Ecohome - 05 Jun 2009

✳ Affordably Sustainable in Portland | Getting Past Greenwashing | Decking | Building Science: Vapor Barriers

ecohome YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY MAY | JUNE 2009

Best Practices Partnerships with the DOE’s Building America program and IBACOS guide studio26’s high-performance mission.

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Circle no. 51

Circle no. 32

May | June 2009

contents

Case Studies orefield, pa.: private residence Partnerships with Building America and IBACOS push this NAHB-Gold home to the highest levels of energy efficiency. | PAGE 18

portland, ore.: helensview heights Going green is only part of the means to sustainability in this vibrant affordable community. | PAGE 24

Feature keeping them honest A guide to getting past greenwashing and understanding product certifications. | PAGE 30

Review decking Eco-friendly options for wood, composite, and plastic decking. | PAGE 38

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Get more green at www.ecohomemagazine.com, including Web-exclusive case studies, green builder profiles, and product category reviews. You’ll also find:

Departments editor’s note Thorough product assessment and understanding can help you move from gray to green. | PAGE 7

ecoupdate

■

Green-product videos from ECOHOME Online Chief Editor Jean Dimeo.

Indiana development earns ANSI certification | Southwall expands | K. Hovnanian’s Concept Home | Santa Fe enacts green building regulations | PAGE 9

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Breaking news and trends.

building science

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Green articles from BUILDER, REMODELING, and other leading publications produced by Hanley Wood, publisher of ECOHOME.

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Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter.

Understanding vapor barriers. | PAGE 13

new + notable Showerheads, paint, pavers, and more. | PAGE 44

greenwatch Conceptual design borrows from nature. | PAGE 48

COVER PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

EcoHome (ISSN 1941-7470), is published five times per year (February, March, May, July, and November) by Hanley Wood LLC, One Thomas Circle NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Volume 2, Number 3. Copyright 2009 by Hanley Wood, LLC. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. Subscriptions are free to qualified recipients. Publisher reserves the right to determine recipient qualification. Annual subscription rates for non-qualified recipients in the United States and possessions: $29.95; Canada, $39.95 (US funds); all other countries $49.95 (US funds). Single copy price: $8.00. All rights reserved. Canada Publications Mail Agreement #- 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Standard Postage Paid at Washington, DC and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EcoHome, PO Box 3597, Northbrook, IL 60065-3597.

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Circle no. 48

Circle no. 14

editor’s note

Gray to Green

W Rick Schwolsky

PHOTO: RAY NG

Editor in Chief [email protected]

MAY | JUNE 2009

ithin the gray areas that exist between vague, vacuous product claims and proven performance lies a no-mans-land for green building professionals seeking reliable specs. Even with the growing numbers of labels and certifications that substantiate to varying degrees “eco-friendly” claims, not enough manufacturers are seeking third-party certifications; too many are still making broad, sweeping, and, frankly, meaningless statements. Product selection will continue to be one of the most critical challenges you will face in meeting your green missions—and that puts your business and reputation at risk. As a former high-performance home builder, I know what this feels like. You’re caught between a commitment to build high-performance homes that will strengthen your business and your responsibilities to build homes that perform their most basic functions without creating problems—or liabilities—that could weaken your business. You’re stuck in another gray area, between innovation and risk. “Nobody,” builders often say, “wants to be the first to try out a new product,” and yet we’re driven to embrace change and improve the way we build. This dilemma puts pressure on every decision you make, whether it’s detailing a wall section, specifying ventilation equipment, or selecting finishes. You have to find a reliable level of confidence in your decisions and balance the trade-offs associated with them. But how can you gain the confidence you need? One of the clearest suggestions about sizing-up green building products that I’ve heard

in a while came from attorney Patrick Perrone during a session at the NAHB’s recent National Green Building Conference in Dallas: “Only after assessing products as building products should you evaluate their green attributes.” Instead of asking, “How many green points can I earn by using a product?” Perrone suggests asking the following questions: “Will it perform its most important function?” “How long is its warranty period?” “Is it readily available?” “How does it compare with the products I know and use now?” “Does it have a performance track record and meet industry standards and code requirements?” “Is its performance tied to unfamiliar installation practices?” This is solid advice that empowers you, through your own experience and expertise, to filter out products that would put you outside your comfort zone in terms of unknowns and risks. Only after evaluating potential selections for their application as viable building products can you focus on their green attributes and performance benefits and how they’ll integrate with the other elements of your green projects. Then you should ask, “What makes these products green?” “How can I avoid greenwashing?” “How do I verify manufacturers’ performance claims?” As you’ll see in Aurora Sharrard’s feature article “Keeping Them Honest” (page 30), navigating your way toward reliable answers to these questions is still troublesome and often imperfect. But solutions are emerging, mostly because green building professionals are demanding more substantiated data from manufacturers and are pressuring them to back up their claims with third-party certifications. Follow Sharrard’s advice and you’ll find your way out of the gray and into the green. ecohomemagazine.com

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Circle no. 11

ecoupdate

Indiana Development First to Achieve ANSI Certification The Village in Burns Harbor offers certified homes, a walkable town center, and proximity to public transit.

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he NAHB announced that The Village in Burns Harbor, a development in Northwest Indiana, is the first to earn a land development certification under the ANSI 700-2008 National Green Building Standard. When complete, the neo-traditional community will include a mix of 265 residential units along with a town center containing retail and commercial space. Sixty homes have been built so far; two by Coolman Communities achieved Silver in the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines. Following the approval of the National Green Building Standard by ANSI, developer T. Clifford Fleming revised The Village’s requirements so that all remaining homes will have to earn a minimum ANSI-Silver rating. Land development certification is governed by Chapter 4 of the National Standard, “Site Design and Development,” which awards a range of points for subsections targeting site selection, mission and goals, site design, site development, and innovative practices. The

program emphasizes avoiding impact on environmentally sensitive areas, protecting natural features, and minimizing and mitigating disturbances from construction, especially as they relate to slope disturbance, stormwater management, and landscaping. Points also are available for increasing residential density and mixed-use, pedestrian walkways, minimized street widths, and access to public transit. The Village’s 60-acre site sits on unused farmland and abandoned commercial properties, and is within 5 miles of two train stations and a bus stop, meeting the Standard’s requirement for mass transit access points. “The development is designed around pedestrian activity and parks with access to the town center,” says NAHB program verifier Chris Schwarzkopf of Energy Diagnostics in Valparaiso, Ind. “The roads are narrower to reduce impermeable materials, a retention pond collects rain runoff and is already attracting wildlife, and we protected large trees and landscaped with native species.” For more, visit www.villageinburnsharbor. com. —Rick Schwolsky

Meadow Planting

CREDIT: COURTESY COOLMAN COMMUNITIES

Prairie Planting

Windbreak Planting Existing Trees to Remain

Permeable Paving

The Village in Burns Harbor landscape and site development plan. Bio-Swales

COMING SOON | Ford’s Fuel-Efficient Van

S

tandard commercial vehicles often are too heavy duty for smaller pros, and SUVs, minivans, and cars don’t provide the necessary convenience and durability. Ford’s solution: the Transit Connect light-duty commercial van, coming to the U.S. this summer. The vehicle stores materials more efficiently than consumer vehicles, but is more compact than a standard commercial van, which makes it easier to maneuver on city streets. It’s also more fuel efficient, offering 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, according to Ford. The van offers a 1,600-pound payload capacity; high-tech options include an in-dash computer and fleet management software. Transit Connect has a base price of $21,475. —Victoria Markovitz

Just Out | Southwall Technologies Expands

S

outhwall Technologies revolutionized window performance in 1979 when it introduced Heat Mirror, the clear selective film that launched the industry’s search for higher efficiencies and has contributed to improvements in windows ever since. And while Southwall continues to sell films to leading window and door manufacturers, the company is now manufacturing its own branded insulated glass. “The new subsidiary, Southwall Insulating Glass, will produce all types of Heat Mirror units,” says company spokesman John Miller, “including single-, double-, and triple-film units providing R-6 all the way up to R-20 center of glass.” The focus, however, will be on single-film insulating units, given their twotimes performance over conventional doublepane glazings. —Rick Schwolsky

Shade Trees MAY | JUNE 2009

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ecoupdate

K. Hovnanian Unveils Energy-Efficient Concept Home Tankless water heating, efficient HVAC add to builder’s existing high-performance standard.

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rom the outside, K. Hovnanian’s twostory Building America Concept Home doesn’t look any different than its neighbors in Woodbridge, Va.’s Eagles Pointe development. But inside—and inside the walls—the house is swelling with construction details and products that set a standard for efficiency while setting aside home buyers’ preconceived notions about what “going green” means. The house starts with the features of the High Performance Home (HPH), the builder’s standard in Mid-Atlantic markets. Implemented over the past year without raising prices, the HPH standard includes improvements such as a 90% AFUE furnace, a 14-SEER heat pump for the second zone, sealed ductwork, supplemental spray-foam insulation at critical areas, optimized framing, and advanced drainage planes. The dwelling is 32% more efficient than the DOE benchmark for new homes, and Hovnanian estimates it saves $1,659 per year in energy costs.

The Concept Home builds on those system-wide improvements with technologies including tankless water heating, a 96% AFUE furnace, energy recovery ventilation, and photovoltaics, for a dwelling that scored a 50 on the Department of Energy’s E-scale. “It’s not only a demonstration of the energy efficiency and high performance that we build into every home, but also features methods that we’re testing and will be able to implement going forward,” Tom Pellerito, Landover Group president for K. Hovnanian, said during the grand opening. K. Hovnanian’s efforts are one result of its nine-year partnership in the Department of Energy’s Building America research initiative; the builder also has taken the DOE’s Builders Challenge, a voluntary outreach program that aims to build the most energyefficient, high-performance homes on the market with the eventual goal of net-zero energy for all homes by 2030. Participation

as a member of Building America’s IBACOS research team has allowed the builder to test out new technologies to determine which are appropriate and cost-efficient to mainstream into its standard offerings. In addition to serving as testing ground for Hovnanian, the Concept Home provides an interactive showcase for buyers. A mockup of the framing structure demonstrates details consumers typically do not see nor know they need to care about, while a section of the basement is a living laboratory demonstrating the tankless water heater, photovoltaics, energy recovery, and other products. Feedback following the tours helps the builder gauge buyer interest in the technologies it’s testing. “There are going to be thousands of people who are going to come through this home and learn what it’s all about,” said Nate Kredich, vice president of residential market development for the USGBC, who was on hand to award the home LEED certification. The project also was recognized for achieving Energy Star and a Gold level rating under the ANSI National Green Building Standard. —Katy Tomasulo

EcoBriefs The California Building Industry Association has endorsed two voluntary green building programs: California Green Builder, developed by the Building Industry Institute, and GreenPoint Rated, developed by Build It Green in the Bay Area. …The USGBC reports that, through April, 2,143 new homes have achieved LEED for Homes certification. The NAHB reports that more than 1,500 new homes and remodeling projects are currently being scored to the National Green Building Standard using the online scoring tool at www.nahbgreen.com. …The NAHB Research Center launched its “Green Approved” product rating system, which certifies that a product can earn homes points under the National Green Building Standard. …On May 12, the Colorado General Assembly passed a bill to provide the same financial incentives for solar thermal installations in residential and commercial buildings as those currently provided for solar photovoltaic systems in the state. …The planned 17,000-acre Babcock Ranch development in Florida, targeted to get underway later this year, will be powered entirely by the sun via on-site solar facilities. The community will include 19,500 homes, a “smart grid,” greenways and open space, electric car chargers, green roofs, and sustainable water management and conservation. —Excerpted from online reports. To view full versions of these news items, plus additional daily green building coverage, visit www.ecohomemagazine.com.

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MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 62

ecoupdate

Santa Fe Enacts Green Home Building Regulations New single-family homes must meet code requirements covering six categories.

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ffective July 1, Santa Fe, N.M., will mandate green building codes for all new single-family homes. The new code comprises six categories relating to green building: project implementation plan and lot development; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance, and sustainable practices. Builders can achieve one of the eight rating levels based on a point system that sets a minimum point total for each category. In addition, the code requires all new singlefamily residential units to be tested and certified according to the enhancements to the national Home Energy Rating Standards (HERS) as adopted by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). New homes must meet one of eight levels of

certification based on their heated gross floor area and lot size as follows: ■ Silver (minimum requirement for homes up to 3,000 square feet): HERS index of 70; must earn at least 359 total points for sites under ½ acre or 363 total points for sites ½ acre or larger. ■ Silver Plus: bonus for a lower HERS rating of 60. ■ Gold (minimum requirement for homes up to 5,000 square feet): HERS index of 50; must earn at least 448 total points for sites under ½ acre or 452 total points for sites ½ acre or larger. ■ Gold Plus: bonus for lower HERS rating of 40. ■ Platinum (minimum requirement for homes up to 8,000 square feet): HERS index of 25; must earn at least 542 total points for sites

under ½ acre or 546 total points for sites ½ acre or larger. ■ Platinum Plus: bonus for a HERS rating of 15. ■ Emerald (minimum requirement for homes 8,001 square feet and greater): HERS index of 0; must therefore perform in a manner that produces no greenhouse gases to meet its operational energy needs. It shall also earn at least 623 total points for sites under ½ acre and 629 total points for sites ½ acre or larger. ■ Emerald Plus: bonus for a HERS rating of -10. The city will rely on HERS raters, city inspectors, specialty third-party verifiers, and the project’s builder and systems installers for field verification of required materials, components, features, and performance. For more information, visit www.santafenm.gov. —Peter Merrill

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VAPOR BARRIERS |

building science

Understanding Vapor Barriers Interpreting the codes and the science behind one of home building’s most misunderstood materials.

T Mark LaLiberte

PHOTO: RAY NG

President of LaLiberteOnline Inc. and a principal of Building Knowledge Inc., Mark LaLiberte is a highly regarded green building consultant who helps builders nationwide understand and apply proper building science construction principles to improve their homes. www.buildingknowledge.com; www.laliberteonline.com.

MAY | JUNE 2009

he residential building industry has enough controversial construction techniques, incorrect product applications, antiquated codes, and old wives’ tales to confuse anybody seeking the right way to build. And vapor barriers rank high on that list. Few builders truly understand how they work and why to use them. Adding to the confusion is the fact that determining whether or not you should be installing a vapor barrier depends on the home’s location. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding can lead to catastrophic envelope failures and mold issues.

continuous, sealed, or free of holes; a perforation in a VDR simply allows more vapor diffusion in that area compared with other areas where vapor diffusion is less restrictive. VDRs are rated by the level of vapor diffusion control they provide. A material’s ability to retard the diffusion of water vapor is defined in terms of its permeability in units known as “perms.” This is a measure of the number of grains of water vapor passing through a square foot of material per hour at a known differential vapor pressure. Any material with a perm rating of less than 0.10 is considered a Class 1 vapor retarder.

AIR AND VAPOR BARRIERS DEFINED First I want to clear up the common confusion between “vapor barriers” and “air barriers.” This misunderstanding arises because air typically holds a great deal of moisture in the form of vapor. When vapor-laden air moves from one location to another, the vapor moves with it. A well-installed air barrier controls both the flow of air and the flow of moisture. If you were looking for another reason to be paying close attention to the proper installation of air barriers, this is it. Controlling air movement should be your first priority in the energy-efficiency game, and it also provides excellent moisture control. Pay close attention to every location that air will flow, using blocking, gaskets, and foam. For more information on the correct use of air barriers, visit the Web sites of Building Science Corp. at www.buildingscience.com, Building America at www.buildingamerica.gov, or the Air Barrier Association at www.airbarrier.org. Properly defined, a vapor barrier alone does not control air movement; it controls the movement of moisture. In fact, a vapor barrier is not actually a barrier; it’s a vapor diffusion retarder (VDR). A VDR regulates moisture flow from inside out or from outside in at the molecular level. This moisture control function happens wherever the VDR is used in the structure. Therefore, unlike an air infiltration barrier, the VDR does not have to be

THE PROBLEM WITH VAPOR BARRIERS The original reason for using vapor barriers was a good one: to prevent wall and ceiling assemblies from getting wet. In practice, we now understand that when VDRs are installed on the interior of an assembly, they also prevent inward drying. This can lead to significant moisture problems and mold; problems occur when walls get wet during construction or more often throughout the home’s life. These wetting cycles can be from air flow, window leaks, pressure imbalances, and a host of lifestyle issues. Below-grade spaces are particularly vulnerable. The increasing complexity of wall systems also fuels the issue. Then there’s the climate variable. Much of the confusion about the correct use of VDRs is the result of research reports and anecdotal information. Almost all of this research was conducted in cold climates and focused on the flow of vapor from inside to outside in winter months; it did not consider vapor movement in other climates, nor how moisture flow occurs from outside to inside when using air conditioning in humid summer months. When moisture flows from a more humid exterior environment into the wall system in airconditioned climates, condensation could occur on the cooled interior VDR. You can see that if lowperm poly were used, condensation on this surface is possible. Cladding choices can further complicate the ecohomemagazine.com 13

building science

| VAPOR BARRIERS

FIGURE 1: MOISTURE MOVEMENT Warm interior

Air conditioned interior Solar radiation

Sheathing Sheathing

Interior moisture Exterior moisture

Wind Insulation

Moisture movement is affected by seasonal changes as well as climate characteristics, which will define your best strategies and options. Even in cold climates, moisture will move from hot exteriors to cooler interiors in the summer, which places new emphasis on proper selection and placement of vapor retarders.

THE NUMBERS The current code has the following definitions: Class I Vapor Retarder: 0.1 perm or less Class II Vapor Retarder: 1.0 perm or less and greater than 0.1 perm Class III Vapor Retarder: 10 perm or less and greater than 1.0 perm The current proposals are to define them this way: Vapor impermeable: 0.1 perm or less Vapor semi-impermeable: 1.0 perm or less and greater than 0.1 perm Vapor semi-permeable: 10 perms or less and greater than 1.0 perm Vapor permeable: greater than 10 perms

14 ecohomemagazine.com

Drywall

Hot exterior

exterior-to-interior vapor flow. When some claddings, such as brick and traditional stucco, get wet, they can retain significant amounts of water and require longer drying times. In hot and humid weather, moisture is drawn inward as the sun heats these surfaces, increasing the vapor pressure on the assembly. This could add unwanted moisture as well. The best strategy for this one is venting the masonry claddings and replacing the poly VDR with a higher-perm product like paint that will let the wall system cycle over the seasons. BEST PRACTICES It’s not just builders who are confused. Many building code officials misunderstand or misinterpret the requirements. Just because it was done that way 20 years ago, doesn’t mean it will work the same way in today’s modern wall systems. Some jurisdictions are becoming more flexible, and that is a welcome change. Current IBC/IRC specifications (see “The Numbers,” left) for VDRs factor the classification of the material’s perm rate with the location’s climatic conditions (see Figure 2, page 16). Future code directions will most likely specify the use of more permeable products in building assemblies: the use of paint, rather than poly, for instance. Until all codes reflect current building science knowledge, and provide climate-specific material specifications, you need to be wary of selecting a VDR with a perm rating that’s too low or placing it in the wrong location. If in doubt, I recommend using Class I and Class II VDRs only in the coldest Zones, 7 and 8. In these zones, use a product like MemBrain from

Drywall

CertainTeed. This innovative product looks and installs like poly, but it behaves like a vapor diode, allowing the perm rate to increase as the vapor pressure increases. This means that if installed on the interior side of the wall system, it will meet the Class II requirements by reducing the amount of vapor entering the wall in the winter months. But should the wall system be subjected to a larger flow of moisture from outside or from wet materials inside the wall system, the product becomes more vapor open. The perm rate rises, based on the increased vapor pressure. This sounds like magic, but in the world of materials science it’s actually quite simple. For other zones, I recommend applying a good quality wall primer to all unprimed drywall, in lieu of traditional VDRs. Prior to priming, drywall has a perm rate of about 50. After a couple coats of latex paint, that perm rate is reduced to 2 or 3. In most climates, this degree of vapor control will be quite adequate and meets the Class III requirements shown in “The Numbers.” For more information, visit the IRC Web site at www.iccsafe.org, where you can purchase and read the latest code book. Otherwise, get a copy of the Builders Guide Series for your climate from Building Science Press (www.buildingscience press.com). A FINAL NOTE Though I advocate a more liberal approach to VDRs, this doesn’t mean I am unconcerned about moisture control. On the contrary, I believe it is absolutely critical that we control and manage the movement of moisture in structures. Used correctly and in the right climate, vapor MAY | JUNE 2009

ILLUSTRATION: HARRY WHITVER

Cold exterior

Insulation

Circle no. 53

building science

| VAPOR BARRIERS

FIGURE 2: CLIMATE ZONES & VAPOR RETARDERS diffusion retarders can be an important part of a comprehensive solution to effective moisture management. To manage moisture effectively, we need to control both air movement and moisture flow. The two are always intertwined. Sometimes one product, such as spray foam, addresses both issues. In other cases, we can achieve success with a well installed and properly sealed weather resistive barrier like housewrap or an alternate system of spray-on coatings, or even SIPs. Remember: Always give careful consideration to the location and quality of the air barriers and water management details you use, and train the people on your crews to properly install them. Match your moisture-management strategies and details to regional conditions in your climate zone. (Go to www.buildingscience.com and click on Vapor Barrier Code Changes.)

Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D., principal of Building Science Corp., contributed to this article.

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Circle no. 59

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Call 202.736.3308 or e-mail [email protected]

GreenProductAwards.com

PROJECT DETAILS Project: Private Residence, Orefield, Pa. Size: 4,768 square feet; 7,365 with basement Cost: Undisclosed Completed: July 2008 Certifications: NAHB-Gold HERS rating: 54 Architect: Alan Mascord Design Assoc., Portland, Ore., and studio26 homes General Contractor/Interior Designer: studio26 homes Kitchen: Kitchens by WIPCO, Allentown, Pa.

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MAY | JUNE 2009

CASE STUDY BY CHERYL WEBER

Striking Gold PENNSYLVANIA-BASED STUDIO26 HOMES JOINS IBACOS AND THE DOE’S BUILDING AMERICA PROGRAM TO TACKLE COLD-CLIMATE PERFORMANCE.

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PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

MAY | JUNE 2009

hen the Bakers—father James and sons Scott and Brian—launched studio26 homes five years ago, green was still just a buzzword in Eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. But the trio saw the deepening shift in consumer awareness and decided to make super-energy-efficient houses their calling card. For starters, their goal was to reduce energy use by at least 40% compared to other homes built to code. The Bakers tapped the brain trust at Building America, a research program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. And to make sure their best practices keep hitting the benchmarks, every studio26 project is analyzed by Integrated Building and Construction Solutions (IBACOS), a Building America partner consortium that offers energy modeling. “They do takeoffs of our plans and specs and also work through a general HVAC design,” says Brian, studio26 homes’ vice president of marketing and design. The latest result of that collaboration is a house in Orefield that earned a Gold rating under NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines. Its 542 points, earned primarily through indoor air quality and an airtight building envelope that ecohomemagazine.com 19

CASE STUDY

PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE

ERV AND AIR CLEANER Due to its ultra-tight construction, this home “breathes” through its Trane FreshEffects energy recovery ventilator, which continuously exchanges stale air with fresh air and transfers heat and moisture between incoming and outgoing air via a dual-chamber pipe. Before the incoming air is distributed through the home, a Trane CleanEffects air cleaner removes up to 99.98% of airborne allergens, according to the company. 903.581.3660. www.trane.com. Circle 311.

WINDOWS The house’s 120 aluminum-clad-wood triple-pane windows and patio doors are Energy Star–rated Pella Designer Series with between-the-glass blinds, providing a U-value of 0.23 and an SHGC of 0.26. 800.374.4758. www.pella.com. Circle 312.

SEPARATED FROM SMOKE A sunroom/smoking room with a ceramic tile floor on the house’s southwest side soaks up solar rays. It’s sealed off from the rest of the house with gasketed exterior wood doors, insulation, and polyethylene sheeting, and is served by a separate Mitsubishi MUZ-A12NA variable-speed ductless mini-split system with R410A refrigerant and a Panasonic WhisperCeiling exhaust fan for adequate room ventilation. Mitsubishi: 800.433.4822. www.mrslim.com. Circle 313. Panasonic: 800.405.0652. www. panasonic.com. Circle 314.

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minimizes thermal bridging, far exceeded the Gold minimum of 395 points. In this case, the design team began with a significant asset on its side: The 1.2-acre parcel’s gentle, south-facing down slope provided the ideal conditions for passive solar heating and daylighting. To ensure sufficient sun exposure throughout the day, not only for passive solar gain but for a future PV installation, the Bakers rotated the house to within 20 degrees of due south. With the long axis running east-west and the rear facing south, all three levels are open to solar gain and are filled with natural light. The contemporary

Craftsman style also plays into passive cooling with deep overhangs, porches, and a long Trex deck across the back that shades the walk-out basement. Given Pennsylvania’s cold winters, super-insulating the walls was a top priority. The builders installed an Xi concrete-and-Styrofoam foundation system from Superior Walls made of 10¼-inch-thick, 10-foot-high sections pre-insulated to R-12.5. And to increase the energy performance of the foundation walls, the crew installed R-21 formaldehyde-free Johns Manville fiberglass batts into the stud cavities, which raised the basement walls’ overall R-value to 33.5. MAY | JUNE 2009

PROFILE:

James C. Baker Brian M. Baker Scott A. Baker

FAR LEFT PHOTOS: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY; TOP AND RIGHT PHOTOS: BARRY HALKIN

STUDIO 26 HOMES

ROOFING AND SIDING CertainTeed Independence lifetime asphalt shingles earned green points for the home’s proximity to the manufacturing plant. James Hardie integrally colored fiber-cement siding offers durability while saving the need for on-site painting. CertainTeed: 800.233.8990. www.certainteed.com. Circle 315. James Hardie: 888.542.7343. www. jameshardie.com. Circle 316.

The builders tightened the 2x6 wood-framed envelope by adding 1-inch extruded polystyrene to the exterior. All the wood-framed walls were tightly insulated with blown-in, R-23 Johns Manville Spider Custom Insulation, installed at 1.8 pounds per square foot to fill gaps. Using these measures, studio26 was able to beat Building America targets for air leakage. A blower-door test showed 0.101 NACH (natural air exchanges per house), compared to the benchmark 0.131 NACH. A duct-blaster test resulted in 0.5% air leakage, an improvement over Building America’s 1% target. No humidifier or dehumidifier is MAY | JUNE 2009

MOISTURE MANAGEMENT Given its location in a climate where moisture levels are significant for most of the year, the house has a CertainTeed MemBrain vapor barrier between the insulation and drywall. It’s engineered to let walls breathe by allowing water vapor to pass through when humidity levels reach 30% or more. 800.233.8990. www.certainteed.com. Circle 317.

INSULATION First- and second-floor walls are blanketed in formaldehyde-free Johns Manville Spider blown-in insulation, which provides an R-value of 23 in the 2x6 walls. Closed-cell spray-foam insulation by Tiger Foam seals up hard-to-reach corners, headers, sill plates, and band joists. Johns Manville: 800.654.3103. www.specjm.com. Circle 318. Tiger Foam: 800. 664.0063. www.tigerfoam. com. Circle 319.

One benefit of a green startup is that there are no old standards to purge. When James Baker, president, and sons Brian, vice president of marketing and design, and Scott, vice president of operations, set up their design/build/ develop company in 2004, they spent months assembling a core subcontractor team. “We said our houses will be different than any you’ve built before,” says Brian. “We turned away some [subs] who were talented but not open-minded enough for what we were trying to do.” The builder’s test run—a team effort with IBACOS—was a Building America Demonstration Home that Brian built for his family. Pennsylvania’s first LEED-Silver home, it served not only as field training for the subcontractor team, but is also a model for prospective clients. Eighteen months of energy monitoring showed it to be 49% more efficient than a standard code-compliant house. With just the three partners on staff and a subcontractor team numbering about 50, studio26 is currently working on a 44-acre conservation community with a dozen dwellings. In addition to applying the latest building-science practices, the company includes solar-ready wiring standard. “Our goal is to be the leader in Eastern Pennsylvania for green building and design, and eventually to get to net-zero energy,” Baker says. In 2007, the Pennsylvania Builder’s Association recognized their progress with a Building Innovation Award. —C.W.

needed in the house, Baker says, thanks in part to the use of CertainTeed’s MemBrain, a “smart” vapor retarder stapled to the studs between the insulation and drywall. “When there’s a certain level of humidity in the wall, the pores of the vapor retarder will begin to open and allow vapor to emit into the house, where it can be flushed out and absorbed by the ventilation system,” he says. Indoor air quality was clearly at the center of the mechanical equipment choices and techniques. The project earned indoor environmental quality points with the use of a Trane energy recovery ventilator that exchanges heat between stale air being exhausted and ecohomemagazine.com 21

CASE STUDY

cooler fresh air being introduced to the system, a Trane CleanEffects wholehouse air cleaner, and a separate HVAC system in the sun room on the house’s southwest corner, where one of the owners enjoys the occasional cigar. The interior materials marry craftsmanship, cleanliness, and sustainability. MAB Enviro-Pure paints emit no VOCs, oak floors and birch cabinetry were sourced in Pennsylvania, and the appliances are Energy Star certified. Finally, like each of studio26’s projects, the house is pre-wired for future addition of solar panels. It’s one more component of a smart, sophisticated home designed to reduce energy costs and provide a healthy, comfortable atmosphere. Cheryl Weber is a freelance writer in Lancaster, Pa.

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PLUMBING A PEX manifold system from Watts delivers heated water directly from tank to tap rather than filling the entire piping system with water, and PEX tubing resists corrosion and retains heat better than copper. The plumbing manifold, located in a central utility room, is a control center for hot and cold water that feeds flexible supply lines (red for hot, blue for cold) directly to individual fixtures. The cold-water manifold is fed from the main water supply line and the hot-water manifold is fed from the water heater. Two propane-fueled 0751 Series Noritz tankless water heaters work in tandem to supply hot water. Watts: 978.688.1811. www.watts. com. Circle 320. Noritz: 866.766.7489. www.noritz.com. Circle 321.

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a 360 degree view of product information

PHOTO: BARRY HALKIN

PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE

Circle no. 60

PROJECT DETAILS Project: Helensview Heights, Portland, Ore. Size: 3.96 acres; 52 units (40 detached, 12 condos) from 925 to 1,600 square feet (detached only) Price range: $186,000–$244,000 Certifications: LEED-ND; LEED-H Silver (anticipated) Developer: HOST Development, Portland Architect: Peck Smiley Ettlin, Portland Builder: R&R Energy Resources, Portland Consultants: Green Building Services, Portland (LEED-ND AP); Earth Advantage (LEED-H AP); Brian Clopton Excavating, Sherwood, Ore. (site development); AKS Engineering & Forestry, Sherwood (civil engineer)

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MAY | JUNE 2009

CASE STUDY BY RICH BINSACCA

Reaching New Heights AT HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS IN PORTLAND, ORE., GOING GREEN IS ONLY PART OF THE MEANS TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY AND SUSTAIN A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD.

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PHOTO: DAVID PAPAZIAN

elensview Heights is all about sustainability, but far more than just the stuff you can feel, touch, or tack onto a house. Built on a 4-acre infill site in a low-income section of Portland, Ore., the 52-home enclave is designed to inspire and anchor an investment among its existing residents and business owners that will transition the neighborhood into a vital—and thus sustainable—community. The development meets the highest standards of LEED-Neighborhood Design (achieving a Gold rating in the pilot phase of the program), and the homes are expected to achieve Silver under LEED for Homes. But these designations are secondary attractions to the residents, who will enjoy lower monthly utility rates; reduced maintenance, repair, and replacement costs; improved indoor air; and probably higher resale value. Perhaps even more so is the long-term value of building on a greyfield parcel within the city’s urban growth boundary to create a perpetually owner-occupied housing option to buyers otherwise priced out to the suburbs. That scenario, sans the LEED accolades, is nothing new for the locally culled project team headed by HOST Development. The Portlandbased not-for-profit entity counts (and keeps tabs on) 375 affordable homes in the metro area, leveraging low-interest financing and other funding from several sources to satisfy its mission.

MAY | JUNE 2009

Throughout its 20-year history, HOST has championed energy efficiency as a tenet of lowincome housing. “There’s a better chance that low-income owners will stay in their homes if it doesn’t cost as much to operate,” says executive director John Miller, who leveraged a local utility’s energy-saving program more than a decade ago to help reduce operating costs for HOST’s homeowners. For Helensview Heights, the project team followed the USGBC’s LEED for Homes rating system thanks to grants from the Enterprise Community Foundation’s Green Communities program and The Home Depot Foundation. A series of design charrettes paid for by the Enterprise grant revealed how close HOST’s standard specs were to achieving LEED certification, and how a few tweaks—including the use of heat recovery ventilators and heating fireplaces— would further reduce monthly operating costs and aid the company’s marketing effort. The grant also helped pay for a few of those upgrades, which the project team has since integrated into the pro forma to ensure the efficiencies continue through build-out without adding costs. The cost to add heat recovery ventilators, for instance, was tied up mostly in their installation; once the builder found the ideal spot for the units and streamlined the process, the premium went away. In fact, a coordinated effort among members of ecohomemagazine.com 25

CASE STUDY

HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS PAINT Evermore low-VOC (38 g/l) interior and exterior latex paint from Glidden has been reformulated for better scrubability, low odor, and improved coverage and durability of even dramatic and dark colors. The mildew-resistant exterior flat coatings are 100% acrylic latex to protect against UV rays, color fading, and extreme weather conditions. Interior semi-gloss also is formulated for improved mildew resistance to reduce maintenance chores. 800.454.3336. www.glidden.com. Circle 322.

MAJOR APPLIANCES Energy Star–qualified refrigerators, dishwashers, and laundry equipment from Kenmore reduce energy and water use to keep monthly utility bills affordable. The top-mount, 18.2-cubic foot refrigerator is EnergyGuide rated to cost just $41 per year to operate, while the built-in, 24-inch dishwasher offers a precision, five-level wash system and heated or no-heat drying cycles to reduce resource use. 888.536.6673. www.kenmore.com. Circle 323.

FIREPLACES The builder utilizes natural gas fireplaces from Martin, a Custom Fireside brand, as each home’s primary heating source. The zero-clearance, 36-inch units are capable of heating up to 1,200 square feet, burning at 24,000 BTUs and an 80% efficiency. The units feature glowing ceramic fiber logs and embers; optional accessories include firebrick and a 135-CFM blower. 916.331.2423. www. customfireside.com. Circle 324.

LAMINATE FLOORING Prevail wood-look laminate flooring from Shaw features the VersaLock application system that requires no adhesives, thus reducing indoor air pollutants; the product also is prefinished to eliminate off-gassing from stains and/or sealant coatings. The 8-inch-wide planks provide a warm, solid flooring alternative at an affordable price, while its laminate construction and prefinished surface lessen maintenance. 800.441. 7429. www.shawfloors.com. Circle 325.

CARPETING Carpeting from Mohawk employs the company’s everSTRAND fiber, which uses recycled plastic (PET) bottles to completely offset virgin fiber resources with postconsumer waste material. The use of PET resins delivers a superior grade of synthetic fiber for the carpet to provide inherent stain resistance and color clarity, the firm says, while the cap and label of each bottle are recycled as reusable core material around which the carpet is wrapped. 800.266.4295. www.mohawkflooring.com. Circle 326.

the design/build team prior to groundbreaking and during the build afforded cost efficiencies that enabled the project to remain within budget and its target price point. “Everyone was looking at it, asking what we could do to keep costs down,” says Brianna Conrow, construction project manager at HOST. She also credits the builder, Bill Lenz at R&R Energy Resources in Portland, for his use of in-house crews (instead of subcontractors), a long track record of building high-performance housing, and the ability to negotiate volume discounts with its suppliers. “He’s able to control costs and the schedule,” says Conrow, which effectively translates to maintaining HOST’s affordability mission. The Home Depot money, meanwhile, is underwriting the $1,500 cost to gain LEED certification once each home is completed. “Without that [grant], we’d have to look at whether certification was worth the cost,” says Miller, who admits

that home prices trump anything else among Helensview’s potential buyers, though they do (and would still, without the certificate) appreciate the longer-term benefits of HOST’s efforts, specifically lower utility bills and healthier indoor air. In fact, to maintain a price point that would enable buyers within 70% to 100% of the area’s median family income to purchase homes in Helensview, per the developer’s mission, the project team diligently whittled down a wish list of green building options to settle on those that benefited buyers and the community the most, remained within budget, and, lastly, qualified under LEED for Homes standards. The result are homes priced $186,000 to $244,000—25% to 42% less than comparably sized detached units within the urban growth boundary. And these are far from shacks; HOST’s commitment to high-performance housing ensures the homes are durable and will

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MAY | JUNE 2009

SIDING HardiePlank fiber-cement lap siding from James Hardie provides a low-maintenance cladding while withstanding a rainy climate. In addition to natural base materials with low toxicity, a proprietary, factory-applied sealer and primer enhance the siding’s performance qualities and provide a surface with superior paint adhesion. 888.542.7343. www.jameshardie.com. Circle 327.

PHOTOS: DAVID PAPAZIAN

WINDOWS Energy Star–qualified, Marquee-brand 800 Series vinyl highperformance windows from Philips Products anchor a thermally efficient and energy-saving envelope. Heat-fusion-welded frame and sash corners, interlocking meeting rails, ¾-inch insulating glass, and narrow profiles combine to optimize daylight while reducing thermal transfer with a U-value of 0.32 and solar heat gain with an SHGC of 0.33. A strong and durable chambered frame delivers a low-maintenance option while a continuous pre-punched mounting fin ensures proper fastening and sealing between the window and the wall. 574.296.0000. www.marquee windows.com. Circle 328.

remain efficient, but providing eight different floor plans, a thoughtful mix of contemporary and more traditional housing to integrate with existing buildings on different street frontages, and a high level of finishes inside and out—including fiber-cement lap siding and solid-wood cabinet fronts—goes far beyond the call of most affordable housing. The credit, says Conrow, goes to the upfront and ongoing effort to value-engineer the project. It’s a comprehensive formula that has enabled HOST to sell 13 of the first phase of 20 detached units at Helensview Heights since opening in early 2008 (and four within a six-week span earlier this year) and, more important, establish the foundation of a sustainable, stable neighborhood. While the homes (and specifically their prices) account for the bulk of that sales success, the stability of Helensview Heights also is rooted in its MAY | JUNE 2009

HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR The Constructo 1.5 HRV from Venmar helps improve indoor air quality and reduce excess humidity by delivering a steady flow of fresh outdoor air into the home. The product line is certified by the Home Ventilating Institute to achieve a heat recovery rate of up to 81%. The line is designed specifically for midsize, affordable new homes, with a small housing and easy installation. 819.477. 6226. www.venmar.ca. Circle 329.

neighborhood. Not much had to be done to achieve a LEED-ND rating for the urban infill site, thanks to existing and nearby public transportation options (which allowed the project team to eliminate garages in favor of street parking), schools, and other public services. Park space within the plat and the high density and small footprints of the housing also scored points. “If you have the right location, which we did, there’s not much effort to gain certification,” says Terry Miller, senior consultant for Green Building Resources in Portland, which served as the LEED-AP for the neighborhood development effort. “We made no significant changes to comply, and the synergy with building to LEED for Homes standards also helped.” In addition to income thresholds, HOST targets families (particularly minority and single-parent households) and works to convert renters within the

PROFILE:

John Miller EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HOST DEVELOPMENT A Portland native, John Miller has witnessed the migration of the Rose City’s workforce residents from the urban core to the suburbs and beyond, the flipside of a growth boundary established in the late 1970s to stem sprawl and encourage high-density housing that instead resulted in higher land costs and housing prices. Ironically, his not-for-profit development company, Home Ownership a Street at a Time (HOST), is using the growth boundary legislation to finance and build housing that keeps low-income workers close to their jobs while maintaining urban vitality. “We work in neighborhoods that are in transition,” he says, and under a mission that encourages existing residents to remain (and thrive) as homeowners rather than be displaced by gentrification. In addition to developing infill parcels near existing public transit, building communities with interesting streetscapes, and targeting existing families, HOST is able to secure low-interest, long-term financing from community reinvestment tax credits. He and his team also seek out in-kind and pro bono services and corporate foundation support to supplement loans; though HOST avoids direct government financing, it does help buyers navigate the public funding matrix for mortgage loans. The result of HOST’s 20-year history is a portfolio of nearly 400 homes purchased by folks with incomes as low as 70% of the market’s median. “We’re seen as a welcome addition to an active neighborhood’s existing revitalization efforts,” says Miller. “We enjoy strong support because of our mission.” —R.B.

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CASE STUDY

existing neighborhood into buyers so that they aren’t victims of gentrification. The developer also makes sure that its homes are always owner-occupied, a perpetual deed requirement that also maintains stability and housing values. It’s an effort that HOST homeowners help watchdog and that the community around Helensview embraced by allowing the project to sail through the approvals process. “Our mission is based on the belief that strong, healthy communities are created and stabilized when homeowners have a stake in their neighborhoods,” says Miller, quoting HOST gospel. “We look for opportunities in which the community is interested in improving and sustaining itself.” Rich Binsacca is a freelance writer in Boise, Idaho.

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For more case studies, visit ecohomemagazine.com.

Circle no. 34

ROOFING Cambridge 30 premium architectural shingles from IKO Industries contain at least 40% pre-consumer waste-rock recycled content, as independently verified by Scientific Certification Systems. The heavyweight laminated shingles are composed of a dimensionally stable non-woven glass fiber mat impregnated with stabilized waterproofing bitumen to weather high winds, improve durability, and reduce maintenance and repair. 800.433.2811. www.iko.com. Circle 330.

INSULATION The formaldehyde-free line of fiberglass insulation from Johns Manville provides thermal resistance to keep energy costs low while reducing the potential for indoor air pollutants. The material also is SCS certified for recycled content (25%) and provides acoustical performance to enhance indoor comfort and value. The product line is offered as faced and unfaced batts, blown-in loose-fill, poly-encapsulated, and rigid panels to suit any application. 800.654.3103. www.specjm.com. Circle 331.

Circle no. 50

PHOTO: DAVID PAPAZIAN

HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS

Circle no. 31

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BY AURORA SHARRARD

KEEPING THEM HONEST SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH BEHIND MANUFACTURERS’ GREEN PRODUCT CLAIMS.

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f you’re confused about green building products and the claims their manufacturers are making, you’re not alone. I feel that way myself sometimes, and it’s my job at the Green Building Alliance to navigate the complex world of green product claims—and help others do the same. While we still have a lot of work to do to establish reliable standards for the multiple attributes that define green products, the good news is that there are a lot of dedicated people working on this problem, and there are a good number of resources already available to help you find your own comfort level with third-party verification of green claims. This article will guide you through the complexities of green product selection, help you understand how products are labeled and certified, and lead you to the most useful navigational resources. Ultimately, whether you’re getting product information from your local supplier, direct from a manufacturer, from Web surfing, or via networking with colleagues, the most critical thing is that you trust your source and understand the criteria behind their recommendations. It’s also important to note that green building is not just about following checklists and picking products; at its heart, sustainable building is the integration of important elements of design, site, energy, water, health, resource management, and other ecohomemagazine.com 31

GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS

Product Labels or Certifications Referenced by NAHB and LEED Right now third-party certifications are the most reliable way to verify green claims when doing your product research. Here are some of the most widely used labeling and certification programs referenced by LEED and the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

EFFICIENCY STANDARDS Energy Star, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.energystar.gov/products. Besides being referenced for its certification of homes in general, both NAHB and LEED reference Energy Star for a variety of other products, including appliances, roofs, and equipment. Solar Rating and Certification Corp. www.solar-rating.org WaterSense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/watersense

MATERIAL CONTENT Recycled Content, Scientific Certification Systems www.scscertified.com USDA Certified Biobased Product, U.S. Department of Agriculture www.biopreferred.gov/Catalog.aspx

INDOOR AIR QUALITY Greenguard, Greenguard Environmental Institute www.greenguard.org Green Seal, Green Seal Organization www.greenseal.org Indoor Advantage Gold, Scientific Certification Systems http://www.scscertified.com/gbc/indooradvgold.php FloorScore, Scientific Certification Systems www.scscertified. com/gbc/floorscore.php

MULTIPLE-ATTRIBUTE CERTIFICATIONS GENERAL Cradle to Cradle (C2C), McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry www.c2ccertified.com SMaRT Consensus Sustainable Product Standards, Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability http://mts.sustainable products.com/SMaRT_product_standard.html CARPET California Gold, California Department of General Services www.green.ca.gov/EPP/standards.htm

®

Green Label or Green Label Plus, Carpet and Rug Institute http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-buildingand-the-environment/green-label-plus/index.cfm RESPONSIBLY MANAGED WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Forest Stewardship Council www.fsc.org Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Sustainable Forestry Initiative www.sfiprogram.com (NAHB references FSC, SFI, and three other specific wood certifications.) —A.S.

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environmental and human considerations. However, the time does come when you have to select and specify materials, products, and components for a green home. At that point, your focus is certainly on products—and whether they will truly contribute to the green performance goals for your project. THE GREENWASH FACTOR When companies intentionally or unintentionally make false, misleading, or exaggerated claims about the environmental benefits of their products, it’s called “greenwashing.” At the most basic level, we all perpetuate greenwash if we try to lump all of a home’s sustainable features together by calling it a “green home” without substantiating our claims through some form of documentation and certification such as through a national or local green building program. Product salespeople, distributors, manufacturers, and marketers can fall into the same greenwashing trap if they exaggerate their products' performance claims or don’t mention environmental negatives that might diminish the products’ green attributes. Consequently, there are a lot of individual performance, material, or environmental benefit claims made about building products that require scrutiny. The general rule about these seemingly simple descriptions is to be skeptical and curious enough to look behind the claim for some form of verification. Ask yourself the following: ■ Is this claim obviously false? For example, “This product is LEED and NAHB certified.” (Neither USGBC’s LEED program or the NAHB certifies products.) ■ Is the claim unrelated or irrelevant? For example, “This product stands out from the competition.” ■ Is the claim too generic to make sense? For example, “This product uses the latest eco-friendly technology.” ■ Does the claim only address one feature of the product when there are other important ones that MAY | JUNE 2009

GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS

Additional Resources In addition to labels and certifications, here are a few third-party resources that provide general guidelines for green product selection. BEES: A life cycle assessment–based side-by-side product comparison tool created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees.

are ignored? For example, “This product is maintenance free.” ■ Can I verify the claim online or with information on the product itself? Then start your research. If you can’t find the appropriate information to satisfy your questions in a quick Internet search or phone call, it might be time to start seriously doubting the claims being made. LABELS AND CERTIFICATIONS Greenwashed marketing claims have increased to the point where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is updating its published Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims that address “environmental claims included in labeling, advertising, promotional materials, and all other forms of marketing, whether asserted directly or by implication, through words, symbols, emblems, logos, depictions, [and] product brand names.” TheFTC Guides currently require “every express and material-implied claim that the general assertion conveys to reasonable consumers about an objective quality, feature, or attribute of a product or service must be substantiated.” Here’s where labels and certifications come in. In performing your extended research about certain products, you’ll find there are different types of information resources that can aid your search. Directories are plentiful; these “yellow pages” of existing green building products can serve as a starting point to figure out what your options are in a certain product category. If you want some form of substantiation of product content or performance, then you’ll be looking for labels and certifications. Labels are simple systems, often based on a single performance attribute like energy or recycled content, in which a blanket label is applied to all products. Certifications, on the other hand, are complex assessments that rely on multiple, science-based criteria for determining whether or not a product qualifies. Though differentiating between labels and certifications can be tricky, I generally classify 34 ecohomemagazine.com

systems that only consider a single performance attribute as “labels,” while “certifications” assess multiple product attributes. For example, Energy Star, which is the oldest third-party label in the U.S., uses energy as the primary attribute for rating washing machines, but the label is not associated with water use reduction, which would contribute to it being a multiple-attribute rating. Sometimes looking at a single product attribute is helpful, but if you’re looking for a designation that assesses products more holistically, look for a certification—or multiple labels. Depending on the product category, certifications vary widely in which performance criteria they include. Some certifications focus very deeply on chemical components or indoor air quality (e.g., Greenguard), while others include everything from raw material extraction to end-of-life issues (e.g., Cradle to Cradle); a few even include information about the corporate sustainability commitments of the product manufacturers themselves (e.g., SMaRT). Given the many considerations certifications include, you still need to ensure that a product will perform its most important function and meet the priorities you’ve set for your specific project and application. Then, you can review the added benefits of the other attributes to further inform your decision-making process. You’ll find it’s much easier to find multiple-attribute certifications for certain types (e.g., carpet, floor coverings, cabinets, furniture, and wood) than for others. Over time, more and more product categories will join this group. LEVELS OF INDEPENDENCE In addition to considering what a label or certification includes, you’ll also want to know who is backing up these green product claims. There are three levels of independence when it comes to evaluating labels and certifications. “First-party” certifications are claims made by the designer, manufacturer, or other party directly associated with the creation and sale of the product in question. These are also called “self certifications.”

BUILDINGGREEN AND THE GREENSPEC DIRECTORY: An independent media source that thoroughly investigates product claims. (Subscription required for detailed information.) www. buildinggreen.com. GREEN2GREEN: Though still in the information-gathering phase, Green2Green’s goal is to provide side-by-side comparisons of green building products based on basic characteristics, installation requirements and experiences, environmental attributes, and performance. www.green2green.org. GREEN BUILDING ALLIANCE: An affiliate of the USGBC, GBA works directly with green building product manufacturers to help them improve their understanding of the green building marketplace. GBA’s downloadable matrix compares certifications in terms of cost to manufacturers; number of products certified; first-, second-, and third-party designations; etc. Version 2 will be out this summer. www.gbapgh.org. RATE IT GREEN: Online community sharing information about green building products; includes a directory of products and services, as well as a rating system driven by users. Its Green Building 101 Resource Guide is an encyclopedia of green building and green product resources. (Free to join. Online Resource Guide access is $19.95.) www.rateitgreen.com. ECOHOME MAGAZINE: Print and Web resource featuring a wide range of green building product categories and certified products used in case study projects. www.ecohomemagazine.com.

MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 61

GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS

Future Resources More product selection help is on the way. Here’s what you can expect in the near future.

All green claims are made directly by the party who creates or sells the product. “Second-party” certifications are assertions or labels applied by an outside organization or individual that has financial or other interests in the manufacturer pursuing product certification, such as trade associations, investors, or direct consultants. “Third-party” certifications are the highest level of assurance for verifying independent product claims; they are made by an independent, unbiased third party. Third parties have no connection to manufacturers except the fee paid for the certification process. Green Seal and Greenguard, among many others, fall into this category. Sometimes knowing where a product certification comes from and everything it considers is still not enough to make a concrete decision. That’s when you should take a look at its compliance with other larger standard creation bodies like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)—two bodies that certify the certification organizations themselves. Certifications created according to ANSI or ISO standards must meet high levels of quality, consistency, public comment and review, and accessibility in both the creation and maintenance of their certifications. If you’re looking for multiple-attribute third-party certifications, a good place to start if you’re trying to figure out what product certifications are out there is the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines (which served as the basis for the National Green Building Standard) and the USGBC’s LEED rating system. While neither of these green building rating systems certifies products, both reference a host of product labels and certifications (see sidebar, page 32). If you use, trust, and/or are a big proponent of either (or both) systems, it might be helpful to at least start exploring the certifications that these and other green building rating systems reference, as they mostly point to third-party labels or certifications that are trusted by many green building industry stakeholders within the green building industry. 36 ecohomemagazine.com

If you’re especially diligent about how and why you specify green products, you know that choosing a multiple-attribute third-party certification is not enough, especially since they’re not all equal. So it is worth repeating that you need to trust the source of your information, which means you need to trust the organization that awards the product certification. If you don’t understand what’s behind the certification’s logo and everything a manufacturer has to do to get it, how can you justify your product choices? I encourage you to take the time to go beyond the certification, visit the certifying body’s Web site and download the relevant standard. FINAL ANSWER So, which one’s the best? Unfortunately, there is no overarching answer to that question. Trying to select or specify a green product is the same as selecting a non-green product. It’s just that in addition to all the important criteria you are used to evaluating, now you have many environmental and social considerations to include in your decision-making process. Luckily, you can use multiple-attribute third-party labels and certifications to help you navigate the world of green building product claims. For product categories where no certification programs exist yet, you’ll need to rely on your greenwash radar and filter out unrealistic or improper claims. The green product market may not be as easy to navigate as we’d like, but it’s a lot better than it used to be and getting better. The system of independently verified green product claims has not yet sorted itself out, and it will take some time to mature. One thing you can do now is to let manufacturers and suppliers that are making unfounded claims know that you won’t trust or accept them without independent substantiation. Your reputation and theirs will depend on making verifiable and realistic product claims.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION: A popular method of disclosing detailed environmental information about products in Europe. The Green Standard has created the first system for the U.S., which it has dubbed the “Gaia Product Profile.” www.thegreenstandard.org. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: LCA is a holistic assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of a product or process over its entire life cycle (rawmaterials extraction, transportation, manufacturing, installation, use, and end of life). LCA is more of a category of information than an exact resource. However, the NAHB and Green Globes already reference information obtained through an LCA; LEED is adding this component this year. Look for more products to start referencing or providing LCAs to back up the environmental information about their products. www.lcacenter.org/ LCA/begin.html. PHAROS: The Pharos lens attempts to translate complex product information into a visual guide consumers can use to assess whether or not building products are truly sustainable, based on 16 criteria. www.pharoslens.net; www.pharosproject.net/wiki.

Aurora Sharrard, Ph.D., LEED AP, is research manager for the nonprofit Green Building Alliance (GBA) in Pittsburgh. www.gbapgh.org. MAY | JUNE 2009

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Circle no. 16

product review

| DECKING

STACK THE DECK N

ew Jersey deck builder Gustavio del la Cruz says his Millston Township remodeling company is “in the direction of being green,” but that it’s hard to nail down which decking products are eco-friendly. “Every manufacturer says their product is green,” says de la Cruz, who owns Barrett Contracting. And he admits, “We’d like to use green practices on all of our projects, but only 20% are.” The reason: Few of his consumers ask for eco-friendly decks—and those who do can’t figure out if wood, wood-plastic composites, or all-plastic deck boards are greenest. With no green standards in the deck-building industry, many remodelers likely don’t know, either. Indeed, decking manufacturers themselves are still figuring it out. Manufacturers of products ranging from uncertified but chemical-free exotic

When selecting green deck materials, consider content, resources, and life cycle. By Sharon O’Malley hardwoods to all-virgin, recyclable PVC deck boards claim their products are as eco-friendly as plantation-grown, pressure-treated wood or recycled-content, hard-to-dispose-of composites. Here is a review of the green claims and qualities of the most common decking materials. SOLID WOOD The oldest and most popular decking material is also the one that is renewable: wood.

Western cedar and redwood are homeowner favorites because of their rich color and natural resistance to rot and insects. Decks made from FSC- or SFI-certified wood are universally accepted as green because suppliers can prove through chain-of-custody that their wood comes from sustainably managed forests. Still, there’s plenty of redwood and cedar on the market that comes from poorly managed forests whose owners indulge in unsustainable harvesting. Plus, some builders say wood from young redwood trees does not have the natural resistance of old growth. “There’s an illusion on the part of the consumer that if they get a redwood deck, it’s not going to rot,” notes David Johnston, author of Green From the Ground Up and president of What’s Working, a Boulder, Colo., consulting firm. “That’s not true.”

ARCH TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES. The company’s Wolmanized L3 outdoor wood preservative is nonmetallic and carbon-based. The biocides used in the preservative are known to degrade in soil, so they do not accumulate, the manufacturer says. Applied to wood, the product resists termites and fungal decay, and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. In addition, Wolmanized L3-treated wood retains its natural color with no green tint. And because the preservative includes no copper, the wood is easier on saw blades, the company reports. A built-in water repellent helps the wood stay straighter longer than unprotected wood, the manufacturer says. Wolmanized L3-treated wood is appropriate only for out-of-ground use. 678.627.2000. www.wolmanizedwoodl3.com. Circle 342.

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MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 52

product review

| DECKING ❮ CORRECT BUILDING PRODUCTS. Made with 80% recycled content, CorrectDeckCX is PVC-free and made from 60% hardwood fiber and 40% UV-stabilized polypropylene. The manufacturer claims the deck boards are resistant to rotting, staining, and fading, largely because of the recent addition of a top layer of virgin polypropylene— about 1% of the board—to shield it from moisture and protect it from weather and wear. The use of polypropylene instead of polyethylene makes the boards lighter than some competing products, the manufacturer claims, so they can span longer distances and withstand higher temperatures with less expansion and contraction. 877.332.5877. www.correctdeck.com. Circle 343.

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BAY TREE TECHNOLOGIES. PureWood decking undergoes the Stellac Thermally Modified Wood process, which uses steam and heat to protect the wood while keeping its integrity intact. The correct combination of temperature, time, and conditioning modifies the wood to protect itself, according to the company. Wood sugars change into a natural substance that cannot be digested by insects or used as food by fungus or mold, the maker says, dramatically increasing the wood’s resistance to rot and decay. Chemical- and metal-free, the wood is noncorrosive and nontoxic. It is available in traditional-style Sahara (shown) or Linea, a Euro-style board with a different linear design on each side. 888.575.4180. www.purewood products.com. Circle 344.

❯ TREX. Trex decking is made from about 50% recycled and reclaimed plastic and 50% reclaimed wood. The manufacturer claims the product will not rot or deteriorate because of insects or harsh weather, and resists damage from moisture and sunlight. The plastic part of the product is polyethylene, recycled from plastic bags. The product also includes reclaimed wood from used pallets and sawdust. 800.289.8739. www.trex. com. Circle 346.

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❯

VIANCE. Ecolife is a nonmetallic preservative plus wood stabilizer system that offers long-term protection against decay and termites and provides weathering protection to reduce cracking, warping, and splitting in above-ground applications. The manufacturer says Ecolife is no more corrosive to fasteners and metal fittings than untreated wood, so it can be used in direct contact with aluminum. The product can be used on a wide range of treatable species, can be painted or stained, and comes with a lifetime limited warranty. 800.421.8661. www.treatedwood.com. Circle 345.

Likewise, he says, new cedar trees, while less afflicted by fungus and insects than the white sapwood of young redwoods, can be less stable and more apt to warp and twist than older trees, so deck boards need replacing more often. A growing number of homeowners and pros have turned to exotic hardwoods, especially Brazilian-grown ipe. Among the tallest in the Amazon region, these huge trees can grow trunks measuring up to 6 feet in diameter. The consumer appeal of this unusually strong, dense wood and similar exotic species is a stunning reddish-brown hue that weathers to a silvery patina, coupled with a natural resistance to rot, decay, insects, mold, and even fire without the use of chemicals. But for builders committed to using certified lumber, ipe and other South and Central American hardwoods are hard to come by, and the price is often inflated by demand and the high cost of earning certification in South America. The energy expended in transport is another detractor. So the most commonly used—and least-expensive—wood deck boards are made from fast-growing Southern pine, grown domestically on plantations where sustainability isn’t an issue. What becomes an issue is its need for treatment with a preservative to ward off rot and termites. Preservative manufacturers voluntarily bumped chromated copper arsenate (CCA) from use in the early 2000s; since then, alternative treatments, like ACQ (alkaline copper quat), have become commonplace. The replacements weren’t perfect, however, as early formulations of ACQ leached more copper into the soil than CCA and corroded steel fasteners. Newer formulations, including micronized ACQ, are said to be less likely to leach and corrode. More recently, a number of manufacturers have introduced non-metallic preservatives for deck boards. Amid the growing number of new wood treatment products is heat-treated lumber, which forgoes chemical protection for a heat-and-steam treatment that changes the wood’s makeup so that it is no longer edible to insects. The lingering question with these relatively new materials is whether the energy MAY | JUNE 2009

DECKING |

required to super-heat the wood negates the environmental benefits of avoiding chemicals. WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES Most composite manufacturers fashion their deck boards from a combination of wood fiber and recycled plastic (including plastic bags and milk jugs), although some rely on virgin polyethylene. Most companies warranty the long-lasting decks for 25 years. Brands initially lured wood-weary homeowners with a promise of maintenancefree decks that won’t splinter and don’t need painting. But the decks required more upkeep than advertised, and problems with mold on some brands led to class-action lawsuits against several manufacturers. In response, some, like A.E.R.T., have added zinc borate—a mild fungicide and flame retardant—to their boards. Others, like Correct Building Products, introduced recycled-content composite boards topped with a skin of mold-resistant, virgin plastic that adds a scratch-resistant, colorfast seal and shields the organic part of the deck. The added elements detract from the decks’ green makeup, but Martin Grohman, chairman and founder of Correct Building Products, says they are necessary in today’s marketplace. “People want this really high-performance surface with no color fade, antimicrobial performance, ease of cleaning, and low upkeep,” he says. “To deliver that kind of performance, you give up something in terms of recycling.” Some makers of composite decks claim their products are made from 90% or more recycled materials. But the same plastic content that makes the boards durable and resistant to decay renders them difficult to dispose of because they’re slow to decompose in landfills. Plus, because the boards combine wood and plastic that cannot be separated at the end of their life, there are few ways to reuse them except to recycle them back into deck boards, although there is a barely existent system for doing so. Grohman notes that the industry’s next step is to strengthen the recycling process. CorrectDeck, for example, stamps the underside of its products with the ingredients so recycling-minded future homeowners can MAY | JUNE 2009

product review

❯ A.E.R.T. MoistureShield composite decking is made from 90% recycled materials, including pre-consumer kiln-dried oak mill waste, waste pallets, and construction debris. The plastics in the product include low- and high-density polyethylene from recycled milk jugs, grocery bags, detergent bottles, pallet wrap, and food packaging waste. Sixty percent of the materials that go into its deck boards and deck tiles is post-consumer, which is about two and a half times the requirement for LEED for Homes, the manufacturer claims. MoistureShield composite decking comes with a limited lifetime warranty against rot, decay, and termite damage. 866.729.2378. www.moistureshield.com. Circle 347.

❮ EAST TEAK FINE HARDWOODS. Shown here on a LEED-Platinum house in Dallas, FSC 100% Pure Ipe decking is certified under FSC chain of custody, guaranteeing that the timber is legally harvested from certified sources practicing responsible forestry. Ipe is naturally durable and rot and decay resistant. The air-dried, flat-sawn boards are solid and unfinished and feature eased edges. A range of lengths is available. 214.751. 8988. www.eastteak.com. Circle 348.

MORE THAN MATERIALS

S

ome say no deck is green because it’s an optional luxury that unnecessarily consumes resources. Others argue that decks save household energy because an outdoor room needs no heating or cooling. The greenest decks combine environmentally responsible materials like certified lumber or recycled materials with building practices that prevent the problems that can shorten their life. Here is a checklist for deck builders who want to offer their clients the greenest in decking: Avoid old-growth wood and lumber from rainforests. Insist on a responsibly harvested product that is certified by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. ■ If you choose a low-maintenance composite decking product, buy one made from recycled wood and plastic rather than from virgin materials. Composite deck boards last longer than wood so they need replacing less often. ■ For cost-conscious homeowners, consider pressure-treated lumber preserved with a nonmetallic treatment. ■ Consider a brick or stone patio. Made from natural, low-maintenance materials, patios tend to outlast decks. And select permeable pavers to reduce runoff. ■ Slope decks away from the house to direct water away from the building. ■ Plant shade trees that will make the deck more comfortable in the summer but let light into the house in the winter. For remodels, carefully remove existing plants during construction and replant them afterward. —S.O’M. ■

ecohomemagazine.com 41

product review

| DECKING ❮ FIBERON. Sensibuilt cellular PVC decking has a foamed PVC core with no fiber fillers. The product includes 27% pre-consumer recycled PVC from cutting scraps from PVC window trim and fascia boards, and 8% reclaimed PVC, the manufacturer says. The surface of the deck board is coated with Lumenite, an infrared, heat-reflecting material that the company says resists fading. The product comes with a 10-year warranty against staining and fading plus a limited lifetime warranty on materials. Sensibuilt decking never needs staining or painting and resists termites and mold, splinters, and decay, the company claims. 800.573.8841. www.fiberon decking.com. Circle 349.

❯ EARTHSOURCE. FSC-certified machiche tropical hardwood decking comes in 2-foot-by-2-foot solid squares for installation on flat surfaces or in 5/4-by-6-inch planks. The open-pored, dense hardwood comes in colors ranging from yellow/tan to medium brown reds and dark reds; over time, lighter spots darken to a reddish brown hue. The wood is sourced from Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. The material is resistant to decay-causing organisms and moderately resistant to dry-wood termites, according to the company. 800.675.7257. www.earthsourcewood.com. Circle 350.

CERTIFICATION POINTS

L

EED for Homes (MR2.2) offers half a point for wood decking that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council; that is salvaged; or that contains recycled content. Add another half point if the material is locally sourced. The ANSI National Green Building Standard awards up to six points for insect-resistant decking materials (602.8); up to three points for recycled-content decking (604.1); and up to eight points for wood that is certified from sustainably managed forests (606.1).

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❮ UNIVERSAL FOREST PRODUCTS. ProWood Micro wood is treated with Osmose’s MicroPro, a preservative that has earned Scientific Certification Systems’ Environmentally Preferable Product certification. MicroPro copper wood preservative doesn’t need organic solvents to dissolve its copper components, says the maker, instead using a micronizing technique that grinds particles to a size that lets them penetrate the wood as a solid; wood products treated with MicroPro release 90% to 99% less copper into water or soil. 800.598.9663. www. ufpi.com. Circle 351.

get it back to the company for reuse. And the North American Deck and Railing Association is working on a standard that will help deck builders order more precise amounts of material so they have less waste to dispose of. Like many products, composite’s green analysis is one of trade-offs: Not all of the materials are renewable or recyclable, but in exchange is a long-lasting product that doesn’t need to be recoated with chemicals. ALL-PLASTIC Another response to complaints about mold, scratches, and color fading on composites is the growing number of all-plastic decks with limited lifetime warranties. Even Trex, the first to market with composite decking, offers a cellular PVC deck board, Escapes. Some plastic decking, like Fiberon’s Sensibuilt, a solid-core, cellular PVC decking material, and Renew Plastics’ Evolve Decking, a high-density polyethylene product, include recycled content. Some others use all-virgin plastics. Either way, these all-plastic deck boards do not mix in wood fiber, so they resist mold. And while some green builders would not call plastic decking “green,” manufacturers tout the fact that it can be recycled. “You could put [our] product in with your curbside [recycling] pickup, and it would be picked up with milk jugs and water bottles. It would go to a recycling center,” says Terry Marquart, manufacturing manager for Renew Plastics. Plus, because plastic decking doesn’t decompose, its life span is indefinite, a quality manufacturers say qualifies it as a green product. That same characteristic, environmentalists counter, causes a problem when the material is dumped into landfills. “[Green] used to be defined as the amount of recycled content in your product,” says Kristen Baer of Azek Deck. “But now, people are looking at sustainability, durability, long life cycle, and recyclability. That’s hard to calculate.” Sharon O’Malley is a freelance writer in College Park, Md.

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Circle no. 54

new + notable

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1 SRS ENERGY. Solé Power Tile is the industry’s first building-integrated photovoltaic product designed specifically for curved-roof systems, the company says. The barrel-style tiles install alongside US Tile’s traditional clay tiles, blending seamlessly to allow for the collection of solar energy without interfering with the roofline’s aesthetics. The product provides 500 watts per 100 square feet. The Power Tiles are tested for durability, UV stability, color fastness, wind resistance, and more. 267.515.5895. www.srsenergy.com. Circle 332. 2 KELLY MOORE PAINTS. The company has unveiled two new zero-VOC paints. Enviro Coat 100% acrylic no-VOC interior paint offers excellent hide, easy application, and water cleanup, the maker says. Green Coat waterborne no-VOC paint also cleans up with water and provides a tough, durable finish. In addition, 16 new colors are available for the eCoat line of interior and exterior paint, which is made with at least 50% post-consumer waste paint. 888.677.2468. www.kellymoore.com. Circle 333. 3 ALSONS. Fluidics technology for the 657 water-saving showerhead controls water shape and velocity to provide a full body spray while using only 1.6 gpm. The technology also delivers the water at a higher velocity, creating a more invigorating experience and a uniform temperature. 800.421.0001. www.alsons.com. Circle 334.

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4 VAST ENTERPRISES. Vast Permeable Composite Pavers have an infiltration rate of 400 inches per hour when installed with an open-graded base, reducing stormwater runoff. The composite pavers are made with 95% scrap car tires and plastic containers, without sacrificing the strength, durability, or appearance to replace segmental concrete. The 3-inch-by-6-inch pavers, which weigh one-third that of concrete pavers, are suitable for driveways, parking lots, sidewalks, and patios, including green roof applications. 612.234.8958. www.vast pavers.com. Circle 335. 5 TOTO USA. The Eco Soirée highefficiency toilet offers the look of a traditional two-piece product in a one-piece design. The universal-height 1.28-gpf unit is WaterSense certified and features a Double Cyclone flushing system, contemporary styling, and a SanaGloss glaze to repel waste and bacteria. 888.295.8134. www.totousa.com. Circle 336.

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Circle no. 57

Circle no. 63

1 MOEN. Immersion self-pressurizing technology increases the force and flow of water from the Envi Eco-Performance rainshower-style showerhead, using 2.0 gpm without sacrificing user experience. The showerhead is adjustable for a revitalizing spray or a softer, rain-drenching flow. A spiral-shaped nozzle pattern contributes to full-body coverage. 800.289.6636. www.moen.com. Circle 337. 2 W.R. MEADOWS. Made with 100% recycled synthetic rubber, Eco-Joint expansion joint filler is flexible, lightweight, UV stable, and chemical resistant, says the maker. The product can be used as an expansion or control joint on roads, sidewalks, driveways, flooring, patios, and more. It is non-extruding and is compatible with hot and cold joint sealants. 847.214.2100. www.wrmeadows.com. Circle 338.

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3 COSENTINO. Eco countertops are made with 75% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled content, including salvaged mirrors; window and bottle glass; salvaged porcelain; and industrial furnace residuals. The remainder is stone scrap bonded with 22% corn oil resin. The material is non-porous; requires no sealers; and has high stain, scratch, and scorch performance, the firm says. Ten colors are available. 800.291.1311. www.ecobycosentino.com. Circle 339.

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4 RHEEM. Designed to simplify installation, the SolPak all-inclusive active solar domestic water heating system comes with a heat exchanger tank, solar collector panels, a controller, multi-speed pump, thermal expansion tank, and other items. Collector panels are certified by the Solar Rating & Certification Committee. The maker says a SolPak system can reduce the water heating portion of energy bills by as much as 80%. 800.621.5622. www.rheem.com. Circle 340.

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5 GAVIN HISTORICAL BRICKS. The company’s bricks, pavers, and cobblestones originated on historical buildings and roads. The 150-plus-year-old European-blend cobblestones shown here, reclaimed from U.S. streets, offer a smooth surface look from decades of wear. Other products include Old Chicago–style bricks, Antique Indiana Hard Reds, clinker bricks, and cobblestones reclaimed from Philadelphia streets. 319.354. 5251. www.historicalbricks.com. Circle 341.

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For more new products, visit ecohomemagazine.com. MAY | JUNE 2009

Get the Wet Out

Circle no. 6

Item #MC907 . . . .$39.95

ere’s your practical guide to keeping moisture out of a house. It’s filled with details and solutions for curing the serious moisture problems afflicting today’s tighter houses.

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Includes a comprehensive troubleshooting guide and advice for dealing with mold and rot.

ORDER NOW WEB jlcbooks.com/gb

MAIL

PHONE (800) 859-3669 Published by:

JLC Books PO Box 933467 Atlanta, GA 31193-3467

State sales tax required on shipments to: CA & NY (applicable rate), IL & TX (6.25%), VA (5%), VT (6%). Shipping/handling: Free until 12/31/07, thereafter $5/1st item, $1 each additional. RBMBK

Circle no. 17

greenwatch 1. Productive family garden, animal habitat, and water-conserving native polyculture vegetation.

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2. Building systems anticipate new technologies, disassemble for manufacturer upgrades.

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3. Carbon nanotubes form strong, resource-efficient, lightweight structures and provide maximum design flexibility.

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4. Naturally ventilated indoor spaces provide a connection to the outdoors, daylight, and views. 5. Integrated photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems transform the home into a net-energy exporter.

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6. Heat pumps heat, cool, and provide hot water.

8. The house captures rain and condensation to supplement water needs. 9. Phase-change “intelligent cladding” insulates, allows daylight and views. 10. High-performance coatings on surfaces create energy, insulate, and reduce maintenance. 11. Cementitious materials absorb carbon dioxide as they cure.

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House Like a Tree

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hen the Wall Street Journal challenged William McDonough + Partners to create a conceptual design for a sustainable home of the future, the designers found their inspiration in nature. According to McDonough’s program description, the team wanted to develop a home that would “use sunlight to generate energy, clean water, sequester carbon, provide natural habitat, and produce … oxygen and food.” In other words, their mission was to create a house that functions like a tree. “As with a tree, the house accrues positive environmental benefits over time,” the program statement continues, and at the end of its useful life its materials disassemble and return to nurture industry or the biosphere—a precept of

McDonough’s hallmark Cradle to Cradle inspiration and influential philosophy. The design emphasizes a natural and positive integration with its habitat, a strong connection between its occupants and the natural world, and a positive impact on energy, water, and its carbon footprint. And while the designers have included smart grid–connected renewables and ground-source heat pumps in their plan, some of the most intriguing features include lightweight carbon nanotubes for the structure, an insulative “intelligent cladding system” made from phase-changing materials that enhances views and daylighting, modular systems that can be disassembled and returned to manufacturers for technological updates, and cementitious materials that absorb carbon dioxide as they cure. Visions like these—even in concept—should inspire us all. —Rick Schwolsky MAY | JUNE 2009

PHOTO: COURTESY WILLIAM MCDONOUGH + PARTNERS

7. Car batteries store solar energy, export to the electrical grid.

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