New Standard for Single-Ply Roofing Sustainability
By Erin Weaver
NSF International (NSF) has announced the first certification to evaluate the life-cycle sustainability of single-ply roofing membranes for commercial buildings. NSF/ANSI 347, Sustainability Assessment for Single Ply Roofing Membranes, is one of eight NSF sustainability standards for building products and the first to address the building envelope.
Used to provide a waterproofing layer, membranes will be certified as Conformant, Silver, Gold, or Platinum based on four criteria: environmental considerations in product design; reduction of environmental impacts in manufacturing; membrane durability and reparability; and corporate governance. A maximum of eight points are calculated for recycled content, topping out at 16% post-consumer or 32% pre-consumer; points are also awarded for biobased materials and for disclosing and minimizing chemicals of concern. For more information, see www.nsf.org.