Bathroom-ology – Design a healthy green bathroom
Once considered purely utilitarian, bathrooms are increasingly places to rest, renew and pamper yourself. Plan your bathroom remodel for appearance and luxury; incorporate “green” design components to contribute to a healthier environment that is more environmentally friendly and also has lower ongoing costs for you.
Health-focused designs maximize fresh air and natural light. This approach serves to reduce the risk of injury, as well as to identify and rectify potential problems such as molds, allergens, and toxic chemicals. Green remodeling techniques are specifically designed to be sustainable and create a safe environment with materials that are made from manufactured products with the least amount of toxins possible.
The dangers of mold
Mold is the number one contamination, infection and disease problem in the home, and the bathroom is the number one source of mold contamination.
Mold, a simple fungus, clings to and grows on surfaces where there is a continuous high degree of moisture, often on damp floors and unsealed grout lines. Mold spores can float in gentle drafts caused by simply entering the room. Inhaled mold and fungal spores cause allergic reactions, as well as hypersensitivity to other lung irritants and infectious diseases. “Some forms of mold found indoors produce toxins that can be carcinogenic, induce birth defects and can affect the immune system,” says David Johnston, certified LEED contractor.
If your remodeling project is precipitated by a mold problem, pay attention to more than just the latest trend in vanity counters, shower systems, and faucets. Be sure to remove all mold infested materials in the bathroom and adjacent areas after startup and before beginning installation.
Environmental and expense factors
Although bathrooms are typically smaller than kitchens, bathrooms are the largest user of critical resources – the place where most of the indoor water is used in a home and where the highest percentage of energy is consumed.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average person in the United States uses 90 gallons of water per day. Most of the water used is for bathing and showering. Additionally, a leaking faucet can waste up to 2,000 gallons in a year, and a leaking or working toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. Green remodeling offers the opportunity to consider attractively designed products and materials that reduce water consumption.
Creating a green bathroom
Start your bathroom remodel project with a design that incorporates the needs of your family. Prepare a checklist of the improvements you would like to include.
Evaluate how you will most effectively reduce humidity in the bathroom. While your window may meet code requirements, is it really open all winter, or do you need an extra exhaust fan?
Carefully evaluate the materials you choose. For the vanity counter, choose materials whose surfaces are made to resist the absorption of bacteria and that can be easily cleaned without harsh chemicals.
For the shower, consider a one-piece shower tray instead of a tile tray, to reduce the possibility of mold build-up in the tile tray grout. Similarly, think about single-panel wall-mounted shower and tub frames.
For the vanity unit, select Forest Service Council certified and renewable woods.
Take a look at your water use and identify ways you could conserve it. Flow reducing devices for showers and faucets do not interfere with good water pressure.
Newer low-flow toilets have improved a lot since 1.6 gallon per flush toilets first became law in 1994. No need to flush multiple times anymore. The Toto Aquia Dual Flush offers a button to flush liquids that use only 0.9 gallons, and a second button for the now standard 1.6 gallon low flow for solid waste. Even newer on the market are several high-efficiency toilets that only use 1.28 gallons per flush.
A significant way to reduce energy use is with a tankless water heater. Tankless or “on demand” water heaters do not waste gas or electricity used to consistently maintain traditional 40 to 70 gallon water tanks at temperatures of 120 degrees. Another advantage is that there is no large storage tank that takes up space.
Fans should be installed with timers, to allow the homeowner leaving the home before adequately ventilating excess harmful moisture, knowing that the fan will shut off within a set period of time. Consider a humidistat controlled ventilation fan in rooms that do not have adequate ventilation, otherwise the control will automatically detect the humidity level in the bathroom and operate the ventilation until the selected degrees of dryness are reached.
Green Bathroom Remodeling Checklist
Consider which of these steps may work in your environment:
• Donate or recycle accessories that are being ripped
• Insulate pipes that may be exposed to cold.
• Install tankless water heaters
• Install low-level toilets
• Install low-flow, high-performance shower heads
• Install low-flow faucets
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)
• Install occupancy sensitive lighting controls
• Caulking, sealing and exterior weatherstripping of walls
• Install double-glazed windows
• Incorporate natural light when possible to reduce electricity use.
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