Some of the easiest and most financially sound upgrades that you can make around your house involve plumbing. You use water every day in your home, which clearly increases that particular utility bill. When you use hot water, you also increase your gas or electric bill. Basic changes that can improve the look of your home and save you money can easily be made to such items as shower heads, toilets and faucets.

Some estimates state that these three items account for 60% of the water usage in your home. Changing out these plumbing-related pieces of your home can clearly reduce your water consumption, while giving you new additions to décor that can actually work better for you.

Why Water-Saving Faucets and Shower Heads Are Just as Good

You might be worried that less water means a weaker stream and a less comfortable shower. This is not true at all. Water-saving dispensers are engineered differently, which compensates for the fact that less—in some cases less than half—water is being used. Water-saving shower heads and faucets reduce water consumption using two basic methods:

• Openings with smaller diameters, which allow less water to spray out at any given time.
• An increased air to water ratio, which means that the shower heads and faucets distribute more air along with the water.

Water-Saving Toilets

Once you change out the faucets and shower head in your bathroom, you can keep going by having a new toilet installed. Water-saving toilets are designed to use less water overall. A traditional toilet uses about 1.6 gallons per flush. A water-saving toilet uses less than 1.3 gallons per flush. This might not seem like much, but think about how many times your toilet flushes every day, week, and year. Over time you save lots of water and cash. Many modern toilets also have two flush settings, so if you are removing liquid waste you can select a flushing option that reduces water usage even more. Other great features that weren’t available on your grandmother’s toilet include push-button flushing, hands-free flushing, and height options that make toilets easier for taller people and those who have trouble bending or crouching.

Better Attachments

Increased function is yet another benefit that you can expect when you opt to make some basic plumbing attachment changes. New products have more creature comforts in mind. For instance, if you want to spend a little extra on your toilet, you can purchase a water-saving toilet with a heated seat. You can find environmentally friendly shower heads that have two attachments, one when you want a regular attached shower head, and one with a detachable wand that provides you easier water flow to hard-to-reach places. When it comes to new faucets, you can find reasonably priced versions that cut off water flow altogether after a set amount of time or that have built-in filters so that you want to choose between tap and filtered water.

These basic additions have a lot of benefits for your home. They will improve how you use water, make your bathroom and/or kitchen look more modern, and reduce your bills. These are all things that potential home buyers will look for, as well. If you do not have time to make these renovations yourself, we have handymen ready and waiting throughout Florida. From Melbourne to Orlando, we can help you improve your home.

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One of the underlying goals of any renovation project is to make the space more usable and up to date. Considering the current trends in society and the needs that our planet will have in the future, it makes sense to consider the environment during a renovation. These “green” concerns do not only apply to home remodeling; they can play a part in renovating a commercial space as well.

First off, let’s discuss what we mean when we say “green.” Going green refers to any practice, be it single or repeated, that we maintain with the goal of creating better environmental outcomes. Some of the environmental outcomes that we are looking for would be:

• Reduced use of energy
• Improved sustainability, which means adding materials that need to be replaced less often or can be replaced from natural, readily available sources
• Increased emphasis on reusing and recycling

While those are not all of the things that are involved in going green, they apply to our discussion about an environmentally friendly office. Creating a green office will likely require some physical changes, which means you will want the help of an experienced handyman. The handyman will be able to advise you on what building materials you can purchase and what other additions you can make that will increase you work space’s environmental efficiency. Keep in mind that going green can save your business some money.

Ask your handyman about:

• Installing energy efficient windows. Modern windows are made differently; they can reflect the sun better and keep outside heat from affecting the inside of your office. You will see this immediately in your power bill, especially here in Florida. If you do not want to go all out and replace windows, ask your handyman to install blinds and drapes over windows to produce a similar effect.
• Installing energy efficient appliances. Every office has toilets, sinks and other appliances that a handyman can replace for you. Newer model equipment is designed to use less water which can save you money on a daily basis. Ask about Energy Star compliance to ensure that your new equipment will save water.
• Using sustainable materials. We recommend a two-faceted approach:
  • First off, decide which materials can be reused. Some of the materials that are already in your office may be useful in another part of the renovation; it is greener to avoid throwing away useful countertops, trim, etc. Some estimates say that a resourceful handyman can reuse up to 70% of the materials in your office during a renovation.
  • Secondly, use recycled or perishable materials. You can currently find building materials such as drywall, insulation and even paint that has been manufactured using readily available, easily replaceable products.
• Using solar energy. Using solar energy means that you pay for the equipment and then stop paying the power company. Over time the equipment will pay for itself—and then some–if maintained correctly. In addition to that, the Fed currently refunds up to 30% of your out-of-pocket equipment cost. A handyman can mount solar panels on top of or around you building to power everything or particular equipment. Keep in mind that a copier uses a lot of energy even when it sits idle, so powering it naturally will save you money every day. Whether you are in Orlando or Ft. Lauderdale we both know that you have more than enough sun 12 months a year to justify solar expenses.

These are just a few of the things that a knowledgeable handyman can help you with when you want to update your commercial space. Going green will save you money and have positive effects on the image of your company. Some simple commercial renovations can really make a difference.

Handyman Connection is proud to serve the home improvement and home repair needs of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples, Ft. Myers, Melbourne, Merritt Island & Titusville.

SOURCES

Handyman Connection-Commercial Renovations
Cal Recycle (California.gov)
GreenDepot.com
City of Seattle- Sustainable Building
HowSolarWorks.org
APS.com