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AGRIBOARD and Healthy Homes: SUSTAINABLE, GREEN BUILDING OPTIONS

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Turtle Clan Global

In case I'm molding everyone out,

let's change the subject this week and talk about another one of my passions...

 

HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE GREEN BUILDING OPTIONS!!!

 Healthy Home, Happy Home

Green is no longer simply the word of the moment. Instead, it is a trend with staying power.

 

So, HOW GREEN are you willing to be???

According to those industry professionals surveyed in a poll recently featured on KBDN's web site, www.KitchenBathDesign.com, 81% of respondents reported that they are seeing interest in green products hold steady or grow in importance - and they expect this trend to continue into the future.

When it comes to what can be learned from this pattern of growth and stability - in a less than stable market - the answer may lie in the basic idea that, when going green, every little bit helps.

Manufacturers and suppliers have increased their product offerings in the green category, with many retooling existing products to meet updated water-conservation guidelines and indoor air quality requirements. And, while in previous years environmentally friendly meant more expensive, there are new products being added at different price points every day.

  

AGRIBOARD : Healthy GREEN LEEDS Building Products

Agriboard panel AGRIBOARD is a product that really thrills me! There's a new shade of Green in commercial and residential building. From the farm to your jobsite in 4 weeks. Innovative compressed wheat and rice straw, a renewable agricultural resource, is being transformed into environmentally engineered Structural Insulated Panel Systems for walls and roofing applications. They are 97% GREEN BIO RENEWABLE with thermally superior structural insulated panels. They provide healthier cleaner indoor air quality and contribute 13 LEED Points. They can replace steel and can be put up 8 times faster than most conventional methods  and saves 80% construction lumber. These panels have a 2.5 hour load bearing fire rating, they have passed the DoD's blast test with 1,642 pounds of TNT plus, they have passed mold/fungi/insect resistance and corrosiveness tests, so obviously this really works for me!

Virtually zero jobsite waste. LOVE this product! If you love it too, ask me more!

  

Healthy INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Indoor Air Quality Q&A:

Air quality is a key factor in the greening of the home. Newer homes are more air tight than houses built even 20 years ago, according to the EPA, which is good for heating and cooling purposes, but really bad for indoor air quality. In fact, the EPA estimates that indoor air quality is up to 10 times worse than out door air quality on the smoggiest day.

Considering Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, it's clear why this is a key issue in designing healthy spaces. Additionally, air quality is not a stand-alone issue; rather, every other component of the home can have an impact on overall air quality.

Air quality can be compromised by off-gassing from cabinetry, countertops, flooring, wall coverings or fabrics; by cooking by-products released into the air, or by MOLD caused by excess moisture or poor ventilation

Healthy Indoor Air Quality Proper ventilation is critical, but air quality can be tricky. Just as too little ventilation can lead to compromised air quality, if too powerful a fan is installed in a forced-air HVAC system, volatile organic compounds can be drawn out of furniture, fabrics, carpets and cabinetry.

To spread information about this, the EPA has partnered with the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory to create the Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resource Bank, a resource for IAQ questions.

While air quality is a big-picture issue impacting healthy design, every component of the home can have a positive or negative impact on how healthy or green a space is.

 

HEALTHY KITCHENS

Since cabinetry is often the single biggest product investment made in a kitchen, it's a good starting point for those looking to go green...

.green%20pantry.jpgIn the past few years, the kitchen cabinet industry has come a long way. The creation of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association's Environmental Stewardship Program in 2006 marked a turning point for self-governance in the cabinet industry. Since the program's inception, 151 cabinet companies and brands have earned KCMA's ESP certification, creating more green cabinet options, and raising the bar for future products.

As a result, high VOC's, formaldehyde off gassing and other associated indoor air quality issues are largely being eradicated from quality cabinetry. Additionally, strict air quality controls put into place by the California Air Resources Board at the beginning of this year are expected to spark greener product offerings industry wide.

The green movement is also increasingly impacting countertops. The Green Guard Institute (www.greenguard.org), a third-party certifier, tests for VOCs in the products it certifies (such as Silestone, Cambria, Samsung Staron, Wilsonart and dozens of other brands large and small that are certified to be low VOC).

Additionally, designers need to get the facts about RADON. Radon is a radioactive gas emitted from the breakdown of uranium in the bedrock upon which a house stands. Granite is the bedrock that produces it.

The jury's still out on granite countertops' rate of radon emission/non-emission, but if you have a client that is concerned, there are certain regions in the U.S. where the incidence of radon is higher in the bedrock. To check that out, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency keeps a Web site of stats on a dedicated microsite: www.epa.gov/radon.

The green movement, particularly in the past year, has also heavily impacted appliances with rebate programs for energy-saving appliances that have abounded. This has created new profit avenues for clients who, while maybe not ready for a full remodel, might be convinced to upgrade their appliances both to save energy and to take advantage of current rebate savings.

While kitchen design professionals have long been familiar with the Energy Star labeling program, it's worth noting that the Web site (www.energystar.gov) also offers a variety of informational resources for design professionals.

Healthy Baths

One of our beautiful bathroomsIn designing greener, healthier baths, both air quality and water conservation are key factors. For the former, proper ventilation is essential, since the bath is a moisture-laden environment that can lead to problems with mold and mildew. For the latter, there are numerous options, from low-flow toilets and shower systems, dual-flush technology and high-efficiency toilets to on-demand water heaters.

The World Health Organization released a fact file in March, 2009 that estimated one out of every three people is affected by water scarcity on every continent on Earth. For that reason, water conservation is expected to remain a major concern in the future of bath design.

There are also green specialty areas worth considering, such as utilizing gray water plumbing techniques. This is still illegal in some states, with regulatory legislation pending in others, but some mainstream companies are integrating the principles.

Caroma's Profile Smart toilet, for example, has an integrated faucet on top. After hand washing under the faucet, the water fills up the toilet for its next flush, rather than using clean water for that purpose.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers oversee ventilation standards. ASHRAE's Standard 62.2 has been adopted by nearly every green building standard in the United States to regulate the power of ventilation systems in residences. Look for ventilation and air purification systems and products that meet this standard

The RS-2 air purificationMaterials ultimately decide what shade of green the bath will be, and that's also determined by how your client defines green. For instance, bamboo is a great renewable resource, but is it still green if it's grown 2,000 miles away and has to be shipped to be fabricated and then shipped to a distributor and then shipped to the job site?

 If carbon footprint is a concern, maybe not.

But green is in the eye of the beholder, and supporting sustainable farm practices may well outweigh the carbon footprint of a product in transit for some clients.

Of course, green has struggled some in this increasingly tough economic climate. And in any economy, getting clients to come to a new, higher-priced way of doing things is a tough sell, never mind doing the same convincing in a challenging economic climate.

But things that are durable and add value don't suddenly cease to be sensible choices when times are times - they just require a more creative sense.

The examination of what makes a product health promoting, green or both is an evolving discussion with many points of view, and it often raises more questions than it answers.

 After all, how green is really green? How many green products does a room need to be considered green? Can a home that was built 30 years ago be "greened?" Does a product need a third-party certification to be considered green?

There are no solid answers because that's what separates the art of design from science.

Just as there have always been conflicting thoughts on design styles and methodology, there will always be many schools of thought on green.


But what matters is what's important to you; listening to your concerns and finding out how green you are willing to be???

TURTLE CLAN ENVIRONMENT TESTING INC. is comprised of a team of EXPERTS with over 100 years intellectual capital to bring to our clients.

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Comments (3)

David Monsour
Keller Williams Keystone Realty - Gettysburg, PA
ABR - www.realty-insights.com

This is a fantastic post.  I just finished taking a 15 hour CE GREEN course.  There is one more course for a green designation.  GREEN is only going to get bigger.  You covered almost as much as the 2 day class in one post.  We got off on a lot of tangents in class though. 

Nov 12, 2009 06:23 AM
Lesley Burton-Dallas
Turtle Clan Global - Stratford, CT
Environmental Consultant

Thanks so much David!

I really appreciate your comment! Love this topic too..could yack about it ALL DAY!!!!

The structural panels are what we're hoping to be manufacturing soon if negotiations go well...keep good thoughts!

Nov 12, 2009 06:29 AM
Deena Cottingham
GreenApple Staging & Images, Calgary Staging & Photography - Calgary, AB
Home Stager & Photographer

It's amazing how much waste there is on a residential construction site! There should be a way for home builders to pool their lumber waste for recycling, as well as so many other materials.

Dec 18, 2009 06:28 AM