Practical Eco

Free Materials Re-use Workshop Nov 17 at CCCC Pittsboro NC

Orange and Chatham Counties are sponsoring a free Building Material Re-Use Workshop on the evening of Tuesday November 17th at Central Carolina Community College. The event requires pre-registration which you can do here.

AGENDA

5:45 pm Exhibit hall opens featuring representatives from: Habitat for Humanity, The Green Door, Builders of Hope, Barnstar,The Reuse Alliance and others.
6:15 pm Builders of Hope: A unique nonprofit that rescues “homes from demolition, rehabilitates them using green building standards, and sells them at cost to working families and individuals.”
7:00 pm ReUse panel featuring area deconstruction, recycling and waste diversion professionals.
 
November 17 , 2009
5:30pm to 8 pm
Central Carolina Community College
Multipurpose Room
764 West Street
Pittsboro, NC

Vast Permeable Pavers win EcoHome magazine's 2009 Editor's Choice

I've been representing Vast locally for a couple months now and love this product for its double whammy of using recycled materials and reducing storm water run off.

The pavers come in permeable and non-permeable varieties. And, they offer both commercial and residential landscapers an excellent choice that can provide more LEED points than any other paving solution.

The speed and ease of installation also means installers can satisfy clients better while profiting more from a job. Though the pavers are made from 95% recycled materials, they look and feel like traditional pavers. In fact, most professionals can't tell the difference once they're in place.

Typical applications include driveways, parking lots, patios, sidewalks, pool areas, decks, flat roofs and other Green Building applications. VAST Composite Pavers are incredibly durable and withstand even the harshest environments. Unlike concrete, they are not affected by salt and are guaranteed not to crack. Residential applications are backed by a 10-year limited warranty and a LIFETIME warranty against cracking.

I'm delighted that Eco Home Magazine chose this as one of their ten best green building products.

Contact me anytime to discuss permeable pavers, energy efficient lighting or insulation for commercial and residential jobs.

ICF construction open site May 8th and 9th in Chapel Hill

Triangle Polyteel is hosting an open job site this Friday May 8th from 3-5 pm and Saturday May 9th from 9-11 am. Anyone will be welcome to view this Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction going up. During each day at the middle hour (3:30-4:30 or 9:30-10:30) there will be a formal introduction to the methods and materials of ICF construction. The half-hour either side allows for visitors to walk around the site and ask question of the builder or the Polysteel distributor.

Come see and feel for yourself the strength, security and performance that only ICF construction can offer. 
The address is:
1023 Russells Ford Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
map

A Triangle PolySteel job site sign marks the entrance to the private gravel drive.  The project is about a half a mile down the gravel drive.  You will see signs for the address.

Please rsvp to bradley@trianglepolysteel.com indicating which day you expect to come.

Raintube gutter protection with Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certification

I've long felt slightly skeptical about gutter protection systems. A couple years ago I got a price for my house that was around $3000, and I've heard higher prices quoted from other systems for similar sized homes. Considering it cost me less than $100 to have some guys come clean out my gutters (Or I can do it myself in about 3 hours) and assuming I do that twice each year, it would still take about 10-15 years to pay back my initial cost. Plus, the systems out there are anything but green.

Until now that is. The Raintube claims to cost half of what other systems cost, which brings it into the realm of reasonableness. Plus, it's made from 100% recycled HDPE which is virtually indestructible and comes with a transferable lifetime warranty.

RainTube is one of only eleven companies worldwide to achieve a Cradle to Cradle Gold Tier Certification and the only Eco-Friendly gutter protection product out there!  They have won some impressive awards for their sustainability work including:

• The Sustainable Product Award for the highest overall product sustainability rating
• The Global Climate Change Award
• The End of Product Life Award

The patented RainTube material is porous and fits snugly into the body of the gutter keeping debris high up out of the water where it can dry out quickly. Water flows in great volumes around and through the tube via thousands of tiny passageways. In most installations, RainTube crowns slightly above the top of the gutter creating a slippery aerodynamic surface that allows most debris to blow away in a light breeze.

This will finally cause me to rethink my stance on gutter protection systems. However, there isn't an installer in North Carolina yet. Anyone want to partner up to start one?

A Greener fiberglass insulation - EcoBatt

EcoBatt™ fiberglass insulation doesn't look like the usual insulation - for starters it's brown. That's because it doesn't use dyes like other fiberglass insulation products.

The manufacturer, Knauf, utilizes what they call ECOSE™ technology to bind it together. This converts natural organic materials into an inert polymer, binding the insulation fibers.  The technology is also up to 70% less energy intensive.

EcoBatt also contains no formaldehyde, acrylics, or artificial colors. It does however, contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled glass.

It's only now becoming available on the west coast, and is due to become available on the East cost by the end of this year.

N.C. State Design Uses Less Steel in Beams

Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) have worked out a safe way to use 30 percent less reinforcing steel in manufactured concrete beams, or spandrels, used in building parking garages.

Sami Rizkalla, one of the leaders of the research team, says their new spandrel design "simplifies construction for precast concrete producers," as well as using less steel, the new design cuts labor and manufacturing time in half -- significantly decreasing costs. And the new design guidelines include a significant margin for safety such that spandrels could handle two to three times the maximum weight they would be expected to bear.

The success of the project is already drawing interest from the concrete industry, with individual companies coming to NC State to get input on how to improve their products and manufacturing processes.

For the full story on the NCSU website click here

Dramatically better concrete - iCrete

Concrete is ubiquitous. It's the world's most widely used building material, but has long been recognized as having high embodied energy and a relatively large carbon footprint. Yet, there are many great and very sustainable aspects to it as well. It's clearly not going anywhere soon. So it's wonderful to see innovations that take a good product and make it better.

iCrete is such an innovation. It’s a system that simply optimizes and customizes the mix designs for concrete. They do this partly by optimizing the void space between aggregates. This allows for a reduction in the amount of cement paste used to create a bond. Using the same basic materials, the company creates a formula specific to local resources and the project requirements, optimizing the production and the procurement or raw materials.

The result you get with iCrete is a stronger concrete that uses fewer raw materials, 25% less cementitious material and is more consistent batch after batch.

The iCrete product has clearly impressed people and they've gained endorsements from Frank Gehry Partners and from Collavino Construction Co., who are working on the Freedom Tower in NYC.

Some of its other benefits and efficiencies include:

• labor savings from shortened construction cycles and improved workability
• fewer rejected loads due to reliable consistency
• less dependence on steel
• higher strength than standard concrete
• greater workability
• faster finishing times
• reduced shrinkage
• reduces the amount of cement used in concrete by up to 40%
• reduces carbon footprint up to 40%
• less material waste because of high quality control and increased consistency

Truly green playground systems by EcoPlay

There are several manufacturers in the Commercial Playground industry who are now claiming to be green.  One company in Marietta GA, called Safeplay Systems is the real deal.  Safeplay Systems designs, manufactures, and installs playground structures made of EcoPlay®, a green building material made from post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic (i.e. milk jugs). A single EcoPlay playground keeps an average of 30,000 milk jugs out of landfill.  And, installation can be applied toward LEED certification points.

Not only are EcoPlay green playgrounds made of post-consumer recycled material, but at the end of their useful life [estimated at 50+ years], the playgrounds can be recycled yet again and used in the building of new playgrounds.

Safeplay Systems, initially manufactured and sold wooden equipment. Being familiar with the inherent flaws of wood, and the high maintenance issues of metal, President, Bob Gredys began searching for a new green building material. Recycled plastic proved to be the answer. Working with a top polymer chemist, Safeplay Systems introduced EcoPlay -- one of the strongest materials available. EcoPlay is impermeable to water, cannot be eaten by insects, never needs painting or sealing, and it won’t splinter, crack, rust, swell or degrade in any way. So its a green material on several levels.

Safeplay custom designs their play structures, outdoor classrooms and site amenities – really, anything goes. 

EcoPlay Playgrounds from Safeplay Systems meet and exceed industry standards and all installations are conducted by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) to assure compliance with all safety codes. 

See: www.safeplaysystems.com.

If your green building design or green retrofit project calls for a playgroud then contact me, or call Sandra Cummins on 770-314-1720 for more information.

 

EcoClad - sustainable siding from Klip Biotechnologies

Now that Joel Klippert of Klip Biotechnologies has created two of the most respected green counter-top surfaces, (Paperstone and EcoTop) he's gone outside to create a sustainable siding material.

EcoClad, like EcoTop, uses a blend of post-consumer paper and bamboo fibers in a water-based co-polymer that's totally VOC and benzene free. And, the fiber blend is even FSC certified. The result is a durable long lasting board that can be produced in various sizes, shapes, textures and colors. So, while it offers an eco-conscious alternative, it allows a designer to consider a wide range of looks or even mix them easily.

It comes off-the-shelf with your choice of 10 wood-grains and 6 matte colors, or can be custom ordered with one of 200 grains and can be matched to any color.

EcoClad is clearly an exciting new way to sustainably cover buildings but its range of colors and textures could well be an equal draw to anyone wanting to use this product.

 

Low Cost Loofah houses

This comes under the category of inspirational.

In landlocked Paraguay, where poverty is widespread and resources are slim, an innovative social activist named Elsa Zaldívar has come up with a way to use common materials to build low cost homes.

She found a way to mix loofah – a cucumber-like vegetable that is dried to yield a scratchy sponge for use as abrasive skin scrubber – with other vegetable matter like husks from corn and caranday palm trees, with recycled plastic, to form strong, lightweight panels.

It's a little off-piste for this blog but I thought the story, which won a Rolex Award for enterprise, was worth reading. See the whole story here.

Spray Foam insulation for retrofits

Almost any exisiting structure whether commercial or residential can benefit from a green retrofit. A green retrofit means increase property value, quicker sales and happier occupants. It also means lower energy bills.

Of all the projects you can undertake in a green retrofit, the number one in terms of return on investment has to be insulation. Some would say it's the number two and three as well.

When it comes to insulation you need to know the term R-Value. If you don't already know it R-value measures the material's resistance to heat transfer. The higher the number the slower heat will pass from one side to the other. But, like so many things, it's just not that simple in real life. R19 insulation may seem better than R13 insulation in the laboratory or on paper, but I've known plenty of R13 walls that perform 2 to 3 times better than another R19 wall.

The most effective form of insulation when it comes to energy efficiency is spray-on polyurethane foam - or just "spray foam". And the most established and well known brand in that area is Icynene. Compared to typical fiberglass batts, Icynene spray foam is far more effective because it seals the space tight. Fiberglass is not an air barrier. Look at old batts in an older house and you'll see darkening and discoloration from the air it has "filtered" leaking into the house. I recently pulled some off the underside of my floors and it was black around the air ducts. Ick! Stop the air leaks and you save energy. But you do need to balance that with supplying clean fresh air in the right amount (7.5 cubic feet per minute per occupant is usually enough) to the house.

Typically older homes will opt to spray the attic and if they have one, the crawlspace.  On a retrofit basis Icycnene spray foam can cut electricity bills around 30-40 percent.

Lucious counters and sinks from recycled glass and ceramic cement

VitraStone is a new sustainable sink and countertop material made from a blend of 70-85% recycled glass and natural minerals. A wide variety of sink and counter designs exist, but the makers will also do custom designs, colors and inlays to achieve more unique looks. 

It has an incredibly high compression strength and durability owing to the ceramic cement (not Portland cement) used in its manufacture. That also means a lower carbon footprint and that the finished product doesn't need additional water reducers, plasticisers or acrylics as are often added to other products.

The finished product won't off-gas, won't shrink, is integrally colored, is resistant to scratching, chipping, freezing, thawing, acid and mold. So it can be used indoors or out.

Care and maintenance is a breeze because they seal their surfaces with a deep penetrating sealer that protects them throroughly. Waxing is entirely optional. A clear carnauba paste wax gives countetops a nice feel, or just leave them as they came.

Contact me directly for more information.

Cork: a cool green option

I remember thinking of cork as a cheap flooring somewhat industrial material. But nowadays, cork comes in such a wide range of colors that it can look positively elegant or cutting edge cool. There are several good cork manufacturers out there. The company I represent, APC Cork, offers 36 different colors. And they come in engineered click-lock panels, rolls or squares.

In so many situations cork provides an outstanding floor. Its resilience and give make for a comfortable walking and standing floor that's ideal in many commercial environments, kitchens, play areas and much more. And the wide range of colors means you'll get the right look for just about any space.

The green credentials are clear and simple because the trees are never felled to produce cork. They simply strip the bark every 9-14 years. A totally sustainable system. Plus, as more and more wine stoppers are made of plastic or metal, using cork for flooring helps support this niche industry which is mainly in Portugal.

I've got beautiful cork, bamboo and FSC certified Teak flooring available. If you're considering remodelling or if you're specifying a job anywhere in North Carolina take a look at our prices and product range, or contact me to discuss your needs.

The PolyWhey Way

I just spotted an intriguing new product on BuildingGreen.com.  PloyWhen is a natural wood finish made from whey, a by-product of the cheese making process which has often been discarded in the past. Whey has a high biochemical oxygen demand which increases the burden on waste treatment facilities and can pollute waterways.

In the past few years whey has found uses in energy bars, infant formula and a film coating for food-safe packaging. Now Vermont Natural Coatings has reformulated whey into a durable wood finish, reducing dependence on petroleum-based products and turning a by-product into a new natural product. 

Vermont Natural Coatings makes a floor finish and a furniture finish. Both have numerous advantages over conventional water-based finishes.  They cure twice as hard as other water-based finishes and a hard-wearing even in heavy traffic.  PolyWhey's coverage is also greater at 500-600sq.ft./gallon.  And drying time is shorter with PolyWhey ready to recoat in two hours.

Nano Technology Zero-VOC Surface Sealant

A number of people have asked me about green sealants.  Well I've found one that's appropriate for stone, brick, travertine, concrete, grout and other porous masonry materials.   

 NANO1000 uses zero VOC nanotechnology chemistry to seal surfaces. The nanometer-sized molecules bond below the surface, well into the pores of  the material, to give a long lasting bond that can't peel off.

The finish is invisible and transparent once fully cured.  Just apply it on with a high quality 3/8 -1/2” nap roller, nylon or polyester brush, or clean pump sprayer to a clean dry surface. It dries to touch in 1 hour, can be walked on in 2 hours, and is fully cured in 7 days. 

The image above shows a brick with one side treated. On the treated side water beads up, while on the other side it has soaked in.

Ecolect - new resource for finding sustainable materials

I've just stumbled into Ecolect which is a fairly new website that features information about an impressive array of sustainable materials for  building and interior design.  It's quite heavily focused on interiors, surfaces and textiles. But I was amazed at how many things I found there that I had not yet heard of. And here I was thinking I had a pretty good knowledge of eco materials. Obviously the rate at which new green products and materials are being introduced is accelerating. Which means we'll all need resources like this even more.

Ecolect's mission is to provide the tools and resources that make it easier for you to design responsibly. So they provide us with:

1. A website featuring only materials with sustainable attributes, a place that stimulates discussion about defining sustainability and is a source of accurate information
2. A place for you to contribute user reviews and images of materials you use
3. Helpful case studies on successful sustainable design
4. An informative blog that discusses how design and ecology affect the world

Vacuum glass at R12+

According to Inhabitat,  Guardian Industries have unveiled a new super insulated vacuum glass that offers an insulation rating of R12-R13.

It uses the same principle as a vacuum thermos bottle to achieve this incredible R value.

The creators, Guardian Industries, hope to have these in the market next year. So I won't start warming up the car to get mine yet but I'm intrigued at the radical shift in energy efficiency this could mean for buildings everywhere.

See the full story on Inhabitat.

Window Films to Cut Down Heat Also Improve Security

I've been on the look out for retrofit solutions to improve existing windows and came across the 3M Prestige line of products while attending a home show in Wilmington last week.

The film is available in a range of tints, but the effectiveness in reducing heat gain is not dependent on the tint. A nearly clear film will still repel 97% of the infrared light which heats your interior. That, of course, will cut your cooling bills in Summer. It also repels the UV light which can fade your furniture and carpets.

In addition, it won't change the visible reflectivity of the glass, so your windows won't become mirrors outside like with some other films.

But what sold me is the safety and security angle. The film is so strong and the adhesives so aggressive that you can smash the window and it holds the shards together. This makes it hard for burglars to smash through. And in my case,  where I have low thin windows and a 2-year-old, hard for toddlers or anyone else to hurt themselves.

The local installation company Carolina Solar Security works the region from the coast to the Triangle. They are very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. 

PureWood - treated with heat rather than chemicals

I picked this up from Building Green today. A new outdoor decking wood made from Southern Yellow Pine and treated with heat - no copper arsenate or other chemicals at all. Hence the name, Pure Wood.  This process that was developed in Finland by Stellac Oy, and is licensed by Bay Tree Technologies here in the US, lasts about 50-60 hours.  The lumber is heated to 210°F then to 370°F or as high as 480°F when the sugars in the wood are transformed rendering them undigestible to insects or other decay organisms. They then recondition the wood with steam to restore some of the moisture.

The end result is a decking material that has no chemical preservatives, just pure wood, which is a relief. And it will be guarateed for 25 years even with ground contact. Some of the downside are that it's expensive, about the price of composite decking; and that a great deal of energy goes into making it. Currently it's mainly oil used to fire the burners, but the company are hoping to be able to operate with as much as 80% renewable fuels.

Bay Tree are currently establishing its distributor networks for the product so it's not yet available. But I'm looking forward to seeing some real world applications.

See www.purewood.net.

Wilmington gets greener with Sapona Green Building Center

It seems like green building supply centers are flourishing in North Carolina this year. Now Wilmington has its own called the Sapona Green Building Center with a showroom in Anderson Square.

The store carries a wide range of interior products such as counter tops, paints, adhesives, natural plaster, flooring, window treatments, fabrics and wallpapers.  They also offer solar hot water installation, carpentry woods, water heaters, lighting low-flow water fixtures, insulation and even green roofs.

Sapona has positioned itself as a well-rounded building and home remodeling supply store with design and consulting services to help local builders, developers and home owners to make the right green choices.

The store is owned and run by Matt and Elaine Jack who saw a need when they tried to remodel their own home with green products. The cost of freight quickly mounted up when ordering items online. So they decided the time was right for a retail store.

If you're in Wilmington drop by at 4113-b Oleander Dr. 28403. And if you happen to be there on Saturday Feb 23, they are having a grand opening celebration in the store from 3pm to 7pm.

Eco-X recycled concrete surfaces from Meld

Jetson Green just wrote about a great looking green countertop material called eco-X made right here in Raleigh by Meld.  (Thanks Preston)

Eco-X contains nearly 70% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content.
It comes in 12 standard colors and you can order custom colors.  As a product with high recycled content if offers potential LEED points too.

The products are sealed with a low-VOC penetrating sealer making the surface stain resistant - though not stain proof.

Counter tops are 1.5" standard but greater thicknesses are available. Tiles, pavers, table tops and 3-dimensional forms are also available.

Custom edges profiles, inlays, irregular shapes and integral concrete sinks are all available with this product.

New Green Building store in Durham

Common Ground Green Building Center has just opened its doors in Durham. They're located in the central park neighborhood downtown near the old baseball park.

The store has been launched by a husband and wife team, Paul Toma and Dawn Hintgen, who have been in the building trades for 25 years between them. Their specialties carpentry and kitchen & bath design respectively seem to underpin the focus of the store.

The products on offer, so far, include No VOC paints, FSC certified flooring, formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinets, counter tops (such as Paperstone) made from recycled materials and air and water filtration systems.

They also offer design services for kitchens and bathrooms.

I'm sure Paul and Dawn are right in betting that now more than ever people are looking for greener cleaner, healthier solutions for their homes. And if the story from the SF Chronicle back on Jan 3rd is right, homeowners are investing more in green features and renovating green rather than moving.
 

Brick making emmits as much CO2 as the Airline industry

Apparently the world's brick making industry accounts for about 2% of global CO2 emissions, about the same as the airline industry. This is according to a story in The Daily Green, which takes its news from Deutsche Presse-Agentur and in turn an article in Wellington's Dominion Post.

I find this a bit startling but not altogether unbelievable. The article refers mainly to handmade bricks out of India and China which are coal fired.  So, I have to wonder where US brick manufacturers stand environmentally speaking.

According to the Brick Industry Association, "The actual embodied energy of brick (the energy required to mine, manufacture and transport it), is approximately 4000 BTU’s per pound or 14000 BTU’s per standard brick. According to the AIA Environmental Resource Guide, that’s less than concrete, glass, steel, or aluminum! And it’s far below the embodied energy of EIFS and fibercement products."

That's interesting but doesn't tell me the CO2 emissions related to US brick manufacture compared to Indian hand made bricks. I'm going to postulate, go ahead and correct me anyone, that Indian and Chinese handmade brick making is far less energy efficient. If that's true then there's a meaningful project for someone to come up with more efficient firing techniques or machinery. Or to come up with some viable alternatives to brick in developing countries, and I'm sure there are many.

Enviro Board - sustainable panel made from straw

Thanks to Jetson Green for bringing this very interesting product to my attention. Enviro Board is an easy to handle and easy to assemble panel product.  The panels are solid (the company uses the term "concrete like") and can be used for either interior or exterior walls, roofs, sub flooring, sound walls and much more. They are fire rated for 1 1/2 hours at a two panel thickness and each panel weighs about 75 lb.. The panels come 8' long by 32" wide and 2 1/4" thick.

The manufacture is basically done by compressing heated straw fibers so that the natural lignins are released to bond the board together. They are extruded through a mill in a continuous process and covered with a durable waterproof paper membrane.

Enviro Board panels offer many benefits such as:

• Energy efficient buildings
• Zero toxicity
• Resistant to fire, termites, mold and mildew
• Earthquake and hurricane stable
• Quickly and easily erected by unskilled labor
• Architecturally versatile
• Ability to mass-produce panels and structures

Because they are made from renewable agricultural waste without the use of toxic glues, the panels can help buildings achieve higher LEED scores.

Fiber optic daylighting - a revolutionary technology

Sunlight Direct, a company in Tennessee,  has created a way of capturing sunlight and piping it indoors exactly to where it's needed. They even integrate sensors into light fixtures that dim bring on electric lighting as skies darken and therefore provide a constant light level for the indoor spaces.

A solar tracking mirror collects the light and concentrates it. Light is then carried via 127 1/8th inch plastic fiberoptic lines. Two lines offers the equivalent of a 50 watt bulb. 

At the ends of the fiber optic lines are hybrid luminaires that integrate the natural light with either fluorescent or incandescent lighting.  A sensor maintains a constant amount of combined illumination regardless of sky conditions.

The complete system can save building operators considerable money and energy.  Not only are there direct savings in electricity and indirect savings due to less heat output from the lights but there is a considerable advantage to having more natural daylight as it dramatically improves occupant moral and health.  For retail customers this system can improve sales - according to this study conducted by the California Board for Energy Efficiency.

ACTech Panels revolutionize construction

One of the first things ACTech's COO Tony Francel says about their product is that it's a building system, not just a panel. And that makes sense when you look at it closely.

The key benefits of the system for the builder are speed, simplicity and competitive cost. For the building owner the benefits include durability, a warm/cool environment, a tight envelope which means better air quality, and energy savings.  Not only are there savings in in energy consumption but also pest control and insurance as well as lower finance costs due to speedier construction. Less immediate but also important is the fact that better air quality and pest resistance means a healthier happier family or occupant and fewer medical bills.

The panel system is comprised of two-foot wide panels cut to length including gable end angles, channels to mount the panels into, channels to close off window and door openings, trusses for roofs and floors, and angle brackets to connect roof to wall panels. They provide all of these components as well as self tapping screw fasteners by truck to the building site.  From there a three or four man crew can assemble a 2000 square foot house shell in a couple days. All that's left is to frame interior walls (though panels could be used for some), finishing the interior, external finish of your choice, mechanicals and roof shingles. Time savings on a medium sized house can amount to nearly 2 months. There are also savings through using a less skilled crew and fewer subs and suppliers overall.

Then there's the durability angle. The movies on their website show air cannons firing studs at different types of walls and basically destroying them. When fired at the ACTech panel with it's 24 gauge steel skins the 2x4 fired at over 100 mph just dents the wall and bounces off. Any damaged panels can be replaced comparatively easily. I was told of one house in Florida that has survived three hurricanes over its 14 year life.

What I found really amazing is that while you can use the system for commercial or residential construction it's very cost effective. Builders are using this system to construct affordable homes that are selling for $85 per square foot completed!

I'm excited about this system and plan to use it for my next house. Anyone have a plot of land available in Chapel Hill or Durham to get started on now?

Dragonboard sheathing alternative

Dragonboard is a magnesium oxide board, or MgO board. It is a sheathing product that can be used for wall and ceiling linings, fascias, soffits, tile backing and underlayment among other things. It's a fantastically versatile, durable, non-toxic, fire resistant material that is also resistant to mold and mildew. What's not to like about it?

Dragonboard is available in various thicknesses, sheet sizes and finises.  It comes white, beige or light gray in color, and has a hard sound when tapped.

Though it's very popular in Asia, not much MgO board is used in North America - yet. But with its advantages such as fire rating, versatility and mold resistance, it is certain to catch on quickly.  One wall system manufacturer I represent, E-Wall, has recently begun using Dragonboard for its external sheathing component and they are very pleased with it.

• Fire-Proof (UL 055 and ASTM-Tested and A-Rated)
• Waterproof (Freeze/Thaw-Tested for 36 months)
• Mold/Fungus/Bug Free (Non-nutrient to mold, fungus, insects ASTM G-21)
• Impact-Resistant (ASTM D-5628)
• NYC Approved (MEA # 359-02-M)
• Silica/Asbestos Free
• Florida Hurricane Tested
• STC-Rated 53-54
• Ready for all 2007 ICC criteria
• Ideal for Flooring (3/4" = 2 1/2" poured concrete!)
• Substantial Cost Savings

Hycrete named one of 2008 Tech Pioneers by WEF

Last week the World Economic Forum selected Hycrete Inc. as one of 39 Technology Pioneers for 2008.
 

Hycrete manufactures a water-based chemical admixture that integrally waterproofs concrete, preventing corrosion of reinforcement bars. This system of waterproofing can eliminate membrane and coating methods of waterproofing, which improves the recyclability of the concrete.

Hycrete is Cradle-to-Cradle certified, meaning the concrete remains a recyclable and sustainable building product. When demolished, Hycrete treated concrete can be readily crushed into coarse aggregate, to be reused as a component in new concrete. Usually the waterproofing membranes are permanently bonded to concrete rendering it unsound for use as an aggregate so a lot of concrete ends up in landfill.

Hycrete has also won other environmental recognition such as one of the Going Green 100 top private companies for 2007. "

The company's CEO, David Rosenberg, describes the business as, "It's a water-based molecule that repels water.

The molecule consists of a water molecule with a long hydrocarbon attached that links up to metallic ions in whatever it's mixed into. In the right circumstances, the molecule behaves like an oil and pushes water away.

So far, contractors have mixed the substance into 53 major projects, including sound barriers on a freeway in New Jersey. In the future, the company may mix its material into drywall to prevent moisture seepage. You could also mix it into roofing material and then put a green roof on without worrying about trickle down.

Bitublock - building blocks from garbage

Scientists at the University of Leeds in the UK have created a building block that is basically made of garbage.

The Bitublock is made from crushed glass, fly ash, steel slag and even sewage sludge, all bound together by bitumen. The mixture is compacted in a mold and heat-cured, which oxidizes and hardens the bitumen.

The blocks are also six times stronger than concrete according to the data from its inventor, Dr. John Forth.

Read more about the Bitublock in Building Green TV,  Science Daily, EcoGeek, Inhabitat and a nifty must-read blog called Rolland Piquepaille's Technology Trends.

From : Building Green  TV

Seal up the attic door and save energy

I saw this nifty product at the Energy Star event today and immediately wanted one for myself.

I would have made my own hatch cover out of foam board like some builders I know have done. But my attic is so low, with barely 2 feet of clearance above , that I have no place to raise and reposition such a thing.

The Attic Tent gets right around my problem. Plus it's much more professional looking as well as being a proper air barrier. That's important because air can be drawn into the house through that hatch affecting your air quality, or it can leak from the house into the attic losing energy.

[Addendum 1/10/08] I finally got round to installing my Attic Tent! Once I got the bead of caulk in, while I was still on the stairs, someone came into the house and I could literally feel the "puff" as it tried to leak into the attic but simply bowed the tent in then out a bit. That showed me it was doing its job. It fit in very quickly and easily too. I'm very pleased with it so far and along with all of my other house sealing tactics I'm sure my energy consumption will be much lower this winter.

Is Concrete Green?

I caught this article on Greener Buildings and it has got me thinking again about this marvelous material.

Not long ago I was on the fence about concrete. I think a lot of people see concrete as a cold and hard material so therefore not very "green". Then there's the issue of embodied energy, or the energy that it takes to make and transport the product.

Concrete just doesn't have the warmth and natural feeling of wood, brick or a lot of other building materials. But then it also isn't a source of food for mold which is essentially a plague on buildings here in the Southeast. It also can provide a pretty air tight envelope quite easily, which can mean better air quality indoors as part of a complete well designed system.

Plus, it's fire proof, pest proof and super strong.This means as a home owner you'll save money on insurance and pest protection year after year. Not to mention that a concrete building will likely far outlast stick built homes even if you don't have hurricanes, tornadoes or other disasters that will demolish the typical home.

We offer insulated concrete forms, or ICFs, which is a great way to achieve a quick build, good insulation and all of the great properties of concrete.  And we also offer E-Wall which is perhaps my favorite build system now. E-Wall is a hybrid of structural insulated panels, SIPs, and ICFs. It's a panelized system that is assembled quickly on site then filled with a concrete pour to produce a solid monolithic wall.

Vented Attics?

I've spoken to quite a few homeowners recently about insulating attics with spray foam insulation like Icynene.  Many worried about keeping the attics properly ventilated.  Here's another area where the building science has evolved. Particularly here in the South, ventilating attics is not necessarily the right thing to do, as with crawl spaces. And, attic fans are not helping either.

The better thing to do is seal the attic and insulate the roof deck with spray foam. With new construction a radiant barrier like TechShield should also be used.

The basic thinking has been to cool the attic with ventilation. But what we now realize is that almost all of the heat transfer into the attic space is through radiation directly through the roof deck. Vents will do nothing to stop this. And when it's hot and humid outside all vents do is draw humidity into the building envelope.

For a good article on this see "Joe's Top Ten List of Dumb Things to do in the South", on the Building Science website. A great general resource.  And take a look at Arnie Katz's article on this subject at the Advanced Energy site. Another great resource.

Recycled cotton fiber insulation

UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber insulation is made from 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers. Much of that from denim manufacturers which makes for that characteristic blue shade.

It comes in Batt form at 16" and 24" widths, and 3.5" or 5.5" thicknesses to provide R13 or R19 insulation respectively.  Some of its advantages include great sound absorption and the fact that it handles easily without causing any itching.

Also, it contains no chemical irritants, no VOC so it has no warning labels and you can be sure that it is a perfectly safe and environmentally friendly product.

I might still personally tend to favor spray-foam in most applications, but there's a serious appeal to this product that not only appeals to the "hippy" in me but, uses no petroleum products and is probably safe enough to eat (well maybe a little tiny bite). So, I can see lot's of situations where I'd want to use this. It certainly knocks the socks off of Fiberglass batts.

UltraTouch is manufactured in Arizona and I'm still wondering why it isn't made here in NC where we've got lots of textile manufacturing, including denim, and a source of the raw material. 

But if you want to use this product, there's now a local distributor, BJ Green Insulation run by Polly and Joe Jones out of Wilson NC.

Local NC countertops made with New River aggregate

I've finally found a locally made sustainable counter top solution. The New River Concrete Countertops company makes beautiful counters in Jefferson NC using local gravel and sand which is collected from the regular low impact dredging of the local dams on the New River.

The company typically takes a template onsite then makes a mold in their shop to pour the slab from a mix that includes the gravel, sand and recycled materials such as fly ash and fly ash iron oxides. The slabs are ground down to expose the beauty of the aggregate. They can then be sealed with either a no-VOC sealer, that will need regular waxing or a low-VOC sealer which requires no maintanence.

The company do installations throughout NC and VA. They are the latest addition to my growing list of building heroes who do great, local, sustainable work bringing beauty and integrity to home building.

Southern Ideal Home Show coming up this weekend

The Southern Ideal Home show is on at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh this Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 21-23.

I'm not sure how recently they started the Green Building category but it's clearly growing. I count 18 listed companies at this show compared with 12 at the previous show.  That seems to show either an increasing interest in Green Building from the public (which I think is true anyhow) or a realization on the part of vendors that the show helps them grow business - possibly both. After all I'm now considering if I should be an exhibitor at the next show. 

This year show I'll be there working with one of my partner companies, Healthy Home Insulation. So if you're at the show, drop by and say hi.

Spray foam insulation seals tight

You have many great choices of insulating material these days. Most builders use fiberglass batts, which is the cheapest way to meet the code requirements. But if all you want, or want to build, is a house that meets the code requirements you're probably not visiting this website. After all, code simply defines the cheapest house that can be build without going to jail.  One the other hand, I have known good builders who favor fiberglass, with the huge caveat that it be installed correctly - and that can be a "big if".

Spray foam offers some tremendous advantages over batts, or even blown cellulose. Firstly it's an air barrier, so in one swoop you seal the house tight and insulate well. Secondly, there's a lot less concern about the quality of installation because there are simply a lot fewer things that can be done wrong. Thirdly, if offers the added benefit of superior sound insulation too, so you'll enjoy a quieter home as a bonus.

EcoTop™ - the greenest kitchen surface yet

The latest eco counter surface to hit the market is EcoTop™, which I'll have available from September.  I'm very excited about this new manufactured product because it comes with such a pedigree already.

EcoTop™ is the newest product from award winning eco product innovator Joel Klippert. It is the most durable & eco friendly counter top surface product in the world.

EcoTop™ is made with an FSC Certified 50/50 blend of post consumer recycled demolition wood fiber and rapidly renewable bamboo fiber. The bamboo fiber which is much longer and stronger than wood fiber, gives the product incredible dimensional stability.

The resin system used to bond the fibers is a water based proprietary product. It's free of petroleum, has no VOC’s, and E0 formaldehyde emissions.

EcoTop also uses an industry first two stage color system where the fiber and the resin are colored separately. This system gives much improved color consistency and color stability over other paper based products. The initial product offering with have 6 colors, Jet Black, Charcoal,Walnut, Safari, Khaki & Sand.

EcoTop's compressive strength of 50,000 psi & water absorption of less than 1% make it the most durable surface product available.

EcoTop can cantilever up to 4’ and span 10’ with no deflection at 300 lbs.

EcoTop has the greatest ease of fabrication; it can be cut, routed, sanded and finished with normal wood working tools much like butcher block.

*Addendum (11/15/07) After much delay the manufacturer has chosen to launch this product only early next year and then only on the West Coast. So it looks at the moment like I may be able to offer this only in the second quarter of 08 now. So perhaps this original posting, though well intended and based on the information I had at the time, was quite premature.

Composite Decking outlasts and outperforms

MoistureShield® Composite Decking never needs staining, painting or sealing. It maintains its natural beauty and deep wood grain texture far beyond any wood deck in even the most severe conditions.  Their 50-Year Limited Warranty against rot, decay and insect damage is transferable once and demonstrates the manufacturer's confidence in their product .

What makes this product different from other plastic or composite decking is their patented process that encapsulates every recycled wood fiber in polyethylene plastic making it resistant to moisture, termites and rot.

MoistureShield also produce an Exterior Trim product that works great with vinyl siding combining the positive features of both wood and polyethylene to produce a material that will not rot, crack, split, check or absorb moisture, and is not subject to termites.

Environmentally Responsible product manufactured using recovered wood fiber and recycled polyethylene plastic. A.E.R.T. was the 1999 recipient of the EPA’s Region 6 Partnership for Environmental Excellence Award

Eco-Rubber Pavers, Tiles and matts

Eco-Rubber Impact Absorbing Pavers provide a slip resistant, comfortable surface for patios, decks, and walkways.  These Pavers are suitable for indoor or outdoor applications in apartment complexes,  office buildings, schools, senior centers and hospitals, even private homes. They're light-weight, impact absorbing, slip-resistant and low maintenance,  But most importantly from the environmental perspective, they're water permeable, so can reduce run off into storm drains. Plus they're made from recycled rubber, so reduce the pollution of incineration and the waste of landfill. 

Interlocking, self-aligning tiles are easy to install and require no adhesive, making them ideal for installation over existing surfacing materials. Manufactured from recycled materials, Eco-Rubber Surfacing products are impact absorbing on the environment as well and qualify for LEED credits. 

earthweave

For anyone looking for a green and healthy carpet, Earthweave is the only real choice - particularly if you have children or are concerned about chemical sensitivities.

 

Earthweave is the only American made carpet made entirely of natural materials. That's why I put this carpet for my own home and feel completely at ease when my little 11-month old Lucia spends half her day rolling around on it. I know she's not getting exposed to any of the toxins like VOC-laden adhesives, dyes, moth treatments, stain repellants etc. that other carpets have. 

Get in touch if you want to know more about this wonderful carpet.  I'm the distributor in North Carolina and can connect you to installers or retailers in your local area.  Or if you're in the Raleigh, Durham area I have my own installers to ensure your happiness and a job well done.

Kirei board: a distinctive and contemporary look

Kirei board is a gorgeous product with a fantastic sustainability story. It's made from the stalks of sorghum, a food grain grown around the world. Then manufacture it in China in the very center of the growing region, thus reducing raw material transport and contributing good jobs to the agricultural economy. 
The waste stalks are gathered and pressed into boards with a low-VOC adhesive. This ensures a strong yet healthy product.
The finished boards which are available 3'x6' in 10mm, 20mm and 30mm thicknesses, can be worked just like wood and have been fashioned a wide variety of furniture and cabinetry products.
So if you're in search of a distinctive look for an interior, whether residential or commercial, Kirei is something to consider seriously. Get in touch with me if you'd like to know more about its properties.