Building a "Green" Bathroom

The kitchen is the room in a house that generally pulls the most energy, but the bathroom, naturally, uses the most water. Since there is so much focus these days on being eco-friendly and energy efficient, here are some simple tips on keeping your Westfield, New Jersey bathroom "green" during a renovation. As an added bonus, being energy efficient means more of your money stays in the bank.

Fix Leaky Toilets. A leaking toilet can waste up to six-hundred gallons of water every month. If you want to check for leaks, put some food coloring into the tank. If the colored water enters the bowl when it is not running, you have a leak.

Repair or Replace Dripping Faucets. A leaking faucet will waste more water than you might think. If you have one drip each second, you will waste over two-hundred gallons of water monthly.

Install Newer Faucets and Shower Heads. Many newer models are equipped with aerators or flow-restrictors, which will help cut your water usage drastically. A new shower head alone can cut water usage by up to 70 percent.

Choose a Low-Flow Toilet. The average toilet consumes over twenty gallons of water daily per person, which is about thirty percent of the average home's per-person daily water usage. Many standard toilets use about three and a half gallons per flush, so upgrading to one that uses about one and a half can cut your water use in more than half. These kinds of toilets were first introduced in 1994 with problems galore, but manufacturers have since improved them quite a bit. Remember that just because a toilet may be more expensive, it is not necessarily more efficient. During development, new models are tested for performance by how well they flush a small ball. A hundred dollar toilet may have a higher performance rating than one that costs twice as much.

Here is an example of a bathroom in Westfield, NJ renovated by M&M Construction Specialist. If you are ready to remodel your bathroom to be more efficient, call M&M Construction Specialist for pricing or to make an appointment.