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Archive for the ‘Environmentally Friendly’ Category

The Journey of that Bottle of Wine You Drank Recently

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Remember when you decided to uncork that bottle of Shiraz to celebrate your birthday last year? Well, it’s part of your countertop this year. Now, I’m not sure that you celebrated your birthday in such a fashion, or if you like Shiraz, or if you even enjoy beverages originally housed in glass bottles, but one thing is certain – whatever glass bottle gets drank over the course of time will inevitably lead a long and prosperous life as a post-consumer, re-propagated product. So just think, when you’re uncorking a new bottle of wine on your new glass composite countertop – you know, the scratch resistant, un-dentable one – you can rest assured that you’re getting a big fat figurative pat on the back from Mother Nature. Let us stroll through the life-span of a bottle as it becomes your brand new recycled glass countertop.

Glass bottles, ready to get processed and re-used.

Glass bottles, ready to get processed and re-used.

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Posted in Countertop Overlay, Environmentally Friendly, trend glass

Radiation? Not This Time.

Monday, May 10th, 2010

When someone installs a deluxe home fixture they probably don’t think it can slowly act as a promoter of cancer, but they should know before continuing that all Granite Transformations granite is 100% radon free.

That being said, back in 2008 the New York Times threw just about everyone who owned, was about to own, or was thinking of installing granite in their homes into a widespread tizzy. On July 24, 2008 the New York Times ran an article by columnist Kate Murphy titled “What’s Lurking in Your Countertop?”. In it, an anecdotal tale of a routine radiation inspection in a home in Teaneck, New Jersey laid the framework for ongoing finger pointing directed firmly at countertops. In that Teaneck home, it was found that radiation levels were so high, ten times higher in the granite-infused kitchen than anywhere else in the home, that it was tantamount to smoking cigarettes, in terms of detriment to health.
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Posted in Environmentally Friendly, Fun Facts, Granite and Trend stone

5 Eco-Friendly Features from our Nation’s Greenest Cities

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Boulder, CO: The Solar Access Ordinance

In 1991 the city of Boulder, Colorado decided to look toward the future and implement an ordinance that would prove to be the gold (green?) standard for municipal building codes. Due to the rising cost of conventional sources of energy in the late 1980’s the “Solar Access Ordinance” was enacted to make sure that everyone in Boulder considering erecting a new building or structure had to keep sunlight in mind. The ordinance mandates that each new building leave room for a 12’ or 25’ “hypothetical solar fence” allowing for enough sunlight to produce energy. Construction planning has taken shadow cover and movement and the angles of shadows over the heavily graded terrain of Boulder into the development process. If the shadows don’t comply then a new blueprint must be written. For 19 years now sunshine and solar has found its place in the small Colorado city outside of Denver. The rest of the country might want to take a page out of Boulder’s book.

boulder solar ordinance

Workers install a solar fixture on a Boulder home.

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Posted in Environmentally Friendly

Turning Your Kitchen Green

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Photo by aunto CC BY 2.0

Are you in the midst of a kitchen remodeling? Are you possibly rethinking your current kitchen design? There are likely many considerations you are keeping in mind – price, style, and quality to name a few. But there’s one more thing we want to remind you of before sending you out into the land of Kitchen Remodeling Design – Don’t forget to go green!

Below we have compiled a great list of tips to help you go green in your kitchen. Some of them will require a little bit of upfront investment, but you will surely see a return as the years go by.

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1 Comment » Posted in Countertop Overlay, Design, Environmentally Friendly, Granite and Trend stone, Tips/Advice

Glass Kitchen Counters: Stunning And Beautiful

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Kitchen Glass Counter
Glass Kitchen Counter

Everyone loves a beautiful kitchen counter, but making the right choice for the perfect counter can be tough. Some of the difficulty lies in determining which color will best complement the décor of the room. For darker rooms, many people like to go with granite or trend stone to give the kitchen a beautiful luster which compliments the dark shades of cabinets, walls, and appliances.

What about lighter kitchens? Sure, a granite countertop or trend stone counter can be good option, but you might also consider a glass kitchen counter. Glass kitchen counters are strong, sleek and have a lovely polish. They will give your lighter kitchen a new radiance and are sure to “wow” your guests every time. Of course, glass counters are easy to install and maintain, so you are certain to enjoy them for years to come.

Click to learn more about the glass we use to make our glass kitchen counters . And don’t forget to  visit our website for a free consultation. We hope that everyone had a wonderful 2009 and we wish you all a happy new year.

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Posted in Countertop Overlay, Design, Environmentally Friendly, Services, Uncategorized

A Quick Quality Check for your Home Improvement Choice

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

While many home improvement product manufacturers and companies tout the eco, pet, and child-friendly nature of their products, it is still important for consumers to do some quick research for themselves to ensure that these products meet acceptable standards of safety and eco-friendliness.

You might start by checking for any certifications relating to environment and health. If a company itself, or its product or service, is certified by a recognized organization, this will likely be highlighted on the company’s website or in other communication forums. So, before purchasing a home improvement product, be sure to do some research to see if the product’s manufacturer, or the product itself, has received any certifications acknowledging its safety and greenness.

At Granite Transformations, we are proud to tell our customers that our company and products have been certified by several renowned organizations, for our commitment to the manufacture of products that are safe and environmentally friendly (more…)

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Posted in Environmentally Friendly

6 Ways We’re Green

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Granite Transformation shows dedication in delivering high quality, environmentally friendly solutions for your kitchen and bathroom. Since the green movement came upon us so quickly, many companies claim to be “green”, but consumers are sometimes unsure of what that actually means. What does green mean to us?

Here are 6 reasons why Granite Transformations is green:

1. 33 to 70 percent recycled content

Trend Glass countertops are manufactured using 33 to 70 percent recycled content, making it one of the industry leaders for its amount of recycled materials. In addition, Granite Transformations’ entire manufacturing process is designed to recycle materials whenever possible.

2. No demolition, less construction = Less waste

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11 Ways to Upcycle

Monday, September 7th, 2009

Upcycling is basically the transformation of waste into something of greater use and/or value. More than mere recycling, upcycling is about giving discarded objects new life, and it’s more inspiring than, say, making a hot coffee sleeve out of old newspapers. We’re big fans of upcycling; in fact, one of our affiliates recently got some press coverage for our blue Trend Mosaic tiles, some of which are made from Skyy vodka bottles. So how can we upcycle in everyday life?

1. Work for your food

Bike-powered blenders, so you can get a workout and smoothie right after!

2. Swim in a dumpster

Brooklyn upcyclers turned two old dumpsters into portable pools.
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No Comments » Posted in Environmentally Friendly