R3project round-up 1: General Installations Around the House.

The R3project is almost complete; the renovation of the apartment is finished and we are living in it with our worms on the balcony, recycling and saving on energy and water wherever we can, without loosing comfort or style. In the following months we will finish this blog with a few round-up posts to give a better overview of the sustainable design solutions we applied to our apartment. This article is about the general installations around the house. The next ones will include the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, office and balcony. We hope you enjoy it.

MOVING HOUSE
The general stuff around the house are mostly things you cannot see any more, but that play an important role when it comes to sustainable living. We started the R3project off with an eco-move, where we brought our stuff into the new apartment without emitting CO2. How? With a bicycle and a little help from our friends, watch the video here.

GETTING AN ETHICAL MORTGAGE
The month before the move, we were shopping for mortgages, and managed to get a loan with the ethical banc Triodos Bank. They guarantee that they only give money to ecological, social or ethical projects. We like that!

RECYCLING DEBRIS
Next we had to get rid of a few sacks of debris, and found out that Sacos Marones recycle the debris. It’s a great service widely available in Spain.

WATER INSTALLATION
In order to avoid PVC in our home, we had to look harder to find recyclable plastic pipes for the grey water installation. In the end we used the tubing system by AquaTherm, which is easy to install with ordinary tools, and, copper pipes for the fresh water and heating installation. The Jaga radiators we chose are ‘low H2O’, which means they also need less energy to run (because there is less water to heat). To heat our water we use a condensation gas boiler. What we really recommend, even without undergoing a full renovation, are low-flow faucet aerator. They cost around 3€ and save you up to 50% water. Depending on what flushing system your toilet has, you can also save a lot of water. We opted for a ‘Stop Flush system’.

ELECTRIC INSTALLATION
Just like for the water pipes, we managed to find PVC-free plastic tubes for the electricity. We used recyclable corrugated polypropylene tubes that are also organochloride and halogen free. Connected to the end of those are of course CLF lightbulbs and A-efficient electric appliances. We even managed to find eco-friendly plugs made form recyclable plastic, and light switches, made in Spain from certified wood.

PAINTS AND WOOD FINISHES
Our walls are painted with zero-VOC paint, and the wooden beams and balcony doors are treated with ecological and natural oils.

INSULATION
In order to keep heating costs down and keep the apartment cool without installing air conditioning, we made sure the place is completely insulated. Double-glazing was a must, and the cork floor an extra bonus to both thermally and acoustically insulate the apartment.

More:
R3project round-up 1: General Installations at Home
R3project round-up 2: the Kitchen

Real Eco Oils & Paints

After painting the walls with Lepanto paint that bares the EU eco label, two of our readers pointed out (comments in Spanish here) that even though they are labelled as such, the paint is really not that ecological. No wonder, because as we checked out the pain we discovered the paint is fossil fuel based. I guess it would have been too easy to get away with just buying an eco product in your local shop!
So, for our wood finish, we researched a little better and found the sustainable options we were looking for in Germany at the company Livos. Livos produce all-natural wood treatment products (like sealers, stains, finishes, thinners, etc.) that are based on renewable raw plant materials. All their products are harmless to humans, animals and plants which to me is proven by the fact that the oil we used, doesn’t hurt your hands at all. In fact, the oils smell so nice, you almost want to eat them. If you don’t believe me, read the ingredients of one of the products and you find things like orange oil or rhubarb roots. In fact, Livos have all the raw materials they use listed on their web site for total transparency. The products are environmentally friendly and completely recyclable. For the interior carpentry like doors and beams we used a transparent oil called Kaldet and for the outdoor balcony doors we used a chocolate-coloured (typical for Barcelona's fincas) natural gloss paint Vindo. To give you an idea about pricing, 2.5 litres of Vindo cost €76,98 but the application is really efficient and one thin coating is more than enough. For the exposed brick wall we used the transparent oil Dubno for absorbent bricks, which costs €14 for 0.75 litres.
All the oils were very easy and quick to apply and left us with a great finish and without a nasty smell in the house. In Barcelona, Livos products are available from ProyectoBio (contact Cristina Rueda +34 934516927) and other international distributors are listed online.

A White Season with Eco Paint

We gave ourselves a white Christmas by painting the flat. Of course we used an ecological paint: Lepano. Lepano Paints are a local (Spanish) product and have an eco range which has been awarded the EU eco label. We found the paint very efficient and were happy with a quick result without having to put many layers. The paint is available from most paint shops and it really doesn’t smell.

We also found the Ecoblock by Norai a handy tool to make painting a little eco-friendlier. It’s basically a roller of which the round brush is exchangeable. That way you don’t have to buy a whole new tool each time the brush dries up, saving you money and waste.