Thinking of Remodeling?
by Lawson Schaller
Do you have any remodeling projects coming up? Perhaps a fresh coat of paint in the kitchen, bath, or a child's bedroom? If so, there are a lot of good choices out there for building and remodeling it green. From paints to 2x4's, cabinets to counter tops to flooring - there are options that are better for indoor and outdoor air quality and better overall for the environment.
Paints with no volatile organic compounds/chemicals (VOC) are good for people with chemical sensitivities or for couples with young children. Be careful in selecting a ‘no VOC' paint. Some claim no or low VOCs, but may have other added chemicals. Sometimes the tints added will also have some level of VOCs. Cabinets or other materials in the house often have glues or adhesives containing VOCs. There are choices for low to no VOCs for glues and adhesives in plywood and laminated flooring, etc.
Recycled content materials are becoming more popular as manufactures are producing more products to choose from. There are quite a number of recycled content carpets. For example, one carpet on the market is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Recycled glass can also be used in countertops. There is a wide array of colors and patterns to choose from. Compressed recycled paper is another choice in countertops. The compressed paper is super hard and durable. One would never guess its content; at first glance it appears it could be polished slate.
Rapidly renewable resources are yet another content option in product choices. Behind and beyond the product itself are the people who harvest and manufacture it. Human rights are a concern for many.
For instance, bamboo flooring is quite popular these days. Bamboo is a rapidly growing grass, often grown it China. With some research you can find out where you bamboo is grown and manufactured. One can gain some insight into the social responsibility of the company manufacturing and selling it.
Cork flooring is made from the bark of trees. The tree survives the cork bark harvest and grows more cork bark. It too is a renewable resource. Much of the cork material comes from Portugal.
Wool carpet is also considered a renewable resource, and it is quite a nice carpet. All of these flooring options come in a variety of patterns, styles, and colors.
There are organizations that can help guide us through our decisions; carpets can come with a Green Label Plus rating, there is also a Green Guard rating for products. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a certification for lumber products. It assures that the forest is managed sustainably. With careful select harvesting the forest remains intact, and continues to be a diverse habitat for important species . . . quite the opposite from traditional, industrial clear cutting. Some of our local lumber stores do have FSC certified lumber. Other local stores, such as Green Goods (see image above), specialize in green building material product knowledge and installation.
|
