By Molly Erin McCabe, AKBD
Reprinted with permission from West Sound Home & Garden Magazine
In this fourth installment of “Green: Is It Your Color?,” we will look at the many stylish design and build principals and products that can make your next bath or laundry room project environmentally friendly.
Bathrooms have the highest water usage of any room in the house. To help minimize water consumption choose water saving faucets such as a sensor activated faucet and low flow showerheads (federal mandate is 2.5 gallons of water flow per minute but there are some truly effective units with output of only 1.5 gallons per minute). Consider installing dual flush or high efficiency toilets (HETs). Prior to 1992, toilets used five gallons of water per flush. By 1992, the Federal mandate was lowered to 3.5 gallons per flush. Then in 2000 it was reduced to 1.6 gallons per flush. Dual flush units typically use .9 gallons of water to flush liquid waste and 1.6 gallons for solid waste. HET’s use 1.3 gallons or less per flush. One thing about some HETs is that they can be noisy so make sure you clarify this before you buy. If you have multiple males in your household consider installing a waterless urinal– just think, no more arguments about flushing or closing the toilet seat!
Keep bathtub sizing to a minimum. A bathtub for two sounds very romantic but consider the fact that it takes over 70 gallons of hot water to fill and how often can you and your partner actually bathe together? If your household is anything like mine, the answer is once in a blue moon but realize that even if you are bathing alone, you will still need at least 60 gallons to fill that tub, hence, your house will need a 100 gallon water heater to fill a tub and so much as allow another household member to simply wash their hands. It is not very resource efficient to have a 100 gallon water heater standing by 24/7 to fill the occasional tub. Lastly, consider whether you really need a jet tub or if a simple soaking tub would suit your needs. If jets are a must, consider an air jet rather than a water jet tub, not only are they quieter, they are more energy efficient and hygienic.
Similar to kitchens, bathroom countertops and floors can be sourced from a variety of beautiful, durable, and sustainable (or recycled content) options. Bamboo would be a great flooring material for a power room but is not as well suited to a bathing environment. Linoleum and tile are good options for full baths where water is likely to be left standing on the floor after a bath or shower. Tile, quartz, and compressed phenolic paper all make for excellent low maintenance countertops. It is also possible to find beautiful pieces of natural stone slabs at resale/salvage yards (these slabs will require periodic sealing with a somewhat noxious sealer but at least it has been saved from the landfill!). When it comes to tile – there is a dizzying variety of recycled glass tile and to go with your recycled content tile there is recycled content grout and low VOC tile sealants. Remember to reseal your tile grout every few years to keep your tile surfaces looking clean and new as well as protecting your home from water damage and mold.
Use low/no VOC paints on the walls and ceiling and low VOC caulks around tubs, showers, sinks and toilets. To further protect your indoor air quality, choose formaldehyde free cabinets made with Europly or formaldehyde free medium density fiber board (MDF) for the box construction. Specify plantation grown or sustainably harvested wood for the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Lastly, have the cabinets finished with a low VOC water based finish.
The most important thing to focus on in the bathroom is ventilation. Installing an effective fan which will not only preserve your indoor air quality but your investment in your cabinets and interior finishes. In a child’s bathroom I recommend installing a combination fan and light unit. This will ensure that the fan gets used. Timers are another good way to ensure fan use and minimize the opportunity for lights to be left on. Understand that for fans to work well, they must be turned on before their perceived need, i.e. before you can actually see steam. This allows the fan to start circulating the air and will move the steam toward the fan exit more efficiently.
If a bathroom is part of an addition it is a good idea to consider electric resistant radiant floor heat as well as a tankless water heater. The radiant floor heat will not only add luxury to your bath but energy efficiency too depending on the layout and/or sizing of the homes existing forced air system and it’s proximity to the new addition. Heated towel bars and wall mounted radiators are also good chill chasers which add a bit of spa like ambiance to the bath. For retrofits and remodels there are floor or wall mounted electric plug in models and for new construction there are hard wired and hydronic models. Tankless water heaters are an excellent idea for bathroom additions because you are not piping hot water to a far flung corner of the house nor are you heating stand-by water 24/7.
When it comes to bathroom lighting, I have to admit that I prefer halogen and incandescent lighting around the sink and mirror but for the water closet, shower or general area lighting, fluorescent works just fine. Don’t miss an opportunity to daylight a bathroom with double glazed windows and skylights (tubular skylights are great for bathroom remodels). Lastly, consider installing a dimmer switch in your bathroom because dimming the lights will save energy and you really only need full light capacity when you are shaving or applying make-up. Having a dimmer on the water closet light allows wee morning hour risers to use the facilities without being jolted awake by bright lights while simultaneously ensure a hygienic environment for the next user.
In the laundry room start by selecting energy and water efficient laundry machines. Front loading washers are more 40% more water efficient and up to 75% more energy efficient than their top loading brethren (not to mention more ergonomic and better for optimal space utilization as they are typically stackable). Front loading machines typically spin the washed clothes “dry” so your clothes spend a lot less time in the dryer. This not only reduces your energy consumption but also renders less wear and tear on your clothes.
Next look at lighting – attractive ceiling mounted fluorescent fixtures abound and under cabinet lighting in a laundry room is a nice addition too. Use environmentally friendly cabinetry, salvaged cabinetry or think about no base cabinetry and installing countertops supported on legs with open storage underneath for laundry hampers, kibble bins, dog beds, pet food dishes, etc. Use low/no VOC paints and durable low maintenance flooring such as linoleum and you will have a comfortable efficient work space that might even inspire you to do laundry!
About the Author
Molly Erin McCabe, AKBD is a professional kitchen and bath designer and owner of A Kitchen That Works™. She is a member of the Olympic West Sound Chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the Kitsap Homebuilders Association Green Built Program. Ms. McCabe is the co-designer and co-builder of a three star Built Green home. She can be reached at 206-780-1906 or molly@akitchenthatworks.com.
