So, I'm halfway through a very painful kitchen refit. When I say painful I mean, of course, wonderfully fulfilling. In all honesty though, ripping out the hideous 1980s kitchen was more than satisfying and I feel a renewed sense of pride. Yes, I can use a hammer, a chisel and various other tools. Quite impressive really.
Being my ignorant self I hadn't really stopped to think about the impact our little project could have on the environment and, I'm ashamed to say, I think I've learned a few things the hard way. I've got one word for you: plaster. It's evil, evil stuff. Dip-shit here, unfortunately, didn't realise this. I'm talking about 'Gypsum' plaster here of course (the standard plaster everyone means when they use the word 'plaster') which takes up a hell of a lot of energy in it's production and is, all round, a bit on the dirty side. We are all so used to seeing literally buckets of the stuff being smothered over our walls when we decide we must have the latest high-gloss wall cabinets (ok, maybe that's just me) but have probably never spared a thought about the alternatives.
I am here to inform, am I not? There are alternatives. There pretty much always are. How about a lovely coat of lime plaster? Very similar to 'gypsum' but with a much lower amount of 'embodied energy' - basically meaning less energy goes into its production. It's also boast all the same properties as gypsum plaster and can be used in exactly the same way (internally and externally). It is great temperature regulator too keeping warm in winter and cool in the summer. If only I had researched this before we arranged the plasterer to come. I now have three large bags of powdery shame hanging around that I can't bear to look at.
Next mission: paint. I'm not going to let this one slide. Check back soon to see my findings...
- James
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