GSW Converting To Environmentally Friendly Properties

Jan. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- As the planet faces an uncertain future of global warming, which is believed to be the result of us all burning fossil fuels indiscriminately, we all have a duty to do the best we can to redress the balance. GSW has begun the process to convert our properties into environmentally friendly units.

Sure, this helps ensure our units are using the utilities as efficiently as possible however there is more to green than just saving on electric and water!

GSW is now using Olympic premium interior paints that have an outstanding quality zero VOC (volatile organic compound) formula that is great for the environment and dries with no lingering odor! We have selected a series of blues (Magical Merlin and Spa) for the first rooms to be done with an eggshell finish. As we continue to refinish all our units and expand our color base throughout all the rooms, we are using professional painters to trim out the rooms with a nice shiny semi-gloss ultra white by Olympic.

Next up GSW is currently interviewing some of the NJ shores best "Green" cleaning services for our rentals. GSW has found out through our experience that people love a clean unit. Not only will be providing exceptional cleaning services for our units this year but we will be providing this in an environmentally friendly manner! We will post the link to the winning company once we finalize an agreement. We have also purchased some of the new line of cleaning products from Johnson and Johnson called Nature's Source to store in each unit in for your convenience during your stay.

As clean and green is the theme to our 2010 rental season, we are also interviewing our pest control companies to ensure that we keep out any unwelcome guests while at the same time not using any unsafe methods. GSW is children and pet friendly; their welfare is our #1 concern. Our complex, Surfside Condominiums at Seaside Heights will be contracting with a quality service provider using environmentally methods to keep the areas you see ... and don't see, nice and clean!

We all use too much water. Going green in the units will also include being efficient as possible with the water. Did you know that we could all, collectively, save one billion gallons of water a year by changing our old flush toilet cisterns? The old ones use three and a half gallons per flush and the new high-efficiency ones use just over one and a quarter gallon. This makes a big difference! We anticipate this to save us 20,000 gallons of water every year!

The standard light bulbs that most homes have are very inefficient. Compact fluorescent light bulbs burn around 5% of the old bulbs and they last 10 times longer. They may cost slightly more to buy initially, but this is an obvious way to go green in the home but save in the long run. We have made this initial investment and installed all compact fluorescent lighting in the units.

Heat leaks out of a house in winter and into the house in summer. We are adding better insulation in areas where possible to add to our green efforts in your home away from home.

Home utilities are also a drain on energy. Did you know that modern washing powders are so good that they don't really need hot water? Our units washing machine uses most of its energy heating the water, so we will be placing signage to wash clothes cold when possible. They will clean great while we go green. Please don't feel this is a requirement though, our guests will be on the honor system and will be welcome to use the hot water for clothes if they like. We also thought that the dishwasher in the big unit is also an energy drain, strangely, it isn't. If you use it fully filled it uses less resources than if you wash by hand. We will be add a little note in the kitchen regarding this often misunderstood green fact.

Our past experiences have also told us that people like to recycle however we need to make it clear and easy for them to know what to do. We are adding plenty of well marked recyclable containers in each unit and on the premises for everyone to do their part.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions on what else could be done to make Surfside Condominiums at Seaside a better place for the family and the environment, please write us at gwise@gswpropertygroup.com .

We are looking forward to a pleasurable 2010 season and hope to see you in Seaside this year!