Since embarking on some remodeling projects with my husband, I have become obsessed with using green materials for the finishings. So far I’ve spent hours researching stuff online. This is what I’ve come up with so far:

Kitchen countertops are a sexy topic when it comes to talking about green finishings. My choices include aggregates that mix in glass, or counters made of recycled paper(!). Wood countertop options include end grain bamboo  or reclaimed/renewable wood products counters.

My favorite material so far is Ceasarstone, which is mostly made of recycled quartz dust (don’t ask me how).  Ceasarstone counters have a soft creamy texture that reminds me a bit of Corian, but sturdier and more stain resistant.

Deck material—After much debate (and battle) my husband and I settled on Trex deck boards for the deck we are rebuilding behind our house. I read somewhere that the Trex Company is the world’s largest consumer of used plastic grocery bags. Trex used to mix wood in with the plastic, but lately has revised their formula so the decks are now 100% plastic. We like Trex because the material will last forever, never splinter, and never need staining. And (I swear) the stuff looks just like real wood, at least to me.

If the idea of a plastic deck freaks you out, you can also consider Ipe, a renewable hardwood from Central and  South America. Ipe forestry is a hot industry in Bolivia and Brazil and has a positive affect on economic growth so its harvesting and use is a win-win for everyone (until you get into the carbon footprint involved in transporting the stuff, but we won’t go there—it starts to make my head ache).

Toilets are another hot topic - Conventional toilets have used 6 gallons of water per flush, but new toilet technology like the dual flush toilet, uses .8 gallons to flush #1 and about 1.2 to flush #2. Manufacturers of the dual flush include Caroma and Toto (the Toto site is a kick—who knew you could make toilets look so sexy!). If the guy at Home Depot has thinks Toto is a dog and Caroma is a sports car, just ask him about the Kohler Sterling Dual Flush, which claims to save the average family up to 6,000 gallons of water a year.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 7:21 pm and is filed under Home Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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