchen
Appliances
- Choose energy-efficient appliances for your kitchen, such as those with an ENERGY STAR label. Check with your utility about rebates. Refrigerators and dishwashers are rated through the ENERGY STAR program, while ovens and ranges are not. In general, refrigerators with freezers on top use up to 25 percent less energy than comparable side-by-side refrigerator/freezer models.
- Size appliances to your needs. Dishwashers and refrigerators operate more efficiently when they’re full, so you may opt for a smaller model if you consistently operate yours at only half full.
Cabinetry
Cabinetry can be the most expensive component in a kitchen remodel.
- Consider resurfacing or refurbishing existing cabinets first, especially if they are from the 1950s or earlier. There may be ways to maximize the space you have by adding shelves within the cabinets or converting cabinets to drawers under counters. Replacing doors transforms old cabinets at a fraction of the monetary and environmental cost of complete replacement.
- Avoid particleboard or conventional medium density fiberboard (MDF) that contains urea formaldehyde, a compound that can emit harmful fumes for years after installation.
- Look for formaldehyde-free MDF made with exterior grade resins for added durability, agricultural fiber panels such as wheatboard or strawboard that are free from formaldehyde binders, or Forest Stewardship Counci (FSC) certified exterior grade plywood made with phenol formaldehyde-based glue, rather than the harmful urea formaldehyde-based glue.
Countertops
New kitchen countertops can be a sizable investment. Choosing the best countertop material for your kitchen involves weighing several options based on your priorities.
- Evaluate whether repairing or refinishing your old countertops will achieve the effect you want.
- Select countertops that are durable and easy to clean. Consider the following countertop options.
- If you decide to replace your countertops and would like to do it yourself, butcher block is a good option. Look for FSC-certified wood, or wood from urban salvage logging. Use wood treatments labeled food safe in compliance with FDA rules.
- Tile is another product you can install yourself. Find tiles made from recycled glass, recycled porcelain, salvaged ceramic scrap, and feldspar tailings (waste from feldspar processing). Tile tolerates hot cookware and can be repaired by replacing individual tiles, but can be difficult to keep clean and creates an uneven surface.
- Solid surface countertops and engineered stone require professional installation, which can account for up to 80 percent of the cost of a new countertop. Solid surface materials (e.g., Corian®) are long lasting and easy to clean, but are made from petrochemicals, can scorch with cookware, scratch easily and are not recyclable.
- Traditional countertops, such as laminates, have their drawbacks: They can be made with toxic resins, can scorch with hot cookware, show nicks and scratches easily, are not recyclable, and their substrate is prone to water damage.
- Look into paper-resin composite countertops (e.g., Richlite®, PaperStone®) that are made using recycled feedstock, can have nicks and cuts sanded out, and are hygienic. They can be scorched with hot cookware.
- Concrete and terrazzo (crushed glass and stone in a cement or epoxy substrate) countertops are long-lasting and durable, and can incorporate recycled materials. On the down side, they are heavy so may require cabinet reinforcement. Also, cement production is energy-intensive and epoxy is petroleum-derived and can emit harmful chemicals while curing.
- Consider a backsplash to make the wall behind the counter easy to clean and protect it from moisture damage. If using the same material as the countertop, find out if it can be fabricated from one piece to eliminate seams between the countertop and wall. If a seam or joint is unavoidable, look for water-based caulk formulas low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and invest in premium quality caulk. If you choose a silicone caulk, look for additive-free, aquarium grade products.
Faucets
Faucets can be efficient, durable, as well as stylish.
- Add an aerator to reduce flow to no more than two gallons per minute (GPM). Kitchen faucets today must use no more than two and a half GPM. Some aerators have a switch that reduces water to a trickle while soaping up dishes without having to turn the water off and on again and readjust the water temperature.
- Refurbish your old faucet with a faucet repair kit.
- Choose faucets with ceramic disc valves that are longer lasting and less prone to drips.
- Review a new faucet’s warranty, which should be a lifetime warranty and include the faucet’s finish, and replacement parts or full replacement.
- Be cautious when considering a salvage or vintage faucet, as many are water-wasters and may contain lead.
Sinks
Sinks come in many of the same materials as countertops, and the same pros and cons apply for these materials when used for sinks.
- If you do select the same material for sink and countertop, it might be possible to fashion it out of the same piece of material, which eliminates seams that can harbor bacteria and cause leaks.
- Your countertop choice may limit the type of sink you can install. Countertops made from a single material throughout, such as concrete, stone or solid surface, allow for undermounted sinks. Undermounted sinks make cleanup easier by eliminating the lip present in most surface mount styles. Countertops with a surface of one material and a different base, such as laminate or linoleum, require surface mounting sink styles.
- Find cast iron sinks at building salvage yards to save money and create “instant history” or match the period of your kitchen. Both cast iron and stainless steel sinks, which are also available used, are also recyclable.
Recycling center (under kitchen sink)
- Make recycling convenient by creating a recycle center in your kitchen, and by placing recycling bins in other areas of the home where recyclable materials are generated such as the home office.
- Your recycling center can include a bin for general recyclables such as paper, plastic, aluminum and glass; as well as a lidded container for food scraps and food-soiled paper.
- Find a food scrap collection container that works for you. There are many styles on the market today, or a plastic storage container or a big coffee can that you already own also work well. Empty the container regularly into your yard debris cart.
- Compostable bags are one way to make food scrap recycling clean and convenient. Simply line your container with a bag and when it fills up, throw the bag and the scraps in your yard waste cart. Look for bags approved for use by Cedar Grove Composting at local retailers.
Flooring
A variety of flooring materials are available to meet different priorities. Criteria to keep in mind when choosing flooring are durability, maintenance, renewable materials, recycled-content, comfort, appearance and ease of installation.
- Avoid vinyl sheet and vinyl tile flooring. Although a popular choice, vinyl provides questionable durability and raises concerns for environmental and health safety, especially during manufacture and disposal. It can produce harmful chemicals when burned.
- Flooring choices to consider:
- Natural linoleum is a close alternative to vinyl, but is durable, antibacterial and antistatic, and made from natural, renewable materials. It comes in sheet s or easy-to-install click tiles that can be installed without glue or nails.
- Concrete floors can incorporate recycled materials such as fly ash from coal-fired energy production, and are extremely durable. However, concrete is energy-intensive to produce, requires periodic treatments to maintain a surface seal, and is cold and hard to stand on.
- Tile is another durable option that can also contain recycled material, and can be repaired by replacing individual tiles rather than the entire floor. Drawbacks are that surfaces must be prepared carefully for a successful installation, production is energy-intensive, and tiles can be cold and tiring to stand on.
- Cork tile flooring is suitable for kitchens, is warm and cushy to walk on, and made of a renewable material. It also provides acoustical insulation.
- Laminates, or floating floors, have the appearance of wood, bamboo or cork but are composed of a thin pattern layer over a tongue-in-groove base of wood or wood fiber. This flooring choice is easy to install, inexpensive and may incorporate recycled material. On the negative side, laminates cannot be refinished more than once or twice, are susceptible to moisture damage through the wood base, and are not recyclable.
- Wood flooring makes a kitchen feel warm and provides a durable surface that can be refinished over time. Look for reclaimed or salvaged wood at building reuse stores, possibly from deconstructed buildings, salvage trees or re-sawn salvaged lumber. If you choose new wood, look for the FSC label which certifies that it was harvested and processed responsibly.
Additional resources
Appliances
Countertops
Sinks/faucets
Recycling/compost
Flooring
- Bamboo Hardwoods
A local bamboo home product retailer that sells and offers information on bamboo floors and furniture
- Bedrock Industries
A local company that offers recycled glass tiles and other recycled flooring products
- Forest Stewardship Council
An assembly of several forest stakeholders set standards for and certify sustainably–harvested wood
Other
Note: links to external sites include educational resources and businesses that are partners of existing or former King County Solid Waste Division environmental programs. If your business offers environmentally friendly home remodeling products or services, and you would like to be listed as a resource in the Eco-Cool Remodel Tool, please contact the EcoConsumer program online.
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