Tips for Eco-friendly Home Remodeling

Last Updated on February 12, 2018

Being eco-friendly and mindful of our environment has become a way of life for many homeowners, especially when it comes to home improvements. If remodeling your home was on your list of New Year’s resolutions, then read on to learn how you can employ green home remodeling practices and use sustainable materials for your eco-friendly home renovation projects.

Eco-friendly Countertops

Replacing your kitchen or bathroom countertops can elevate the look of the room while adding class and elegance to your décor. Today’s countertop manufacturers, including TREND and Granite Transformations, are in tune with green home remodeling practices and offer beautiful eco-friendly products such as recycled glass and quartz countertops, as well as gorgeous hand-cut mosaics that are all made from up to 78% post-consumer recycled materials.

Reface Instead of Replace Your Cabinets

Kitchen renovations can be costly. If your cabinets are in good condition and the footprint of your kitchen isn’t changing, then you may want to consider refacing them instead of replacing them. Cabinet refacing is when you keep the cabinet boxes, but replace the doors, drawers and hardware, and match the base and crown moldings to your new cabinet color. Cabinet refacing prevents a great deal of debris from being deposited into landfills; something not possible if you choose to tear out and replace entire cabinets. Plus, refacing often costs significantly less than replacing your cabinets. So, this is a good choice for both the environment and your wallet.

Use it Up Before You Tear It Down

Are you thinking about expanding a space or taking down a wall? You may want to first take a step back and reevaluate. Take a look around the space and make a checklist of things you can salvage and reuse, such as light fixtures, molding, tile, wood flooring planks and even bricks. Think about how you can use some of these items in other rooms in your home (or for future remodeling projects) instead of just throwing them away. It’s an eco-friendly way to renovate. Plus, you’ll be surprised at how much money you’ll save.

Use Upcycled Materials

Upcycling materials from garage sales and consignment and antique shops is a thrifty way to repurpose quality items, such as knobs, light fixtures and other furniture or décor items. You can also buy a cheap piece from a yard sale and fix it up to match the style you’re going for or the “vibe” of your space. A simple paint or sanding job can transform the look of almost anything. It’s a fun way to find a new home for an old treasure.

Solar Savings

Things are heating up when it comes to saving money on your energy costs. Just as the sun rises and sets every day, your home can benefit from solar panels to make it more energy-efficient and save money on your electric bill. Depending on where you live, the time of year and whether you buy your panels or lease them, you can start seeing savings right away – anywhere from $20 – $30 per month. Solar panels and skylights are becoming great additions to eco-friendly home renovations.

TREND and Granite Transformations do a lot to contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly remodeling practices and materials. Here are just a few ways we ensure sustainability:

• We use the blue glass from recycled SKYY Vodka bottles in some of our mosaic tiles and recycled glass countertops. Our recycled glass countertops are only 1/4″ thick and use fewer natural resources than other popular materials.
• Our products use fewer raw materials, and many of our kitchen and bathroom remodeling products are composed of up to 78 percent post-consumer recycled content.
• Our manufacturing facilities utilize water recycling systems that reduce water consumption.
• Our slabs fit over existing countertops so there’s no demolition, which saves millions of pounds of construction debris from going to landfills each year.
• Our recycled glass countertops are lightweight and require less energy consumption when shipped.
• Our certifications highlight our commitment to eco-friendly products and services. Granite Transformations’ products are certified by GREENGUARD and can contribute to LEED points. We are also affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council.

Find a TREND or Granite Transformations store near you today, and visit your local showroom to see our full line of products. You can also call to schedule a free in-home design consultation. We can’t wait to see you.