What is Green Building?
(Page 3 of 4)
August/September 2005
By Alex Wilson
Top Green Building Products
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With so many new building products now on the market, it’s hard to see through the hype. Thankfully, BuildingGreen, the award- winning publisher of the monthly, advertisement-free newsletter Environmental Building News, is here to help. The company publishes thousands of product reviews in directories and on its Web site. (Full access requires a subscription.) Here are EBN’s recent picks of top green building products.
ECO I Paver
ECO I Paver from E.P. Henry Corp. is an interlocking concrete-grid paver designed for porous paving applications. The pavers include protrusions (or lugs) on the sides to ensure separation between them for rainwater infiltration. Contact: E.P. Henry Corp., 201 Park Ave., P.O. Box 615, Woodbury, NJ 08096; (800) 444-3679; www.ephenry.com
TimberSIL Nontoxic Pressure-treated Wood
TimberSIL is a sodium silicate-based pressure-treatment system for wood that relies on a mineralization process rather than toxins to prevent infestations and decay. Standard TimberSIL-treated wood carries a 40-year warranty for interior use and up to one year for outdoor exposure; TimberSIL Plus carries a 40-year warranty for outdoor applications. Contact: Timber Treatment Technologies, 7481 Huntsman Blvd., Suite 520, Springfield, VA 22153; (866) 318-9432; www.timbersil.com
Potlatch sustainable Framing Lumber, Plywood and Cedar
Potlatch Corp. produces chain-of-custody, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified hem fir and Douglas fir-larch framing lumber, inland red cedar decking and siding, and Douglas fir and white fir plywood from three mills in Idaho. In 2004, Potlatch became the first publicly traded U.S. timber company to certify timberland according to FSC standards. Contact: Potlatch Corp., 805 Mill Road, Lewiston, ID 83504; (208) 799-1038; www.potlatchcorp.com
Ethos Carpet-cushion Backing
Ethos carpet-cushion backing sold by C&A Floorcoverings is made from nonchlorinated polyvinyl butyral (PVB) collected when automotive windows and other safety-glass panes are recycled. This material is 96-percent post-consumer recycled, resulting in carpet products with a total recycled content of 40 percent to 62 percent. Contact: Tandus C&A Floorcoverings, P.O. Box 1447, Dalton, GA 30722; (800) 248-2878; www.tandus.com
Photovol Glass PV window Glazing
Photovol glass is a semitransparent, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) window glazing that allows visible light transmission while generating electricity. The roughly 1-square-meter glazing panels are available in three transmissivity and electrical output options: 10-percent transmittance with nominal 44 watts of power output, 5-percent transmittance with 50-watt output and 1-percent transmittance with 55-watt output. The power output is guaranteed at 80 percent of the rated output for 20 years. Contact: Darshan Schmitz, International Sales, MSK Corp.; darshan@msk.ne.jp; www.msk.ne.jp/english/index.shtml
