A lot of NYC kitchen remodeling projects focus on making the kitchen less harmful to the environment. There are plenty of benefits in doing this as it will lessen the damage you are causing to the environment and will save you a lot of money in the long run; easily paying for itself given enough time.
Green Earth-friendly products are much more widespread than they were a few years ago and are now available in several different designs. Keep in mind, however, that you will need to familiarize yourself with common terms like VOC’s or off gassing along with getting used to different maintenance requirements. These though are easy to grasp and most people get used to them pretty quickly.
Air
Consider the quality of the air you breathe within your kitchen. We spend a considerable amount of our lives in our homes so keeping the air within it clean should be a priority when making NYC kitchen remodeling plans.
The simplest way to keep air quality relatively good would be to install a range hood. Improving the air quality goes past the range hood, there are plenty of ways to design cabinets, countertops, walls, etc. to minimize the damage we cause to the environment every day.
Clean Cabinets
Most wooden cabinets have traces of urea-formaldehyde which are harmful to your health as well as the environment. Have cabinets made of solid wood if the choice is available or you can use alternative materials like wheatboard. Pair these along with non-toxic finishes to maximize the effect.
Recycled Counters
There are some companies which sell counters comprised of recycled materials. These are very durable and also easy to maintain. If you are looking for tile countertops, there are also tiles made out of recycled materials. The recycled materials can form many variants of materials for both countertops and floors so you will have a lot of designs to choose from.
Energy Efficiency
Finding energy efficient appliances are very easy. Most appliances have a label on just how efficient they are. One particular piece that is found in more and more homes in New York would be the dishwasher drawer as these use less water and take up little space.
Water
Pick faucets that come with aerators. These inject bubbles of air within the water to strengthen the pressure while using less water. Another thing to look for would be recirculation taps which can save you several hundred gallons of water every year by giving out hot water quickly making it unnecessary to wait for the water to heat up.
Floors
There are plenty of Earth-friendly materials you can use for in your NYC kitchen remodeling. A prime example would be linoleum as it is made out of organic materials, is very strong, and needs little maintenance. There are many different options to choose from, such as bamboo, when picking out flooring materials.
Lighting
Possibly the easiest thing to change in your kitchen but also gives you one of the most noticeable results is the lighting. Use LED lighting for your kitchen and pair them along with motion sensors which turn the lights off automatically when nobody is in the room to save more money. Motion sensors are relatively cheap and easy to install.
Visit KBR‘s to get free consultation advice from accredited NYC kitchen remodeling experts and get a free estimate on your kitchen renovation.