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Counter Strategies for the Snooty Neighbor

Dear Heather:

My neighbor, I’ll call her “Nina,” is gloating about her new granite countertops. She has come up with a number of reasons lately to invite the women in our subdivision into her kitchen. It’s clearly a status thing for her, and her constant show-off style is annoying. But her kitchen sure looks nice.

With the holidays coming, I am a little embarrassed to say that this has pushed me to consider similar counters for my kitchen. But I am wondering if you, as a green designer and architect, can recommend something better that will bring “Nina’s” ego down a few notches when she attends my New Year’s open house.

Thanks for any suggestions.

-       Irritated “Irene” in Iowa

Dear “Irene:”

The hottest styles in countertops now available are not made from solid granite, and they have an added benefit because they are made without depleting the planet’s resources. It also should make you feel better to know that with the money “Nina” spent, she could have been a “green” trendsetter and spent the same or less on her counters.

Stone-like sustainable countertops divert waste from landfills, they emit low or no chemicals into your indoor air, and the companies that make them have standards in place to decrease natural resource consumption during the manufacturing process.

For example, in making my favorite, Eco by Cosentino ® countertop, the company recycles 94 percent of the water used in the manufacturing process.

Eco by Cosentino®

 Eco, which has the look of a quartz countertop, is made from 75 percent recycled content, including pre- and post-consumer glass, mirrors and porcelain and uses a corn-based binder. It is non-porous and scratch- and heat-resistant, making it almost maintenance-free. And here is something Nina can’t tell her guests about her counters: Eco can qualify for up to five credits under the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. You can find more about this product at www.ecobycosentino.com

The downside of Eco is that it is limited to 10 colors, and it is made in Europe, so, like many products, there is more fuel used in transporting it to the United States.

IceStone® and PaperStone® are my next two favorites.

IceStone® 

IceStone® has the look of terrazzo and is made of 60 percent pre- and 7 percent post-consumer glass. It does not emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and qualifies for a number of LEED credits.  IceStone® also is a Cradle-to-Cradle certified product, meaning it can be reused for other purposes or can be fully recycled at the end of its usefulness as a countertop.  For more information about IceStone visit www.icestone.biz . 

Another great feature is that IceStone® is made in the United States. The downside? It requires periodic sealing to protect against staining.

PaperStone®

My third choice is PaperStone®. It has the look of soapstone and contains 55 percent post-consumer paper content. It also uses FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified material. Like IceStone®, it is VOC-free. Learn more about this one at www.paperstoneproducts.com .

While these are my top choices, there are many more that you should take a look at. Keep in mind that they also carry better warranties than those that typically come with solid stone.

 Here is the “A”-list that your friend “Nina” missed out on:

Vetrostone: http://www.vetrostone.com/ 

Bamboo butcher block: http://www.totallybamboo.com 

Torzo Surfaces: http://www.torzosurfaces.com

Alkemi: http://www.renewmaterials.com

Richlite: http://www.richlite.com/

Glass 2: http://www.glass2.com/

EcoTop: http://www.kliptech.com/ecotop.html

Gilasi: http://www.gilasi.com/

Vetrazzo: http://www.vetrazzo.com/ 

Bio-glass: http://www.coveringsetc.com/BioGlassHome.aspx?CategoryID=21

– Heather Curless

    Our LEED AP

     www.greenerstock.com

    Please post your questions below or email contact@naturalinteriors.com

 To learn more about the “green” certifications mentioned in this blog, visit:

Cradle-to-Cradle Certification (C2C): http://www.mbdc.com/default.aspx#

NSF Certification: http://www.nsf.org/consumer/green_living/index.asp?program=GreenLiv

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): http://www.fsc.org/

US Green Building Council/LEED: http://www.usgbc.org