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Dear Kitchen Guy: We are looking to remodel our home over the next 12 to 18 months. We would like to be Eco-friendly but we are not sure where to start and the big box stores have been no help. What do you suggest?

A: As always, I recommend a thorough plan and budget before you start shelling out money for projects. Here is the process I suggest you use to remodel your home and make it more green or Eco-friendly:

There are five steps you can take to make keep your kitchen and home in general running smoothly. First organize your information. Second, create a team of qualified people and/or companies to assist you in doing what needs to be done. Third, do a complete and comprehensive assessment of your home; you will probably need professional help for this step. Fourth, create a maintenance and repair plan with schedule and expected costs. Fifth, incorporate these items into your household budget.

Jeff Kida in his Ask The Kitchen Guy Blog addresses the issue of home maintenance.

Jeff Kida is the owner of DDS Design Services, LLC and author of the Ask The Kitchen Guy blog. DDS Design Services is a Kitchen & Bath design firm and dealer that creates unique kitchen and baths for all budgets. DDS Design Services also features many green kitchen design options and Eco-friendly materials. They are also the home of the “Reasonably Green” kitchen.

Remodeling Magazine just put out it’s annual cost vs value report for 2011 -2012.

REASONABLY GREEN

Remodeler Jeff Kida’s approach to sustainable design is about being reasonable when it comes to price and helping clients make educated choices about which “green” products to use. “Any product that claims to be green … [it’s] subjective,” Kida says. “To some people there will never be a green enough product, service, or company.”

Jeff Kida in his Ask The Kitchen Guy Blog addresses the issue of cabinet quality.

Jeff Kida is the owner of DDS Design Services, LLC and author of the Ask The Kitchen Guy blog. DDS Design Services is a Kitchen & Bath design firm and dealer that creates unique kitchen and baths for all budgets. DDS Design Services also features many green kitchen design options and Eco-friendly materials. They are also the home of the “Reasonably Green” kitchen.

This article offers advice on remodeling for someone with severe allergies or sensitivity to materials.

Jeff Kida of DDS Design Services LLC, kitchen designer and creator of the “Ask The Kitchen Guy” blog is also known for the concept and design of the Reasonably Green Kitchen project in Villa Park Illinois. DDS Design Services specializes in green kitchen and bathroom design. Although located in the Chicago area, they have completed projects across the US.

This article reviews the newer “Green” materials made from recycled paper or other materials. Specifically the “Green” products discussed today put environmental concerns first. In some cases they have been around the building materials industry for some time but only now are being modified and marketed for counter top. We also show pictures of some of these unique materials and new ideas for some older ones.

Jeff Kida in his Ask The Kitchen Guy blog gives his take on Quartz and Other Hard Surface counter tops. In this article Jeff discusses the pros and cons of Quartz and recycled glass counter tops including looks, maintenance, finishes and green or eco-friendly ratings.

Previous articles have reviewed green kitchen design, a “Reasonably Green Kitchen” and Jeff’s commandments for a successful kitchen project.

Hard Surfaces: This category includes granite, marble, quartz, recycled glass set in resin (similar to quartz), and recycled glass set in concrete. Hard surfaces are manufactured or sold in slabs. This part of our series on counter top materials will continue discussing Hard Surfaces – specifically Quartz, Recycled Glass Set in Resins, Recycled Glass Set in Concrete and Concrete.