The Best Types of Floors for Bathrooms

Because of the humidity released by baths and showers, your bathroom is one of the most mold-prone areas of your home. Plus, no matter how hard you try, your bathroom floor is going to get wet, which can increase the chances of a mold problem. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose a bathroom floor material that’s easy to clean and that will repel moisture.

Before moving forward with your bathroom makeover, these are the ideal types of flooring you’ll want to consider.

The Look of Wood Without the Risks: Vinyl Plank Flooring

If tile is not your cup of tea and you prefer a more rustic look, vinyl plank flooring might be the perfect option for you. It looks like wood planks but does not require the same level of maintenance.

All of this material’s surfaces, including its seams, are completely waterproof. Also, this type of flooring is relatively easy to install for DIY-ers and easy to remove and replace. Just keep in mind that the price is going to vary significantly with the look and quality level.

The Most Versatile: Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

Whether your tastes are traditional or contemporary, you can find a tile style to match your taste. Tiles come in a variety of hues, textures, sizes, and shapes, allowing your floor to take the spotlight or blend discreetly into the background.

Porcelain tile is just one type of ceramic tile. Porcelain, in particular, is categorized by the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) as having a water absorption rate of no more than 0.5 percent. Ceramic tile is waterproof—just remember that you’ll have to seal the grout to prevent mold and mildew.

The Best Resale Value: Natural Stone

When correctly sealed, natural stone is an excellent, durable flooring choice for bathrooms (though at a luxury price point). Polished marble has a classic elegance that can suit modern or traditional tastes. Granite and limestone offer an earthier appeal that’s perfect for transforming your bathroom into your private spa.

Though natural stone will last the longest of these flooring options and offer you the best resale value, it will require regular resealing to protect against moisture. Also, to ensure the stone is cut precisely to your bathroom’s specifications, it’s best to hire a professional to install this flooring.

Do you need a water damage survey in your bathroom? Contact GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration today at 631-940-8100.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Attic

Who couldn’t use a little bit of extra space? Adding new rooms to your home is expensive, but you might already have an unused space that’s full of potential right about your head: your attic! 

Here are four creative ways to turn your dreary attic into a great room.

Brand New Bedroom

Are your kids constantly fighting over their shared space and close proximity? Do you have a new bundle of joy on the way? In either case, you can convert your attic into a new bedroom. Of course, you’ll want to make sure it’s a safe and clean environment. You can do this by meeting your area’s building codes and hiring professional attic cleaning services.

Creative Office Space 

Separating your work from your personal space can be difficult, especially when you work from home. Your attic is the perfect place for a private office. If you’re in the creative industry, you can even convert your attic into an art gallery or photo studio. It’s a spacious area that can fit all the furniture and supplies you need. What’s even better is that it’s far enough from the rest of the bustle of your home while still being close.   

Fun-Filled Recreation Area 

Whether your kids are toddlers or teenagers, they’ll love having a designated recreation area. With just a few additions, you can turn your attic into the perfect playpen. Just add fun board games, toys, and a lounge section. If you want to invest in something larger, you can even get a ping pong table. Your home will be the hot spot where everyone in the neighborhood wants to hang out.  

Entertaining Media Room 

If the living room doesn’t fit your entire family comfortably, transform your attic into a media room. The dark, enclosed attic space will replicate a movie theater’s environment perfectly. Add a comfy sectional, storage for blankets, and a large-screen TV. You can complete your new home theater with a snack bar. 

Feeling Inspired?

Just remember that when it comes to transforming a dusty, old attic into a habitable place, the most important thing is the safety and health of your family. Turn to GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration, the experts in attic and crawlspace cleaning, to help you transform your attic into the perfect addition to your home.

4 No-VOC Paints for Decorating Your Home

Have you ever noticed that a fresh coat of paint inside your home will sometimes bother your sinuses, make you dizzy, or trigger a headache? That’s because many traditional household paints contain harmful pollutants called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds are easily able to transform into a vapor or gas, and breathing in these gases can have a number of bad effects on your short-term and long-term health.

Fortunately, now that there is growing awareness about the dangers of VOCs, there is a variety of low-VOC and no-VOC interior paints on the market. Now you can paint your home to your heart's content without worrying about compromising your indoor air quality.

Here are 4 popular no-VOC paint options for your next home makeover.

1. BioShield Clay

This is the paint of choice for folks with fragrance sensitivity. Even though paints without VOCs will not smell as strongly as their traditional counterparts, if you’re sensitive to smells, you might still get a headache or nasal discomfort. BioShield Clay has a particularly understated, clay-like smell that is far less likely to disrupt your comfort.

2. Benjamin Moore Natura

This big name in household paint has released its zero-VOC line, Natura, and the best part is that it’s available in every color Benjamin Moore offers in their other products. If you have allergies or asthma, an added perk of this paint is that it is certified allergy- and asthma-friendly.

3. Behr Premium Plus

Skip the primer with this amazing, no-VOC paint from Behr. The Behr Premium Plus line contains both paint and primer in one formula, allowing you to skip a step and get right to applying color. Like Bioshield Clay, this is another great, low-odor option for those with fragrance sensitivity.

4. Sherwin-Williams Harmony

Who would’ve ever thought that paint could actually help purify your home’s air? In fact, that is exactly what the Sherwin-Williams Harmony line does. By reducing VOC levels in your home and diminishing common indoor odors caused by things such as cooking, pets, and smoking, Harmony Interior Acrylic Latex paint helps keep your home’s air fresh and healthy. This paint is even resistant to mold and mildew, making it a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

At GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration, we believe that by respecting the environment we promote a healthy, safe, and clean area for your home, workplace, and life. All of our products are bio-safe, and all of our methods are bio-friendly.

Air Purifying Plants for Your Home

Enjoying “the great indoors” with the windows and doors shut can be a welcome relief on a cold or hot day. However, enclosed spaces can suffer from a lack of airflow, which can cause an accumulation of indoor air pollution. Luckily, NASA made the wonderful discovery back in 1989 that houseplants have the ability to absorb airborne chemicals and toxins, particularly in enclosed spaces with stagnant air, like many rooms in energy-efficient households.

Not only do plants have this miraculous ability, but they also have been known to reduce fatigue and stress while also boosting mood and productivity. Some studies have revealed that indoor plants even enhance concentration and memory. It’s no wonder that houseplants have become a staple in contemporary decor!

To help your hunt for the perfect, air-purifying houseplant (or plants) for your home, we’ve compiled some lovely and diverse options to spruce up any room. Keep in mind, not all of these plants are safe for pets, so if you do have pets, be sure to choose pet-friendly options or to put the plants well out of reach of your animals.

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

This plant is perfect for those who’ve had trouble keeping plants alive in the past. Your pothos will require very little tending, and in return, it will help eliminate carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and even more toxins from your indoor air. As far as care, it requires watering when its soil gets dry, and because it can grow several feet long, you’ll want to trim it every so often to keep it under control. Just a warning: this plant is toxic for both dogs and cats.

Bamboo Palms (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

This is a great option if you’d like a plant with some height but without a wide girth, which makes it a good alternative to other indoor palms. It will do best in a bright room without direct sunlight and will require consistently moist soil. Not only will a bamboo palm help rid your air of chemicals like chloroform, benzene, xylene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide, but it also has a subtle humidifying effect on the air, which is great for normally dry environments or cold weather. The bamboo palm is non-poisonous for cats and dogs.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Once it gets going, the Boston fern drapes beautifully and helps remove xylene and formaldehyde from the air. The catch: it’s going to require a special location with both indirect light and high humidity. A bathroom with a window where the shower or tub is used frequently would be an ideal location. In terms of watering, this fern will require one soak monthly, and you’ll have to check its soil on a daily basis to make sure it's moist.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Like the Boston fern, the spider plant is another great option for hanging containers, and they help eliminate xylene and formaldehyde from indoor air. Unlike the Boston fern, they are quite hardy and can survive with little tending. They’ll need to be watered about a couple times a week, and they are also non-toxic, making them a great choice to have around kids and pets. Just a word of caution: this plant tends to grow rapidly, so keep an eye on it.

Dracaena

This plant is known commonly as the dragon tree, which in and of itself might be enough reason to purchase it. Perfect for contemporary or exotic decor, they come in a variety of colors, including variations with red, cream, or white lines along their leaves. While dracaenas do eliminate trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene, they are toxic to cats and dogs, so pet owners will want to steer clear of this option.

Maintaining your home’s indoor air quality is a vital aspect of keeping you and your family healthy. If you are looking for even more ways to increase your indoor air quality, consider a professional air duct cleaning or an attic and crawl space cleaning to eliminate bacteria, mold spores, dust, and allergens that may be infiltrating your air supply.