as green movement continues so will the products

8/14/2019 As green movement continues so will the products

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As the green movement continues to grow, so will the products.

Green Product Trends

Product Trends

By Harry Spaulding

Materials such as insulation, paints, stains, carpeting, flooring and countertops can

produce significant off-gassing in the home so manufacturers have responded with some

environmentally friendly innovations.

The idea behind green building is to increase the efficiency of buildings and their use of resources like energy, water and building materials to protect human health and the

environment. The U.S. Green Building Council is leading the movement with its LEED

program — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED Green BuildingRating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and

operation of green buildings.

LEED promotes sustainability through five key areas of human and environmental

health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selectionand indoor environmental quality. Fortunately, the list of product offerings that address

these topics is constantly growing.

Insulation Innovations

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environmentin terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon

dioxide. Fiberglass insulation tends to have a high carbon footprint from energy intensive

production, and some have associated health concerns in terms of off-gassing. Now thereare some interesting insulation alternatives to pick from.

Dryvit Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) is a cladding system for

commercial and residential construction, offering a highly energy-efficient, lightweight

engineered cladding system in a vast array of finish options. Dryvit is available in a

number of system configurations to match any climate or building condition. In testing bythe Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dryvit proved to be 84 percent more energy efficient

than the next best performing cladding material. When a building uses Dryvit’s systems,

energy consumption for heating and cooling the building is reduced on average by 20 to40 percent.

Tex-Cote Super-Cote Cool Wall coatings from Textured Coatings of America Inc. have

been shown to reduce air-conditioning demand by nearly 22 percent. The exterior

coating’s heat reflective finish reduces exterior wall temperatures by as much as 40degrees F when compared to traditional paints and coatings, and they lower interior

temperatures in both concrete block and stucco and wood-frame homes. The coatings

utilize the same heat reflective technology used by the military to reduce the heatsignature of planes and other vehicles. Since the increase in reflectivity occurs in the

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infrared spectrum, it is invisible to the naked eye. These thick coatings are available in

more than 500 heat reflective colors and can be applied to virtually any type of surface

including stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement.

“A dark-colored home absorbs as much as 90 percent of the solar radiation that strikes it,

and even white walls can absorb 70 percent of the solar radiation that strikes them,”explains Jay Haines, president and chief executive officer of Textured Coatings of

America Inc. “By reflecting this infrared radiation rather than absorbing it, the Cool Wallexterior coatings dramatically reduce the load on a home’s air-conditioning system.”

InsultCot offers insulation made from 80 percent cotton fibers and 20 percent polyester.

The product is safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. InsulCot insulation contains

no hazardous materials and requires no respiratory or safety equipment for installation.And installing InsulCot allows homeowners to claim a tax credit of 10 percent of the cost

of energy saving home improvements.

Using GreenFiber’s Cocoon cellulose insulation contributes to LEED certification. Madewith reclaimed newsprint, GreenFiber’s natural fiber insulation products consist of 85

percent recycled content with the remaining content consisting of fire-retardant and

stabilizing additives. Based on data from the National Solid Wastes Management

Association, recovered newsprint is one of the largest components of the residential wastestream. Insulating a typical 1,500-sq.-ft. home with cellulose insulation recovers as much

newsprint as an individual will consume in 40 years. The products contain no asbestos,

formaldehyde, mineral wool or fiberglass. Cocoon is treated with permanent fire-retardants to meet and exceed the ICC standards for a Class 1/A fire rated building

materials.

To help customers select paint based on green coating standards, Sherwin Williamscreated their “GreenSure” designation. The company’s Duration Home Interior linefeatures the GreenSure designation for environmentally preferred products with

maximum performance. This interior finish promises superior washability and burnish

resistance, and is available in matte, satin and semigloss finishes along with deep, vividaccent colors. A patented cross-linking formula prevents stains from penetrating, and this

finish is antimicrobial so it inhibits growth of mildew.

MechoShade’s Mecho/5 with EcoVeil shade cloth is a complete solar shading system that

is an environmentally friendly system. Mecho/5 is a manual solar shading system thatinstalls easily and operates smoothly with accessories including fascia, pockets, closures

and side channels. The EcoVeil shade cloth is made from a new material — a

thermoplastic olefin (TPO) based yarn — and is washable, UV-resistant and flame-retardant. Mecho/5 is also antimicrobial, does not support staph and mildew and contains

no VOCs, so it does not contribute to sick building syndrome.

Reclaiming the Floor

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According to Frank Endrenyi, vice president of sustainable development for Mohawk,

“our studies show that half of U.S. consumers now recycle either bottles or newspapers.

In 2004, 21 percent said they voted for candidates in part based on their environmentalrecords. Ninety-nine percent of school children now have access to environmental

classes.”

For Mohawk SmartStrand, petroleum is substituted with corn sugar to create Bio-PDO —

a key ingredient in the carpeting made with DuPont Sorona polymer. SmartStrand promises superior stain resistance for substances including mustard, red wine, bleach,

acne medication, and others. Mohawk recently launched a new umbrella program called

“Greenworks” that places all green projects under a single platform for their customersand shareholders.

EcoTimber is the first flooring company in North America to offer bamboo flooring made

with formaldehyde-free adhesives as a standard product. EcoTimber uses top-quality

mature bamboo stalks and a low-VOC European adhesive that falls far below the

European E1 standard for indoor air quality. The flooring is prefinished with analuminum oxide enhanced acrylated urethane system with a hardened acrylic anti-scratch

topcoat to protect against abrasion and scratching.

Bio-Bathrooms

WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the EPA. Its mission is to protect the

future of our nation’s water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-

efficient products and services. Many manufacturers offer products that meet WaterSense

standards, but some go above and beyond the standards for water conservation withmaximum efficiency.

Toto’s Aquia Dual Flush Toilet allows the user to select the amount of water the toiletflushes: 0.9 gal. per flush (gpf) or 1.6 gpf. This feature matches water consumption withthe needs of the user. Aquia is designed for residential installations where the users

understand and appreciate the function of the dual flush system.

The Kohler San Raphael is the company’s first one-piece, 1.0-gpf high-efficiency toilet

with pressure assist technology. The toilet uses compressed air within the reservoir to propel water to the rim and a siphon jet for robust flushing power. The 1.0 has the

potential to save a household of four between 7,000 and 10,000 gal. of water annually.

The San Raphael toilet features a sleek one-piece design, with Comfort Height seatingand an elongated bowl for ease of use. This toilet has garnered the EPA’s WaterSense

label.

Kohler also offers cast iron products that are comprised of 93 percent recycled and

reclaimed material. The company’s cast iron bathroom and kitchen sinks, bathtubs andshower receptors come in more vibrant color options than any other material. Cast iron

won’t chip, dent, crack, stain or lose its luster.



There are many green options when it comes to countertops and most integrate recycled

content into their make-up. Recycled glass and reclaimed paper are excellent

environmental choices for durable, nontoxic, resource-efficient countertops.

Vetrazzo countertops have mixed colors of recycled glass chips embedded in a masonry

binder for a terrazzo-like look. Vetrazzo is available in a wide variety of colors and inthicknesses from 1 to 1 1/2 in. The manufacturer has certified each product contains 80 to

90 percent post-consumer waste and is proud to say they recycled over 100 tons of glasslast year. Vetrazzo is an environmentally friendly alternative to stone and resin countertop

materials.

PaperStone is a new composite surface material that is designed to give the beauty of

stone, the strength of steel, with ease of workmanship. The surface is smooth to the touchand features the look of soapstone or slate using a proprietary blend of more than 50

percent post-consumer recycled paper and resin, and is offered in a variety of sizes from

30 in. up to 5 ft. PaperStone countertops are heat-tolerant, stain-resistant and repairable.

Futuristic Power

EnOcean has developed the world’s first battery-free wireless control modules to

integrate energy harvesting, sensors and RF communication in a single, powerful

solution. The company’s goal is to help bring truly sustainable, green buildings withinreach. The modules eliminate battery purchasing, maintenance and disposal. The three

modules are the PTM 200C for wall-mounted light switches, the TCM 200 Transceiver

and the STM 110 Sensor Transmitter. EnOcean provides the modules to original

equipment manufacturers who package them into their own products.

“EnOcean control modules create their own electricity and you can’t get much moresustainable than that,” says Jim O’Callaghan, EnOcean vice president of sales and

marketing.

The DOE predicts that within the next 10 years, LED lighting will be the primary lightsource in residential settings as it offers energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

LED Lighting Fixtures Inc. (LLF) offers a 6-in. down light for residential and

commercial markets. The fixture is recessed and delivers approximately 650 lumens froma fixture at 10 to 12 watts (approximately 60 lumens per watt). The product features a

unique installation mechanism that allows it to be used in a standard 6-in. recessed

housing and it is dimmable.

Going green means finding the balance between sustainability and practicality. Nowthere’s a wide array of products on the market that surpass green requirements and offer

style and efficiency. And as the green movement continues to grow, so will the product

selection.

VenconUSA.com established in 1989 and established in Charleston SC. is an authorized factory directmerchant of certified green flooring products (including FSC Certified flooring) in a wide range of solid

hardwood, laminate, cork and engineered flooring products all available in quick ship programs from three

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national warehouses. Vencon USA LLC can be reached at www.venconusa.com or by phone at 843 225

3373



as green movement continues so will the products

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