An Introduction to Green Building in Hampton Roads, VA

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? A green kitchen remodeling project involves making choices based on both lifestyle and budget. These decisions can be complicated and involve a great deal of planning. Some green appliances and materials may outlast and use less energy but cost more than similar products that perform equally well. Fortunately, the demand for smart, stylish green products is helping to lower costs — making it easier to have a green kitchen and love it, too.

Your Sturdevant kitchen designer can help you choose the right appliances and materials to create a green kitchen and stay within your budget. Our people are experts on what is available in the marketplace and which products provide the best green results for the money invested in them.

Sustainable kitchen cabinets are made from wood and wood products that are produced using sustainable forest management practices. They feature formaldehyde-free glues and finishes with low volatile organic compounds that give off little or no toxic fumes.

When shopping for cabinets, ask if the cabinet boxes are built with wheat board or straw board. These products are made from agricultural waste, such as the chaff left over from farmers’ wheat crops. As a rule, they feature formaldehyde-free binders. They’re strong and rated to exceed the standards set by the American National Standards Institute for medium density particleboar the material commonly used to make cabinet boxes.

There are many varieties of green countertops to choose from and all share similar characteristics: recycled or sustainable content, low-toxicity binders, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. In addition, they’re highly durable. Countertops may be made from recycled paper, recycled glass, reclaimed fly ash, and cement or renewable bamboo fiber, post-consumer recycled paper, and water-based resin glue.Some eco-friendly countertops are 85% recycled glass—almost all the glass comes from curbside recycling programs. There are even countertops that are made of reclaimed wood from older barns, warehouses, and commercial buildings.

Choosing Energy Star products reduces energy consumption and saves utility costs. Energy Star appliances are tested and rated to be the most energy-efficient models in any product category. In addition, some states and regional utility companies offer rebates for buying Energy Star appliances.

Dishwashers go green when they feature an energy-saving or quick-wash cycle. These cycles operate for shorter periods of time, saving water and energy. Also, look for dishwashers that include an air-dry option, which dries dishes with circulation fans rather than energy-draining heating elements. Or, simply open up the dishwasher door when the wash cycle is complete and let dishes air dry. Energy Star models are 25% more energy efficient than the federal standards for energy consumption. If you replace your pre-1994 dishwasher with an Energy Star model, you’ll save as much as $40 a year on energy costs.

Buy a new refrigerator and you’ll save on energy costs. That’s because manufacturers are constantly improving technology and insulating techniques. In fact, today’s new models are 75% more energy efficient than those manufactured just 20 years ago, saving about $100 per year on energy costs. An Energy Star-rated model will save an additional $20-$30 per year. Choose models featuring the freezer on top and use 10% to 25% less energy than a same-sized model with a side-by-side configuration. Green essentials