Korts & Knight
KITCHEN DESIGN
Korts & Knight
394 Kansas St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
T: 415-558-8811 x. 101
email: info@korts.com
GREEN.....what does it all mean for any of us?
Most Californians are concerned about the way our City, State, or Country look. We are happy when our streets are clean and picked up. We're glad that we have a population that, in general, doesn't litter if they can avoid it. We also understand that this is a factor of having enough money to pay for the services that allow us to look pristine and beautiful. It also comes from having a population that is well fed and well housed that allows us to be concerned about beautifying a space rather than just working on day to day survival.
So.....how does Green come in to play?
#1 If you want to be truly green, you shouldn't build anything new, and you shouldn't remodel. Is that completely true or not? Well, many products that are functioning in the world at the moment are not as efficient as the newer models. We have seen it with gas guzzling cars, and the same can be said for energy guzzling refrigerators, for example. The newer models can be more efficient in how fuel is utilized.....whether it's natural gas, or electricity.
#2 If you want to remodel your kitchen or bathroom, how should you view that task? You don't want to buy things that are poorly made that will result in failure in a short period of time. That being said, our cabinets have been known to last well over three decades and still function well and look beautiful, as opposed to products that last only 3 years to 10 years. A short life-span means more landfill, which is not a good thing. Our products are tested to be of the highest quality available in the marketplace today. We don't build for obsolescence, we build for durability.
#3 If you want to remodel, you should find out about recycling your existing products as much as possible. Here is our recommendation for you to connect with people who are making a difference:
"The Reuse People of America, Inc." They are a nonprofit corporation that will recycle your building materials. Conncec with Diana Pell, area manager: 510-383-1983 or connect with her: dianapell@thereusepeople.org.
You could also try to connect with Habitat for America.
#4 Try to recycle your products "in house". For example, we removed a great kitchen that we had done 15 years prior for a client, and redesigned it and re-installed it into a relative's kitchen to our clients. We did not reuse the refrigerator, electing instead to purchase a more current efficient model for today's standards.
#5 What is the world talking about when they talk about "being green" when it comes to products? They are often talking about the trees that come out of the forests and the materials that are used to make the cabinetry products.
We never use endangered species of trees for our cabinets. We use wood that has been sensibly managed and harvested.
Our cabinets our built, for example, with veneer woods for our flat panel doors, which means we are saving lumber. 1) using a solid door means that the door will warp, which means you will not be happy with the product long term as it cracks and bends. 2) it also means that we are being good stewards of the forests by using less lumber by slicing it into thin veneers to face your doors with.
The other big deal in "being green" is to delete the formaldehyde inside the products. We produce kitchens that have no added formaldehyde. We use a variety of items that can enhance the products toward being green, from using what we call clad material to plywood interiors. Please talk to your Korts & Knight specialist for answers to your questions.
Take a look at our latest green project....
