Revamping Kitchens into High-Performance Spaces

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so when this space is transformed, it’s a massive undertaking to ensure each element contributes to the room’s functionality and efficiency plus adds to the overall ambiance.

Go to https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/eco-friendly-kitchen-remodeling-tips/ for tips on an eco-friendly kitchen remodel.

The kitchen is the perfect space for an eco-friendly, sustainable renovation to make your home a high-performing property. In this space, you’ll be replacing appliances, fixtures, flooring, cupboards, and on, allowing contractors a number of ways to employ eco-friendly techniques.

An innovative contractor will use sustainable, natural materials that will not only be energy efficient but resistant to degradation. That’s particularly beneficial for the cupboards, an element that you want to withstand the test of time for decades. That’s possible with the most natural, sustainable materials.

In that same vein, appliances and fixtures should be most efficient. Energy Star products are meant to save energy, conserve water, and reduce utility costs considerably compared to standard models.

The decisions involved in renovating a kitchen into a sustainable and eco-conscious space can become overwhelming, but it’s not impossible. Let’s analyze a few steps to make the process easier.

When you buy a home, one of the things you’ll likely do is upgrade your kitchen. The goal is to achieve a high-performance kitchen with the greatest efficiency and sustainability.

Making decisions to achieve an eco-conscious space can be overwhelming, but it is possible with the proper research and contractors.

The focus should be on energy and water efficiency and durability for the most functional and sustainable transformation. Here are steps to follow for an environmentally friendly kitchen reno.

The Most Knowledgeable “green” Contractor

Many new contractors today are familiar with the green concept in Reno. These builders already incorporate high-performance technologies into their construction projects, saving homeowners time and effort in explaining their needs for non-toxic, eco-friendly kitchen spaces.

It would be best if you met with a few different contractors in person before committing to one. You’ll spend a great deal of time with the team you hire and want to be able to rely on their insight into the project.

They should be experts in the eco-conscious landscape and offer ideas and suggestions to make your space highly efficient, incorporating your vision and instilling your personality to make the room your own.

Sustainable and Natural Materials

So many decisions come into designing a kitchen, including flooring, counters, backsplash, and on. The various color schemes, textures, and color schemes are a fun part of the project but can be daunting. The priority is ensuring that you make eco-conscious decisions with a high-performance room.

There are a host of sustainable products, including “FSC-certified cupboards, environmentally friendly faucets and sinks, sustainable countertop materials, recycled appliances.” A kitchen remodel upgrades the home, but a sustainable space adds to the overall property value.

The Better Sustainable Cupboard

In a high-performance kitchen, the priority is to build sustainable, non-toxic cupboards. Any traditional cupboard consisting of pressed wood, medium-density fiberboard, plywood, or particle board is assembled with an adhesive containing formaldehyde. This carcinogen off-gases long after drying.

The cupboards should be built with a safer material free of formaldehyde, such as recycled wood, solid wood, reclaimed wood, bamboo, FSC-certified wood, or possibly recycled concrete. Click for sustainable kitchen upgrades.

Environmentally Friendly Fixtures

A homeowner can conserve considerable amounts of water with the best environmentally friendly fixtures. There are low-flow faucets that save water without sacrificing water pressure.

These use roughly “1.5 gallons per minute and reduce the water flow by approximately 30 percent+ without diminishing the flow.”

This can be applied to all faucets, showerheads, toilets, resulting in incredible water savings and efficiency for the entire household.

Efficient Lighting

The absolute most efficient lighting is natural. It is also the most stunning and positive for mental wellness. If possible, the ideal situation would be to incorporate skylights or another daylighting system to bring in the natural warmth.

With artificial lighting, you should avoid incandescent bulbs and instead choose LEDs. These are highly efficient, offer an array of colors, and have extended longevity. You can go decades before changing bulbs.

Energy-efficient Appliances

It’s recommended that homeowners switch appliances from gas to electricity. These boast better performance than their gas counterparts. Kitchen appliances account for roughly “13 percent of the home’s overall energy use.”

When purchasing high-efficiency machines, your home’s energy demand will decrease, thus cutting power plant emissions. Appliances with the Energy Star label boast as the best on the market, offering the greatest efficiency and the most savings.

Final Thought

A kitchen renovation is a massive undertaking, but the investment is worthwhile, especially when efficiency, sustainability, and eco-consciousness are prioritized. The highest-performing kitchen will not only serve you well for decades but also offer an incredible resale value when that time comes.