Green Design

Kitchen and Bathroom remodeling in a green world.

Every magazine you read today tells you how important it is to "Go Green" when building or remodeling your home. Green is everywhere you look. But what does "going green" really mean when it comes time to remodel your kitchen or bathroom?

In it's simplest form, going green has redefined the three R's to mean reuse, recycle, and reduce.

In principal, this is a great idea. We've been recycling our trash for years, can it really be that easy? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Recycling certainly helps, but in practice, "going green" is much more complex and the more we read about it the more confusing it becomes. What are LEED credits, is a company "greenwashing" their product's benefits to make you think they are safe, will "going green" cost more, just how far should we go in making sure our homes are as green as we can make them?

These are really important questions and at Bucks County Kitchens we take our responsibilities very seriously, responsibility to our clients as well as responsibility to our environment. Let's see if we can find some answers together.

Today we have more to worry about than just e coli bacteria in our spinach. We have to worry about the quality of the air we breathe, the purity of the water we drink, bacteria on our countertops, mold just about everywhere, and "off gassing" from the materials and products we use. Since the average American spends 85 to 90 percent of their time indoors and airborne contaminants can be two to five times (and often much more) worse indoors than they are outdoors, this makes being "green" inside our homes a real priority.

Most of the materials we put in our homes have the potential to give off gasses. From the high powered cooking appliances we love to use to what is called "off gasses" given off by the chemicals used in the manufacturer of cabinetry, flooring and countertops, these things can seriously impact the quality of the air we breathe and the health we want to enjoy.

A lack of natural light can have a profound affect on our physical as well as mental well being. Homes that lack natural light have been shown to contribute to allergies, asthma, and seasonal affective disorder.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Green Action Team determined that "it costs, on average, 2% more to build green but the cost premium yields a savings of close to 15 times the investment. Furthermore, LEED-certified kitchens and baths may have a 1% to 2% increase to build, but will save close to 50% through their use." Cost savings, in today's economy that's a very good thing.

So far it is easy to conclude that green homes and especially green kitchens and baths are good for people, good for the environment, and good for our pocketbooks. Now let's talk more specifically about how Bucks County Kitchens can help you make your kitchens and bathrooms more "green" and healthy.

Let's start with the walls and move in from there. Whether we are building an addition for you, taking out a wall, or putting in new windows and doors, we always remove the sheetrock from the walls and ceilings where we are working. This not only allows easy access for the plumbers and electricians to work but it also allows us to check for mold, re-insulate the exterior walls and make sure that the studs and joists are perfectly plumb and level so our cabinets will hang properly. Properly installed insulation, air, and moisture barriers are an important step in reducing both mold and bacteria as well as keeping the heating costs under control.

At Bucks County Kitchens we love light, especially natural light. We always suggest making the most of the available light whether is be by enlarging a window, adding an exterior glass door, or putting in a skylight. A popular window you will see on our gallery page is one we frequently use above the sink on an exterior wall. It's a 30* angle bay window with a sill projection of about 9". Covering this sill with stone makes it a perfect place to grow plants and herbs while adding light and dimension to the room.

A big part of our kitchen and bathroom design is always a good lighting layout. As we age indoor lighting becomes even more important to the quality of time we spend in the space. Our electricians will suggest the best light bulbs, dimmers, and energy efficient switches to reduce your energy consumption as much as possible.

Energy efficient appliances are a very important part of reducing energy usage and costs and saving our planet. Energy Star ratings are on most appliances today and some manufacturers, like Sub Zero, claim that their products use less energy than a 100 watt light bulb. Although we do not sell appliances at Bucks County Kitchens, we do help our clients choose which type and size of appliances will work best in their homes. We then recommend they visit our friends at H&H Appliances who are the most knowledgeable people we know when it comes to appliances.

Five years ago the only countertops that would have been considered "green" were FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) butcher blocks but in the last few years countertop manufacturers have come out with some amazing products. This is one of the areas where you have to be careful about manufacturers "greenwashing" or overstating their products. There are no clear cut answers as to which product is most "green". They all have something that makes them worthy of being called green but there are tradeoffs with almost every one.

Flooring has the same problem. There are amazing new products out there but most are a matter of choices and tradeoffs. Probably the most important product and the most potentially dangerous product in your new kitchen is the cabinets. This is such an important issue that, if you will bear with me for a few more minutes, I would like to discuss here. We've talked a little about "off gassing" as it applies to appliances and countertops but cabinets can also give off gasses that are very harmful to your health. Formaldehyde is a chemical that is prevalent in processed wood and the VOC emissions in the cabinet finishes can be very dangerous.

When I first started in this industry I couldn't go to a job when the cabinets were being installed because I would come home with a terrible headache and be sick for days. The rooms had to be extremely well ventilated until the cabinets had a chance to evaporate the fumes. Over the years, as the FCC regulated the types of adhesives used and lowered the VOC allowances, it got better but it was still not enough. Today we will only work with companies who are a part of the Environmental Stewardship Program, a program created by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association which sets very strict criteria for environmental responsibility.

Lastly I'd like to talk to you about what encompasses ecologically sound and healthy kitchen design. At Bucks County Kitchens we feel that it is very important to encourage our clients to design their kitchens to prepare healthy foods, recycle properly, and encourage family participation in all areas. How can children understand how to eat healthy if they do not recognize the ingredients in their food and have not participated in it's preparation? Accessible work areas and storage spaces that hold healthier choices are the keys to family participation. Whether it be ventilated vegetable drawers or refrigerator drawers for water, fruit, and healthy snacks these things are an important part of each of our designs.