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Green Building Discussion
Topic: Formaldehyde-Free Panel Material
Discussion Participants:
- Doug Patterson is looking for panel material
- Alex Wilson is trying PrimeBoard
- Tom Hahn likes Medite
- Muscoe Martin likes Medex instead
- John Bunzick on other strategies
- Bruce Sullivan with the REDI listings
- Mike O'Brien on Comply
All postings are the opinion of the writer, and BuildingGreen can take no responsibility for their accuracy or appropriateness.
Doug Patterson is looking for panel material
From: Doug Patterson
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 1996 1:53 PM
Hi, I am new to the greenbulding list. I have a company based in Victoria, BC selling environmental building products. One of our clients is looking for plywood for making cabinets which is formaldehyde free/non-toxic. They have tried using Medite but don't like the way it works with veneers. They are also looking for a good quality veneer adhesive. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
Doug Patterson dougfir@pop.uvic.ca
Alex Wilson is trying PrimeBoard
From: Alex Wilson
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 1996 5:56 AM
We are currently having built shelving for the EBN office out of a new straw-based MDF made by PrimeBoard, Inc. in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Like Medite, this MDF is produced with methyl diisocyanate (MDI) binder so is completely formaldehyde-free. We're report on how it performed in a future issue of EBN, but the stuff looks great. I do not believe it is currently being widely distributed. Most is used for cabinet manufacturing by the parent company, PrimeWood, Inc. A local cabinet maker is building the shelving for us, and we will get his feedback on how this stuff compares with standard particleboard and with Medite, how well it takes a coat of paint; etc.
Alex Wilson Environmental Building News
Tom Hahn likes Medite
From: Tom Hahn
Sent: Friday, September 27, 1996 12:22 PM
We have very successfully used Medite in combination with both wood laminates
and plastic laminates to make all the millwork in a residence recently. To my surprise,
our local commercial cabinetmakers does not use a petroleum solvent based contact
cement, but a high-performance water-based poly-vinyl-acetate to adhere the laminates.
Though perhaps not the ultimate alternative, it was readily available, cost-efficient
and made for IAQ-problem-free millwork in a demonstration project I was involved
in. Another option is avoiding the veneer altogether. We did quite a bit of interior
finish paneling that was just clear-sealed Medite. It was beautiful. Did the same
for the interior doors, with a foam sandwiched between for sound. Also look to other
solid products like Environ by Phenix Composites. Regards to all Tom Hahn President
Editor the Sol Source, inc. The Last Straw Journal 2501 N. Edgemere St. P.O. Box
42000 Phoenix, AZ 85006-1115 Tucson, AZ 85733-2000 (602) 257-9635 (520) 882-3848
Top of file
Muscoe Martin like Medex instead
From: Muscoe Martin
Sent: Monday, October 28, 1996 9:59 PM
We have had good results using Medex (the exterior version of MEDITE) MDF board for casework. It can be routed to various profiles and holds a square edge nicely. It is very heavy...We have had no complaints about odors from the users.
We have finished it using tinted and clear water-based shellacs which it takes very nicely. We have experimented with stains and, although it does not take the stain evenly, we have used this to interesting effect in custom work.
It is more expensive than run of the mill particleboard. We did not have trouble getting it in Philadelphia for smallish orders (one kitchen's worth).
One unexpected benefit: the woodworkers commented on the lack of the distinctive particleboard odor when cutting the MDF. They did note that it is more dusty than particleboard, although this may be an issue with any MDF board.
Muscoe Martin, AIA Susan Maxman Architects
John Bunzick on other strategies
from: JBunzick
Sent: 24 Oct 96 18:44:16 EDT
>>I think you need to be more specific in terms of what you are calling "particleboard". I didn't know that L-P ever had a formaldehyde-free particleboard, though they were making a formaldehyde-free oriented-strand board (OSB). Have they discontinued that? << LP makes (or did make) a phenol-formaldehyde product particleboard. I don't know whether its still in production, nor do I know what its emissions were relative to urea-formaldehyde. I was under the impression that it was less.
>>The Medite product is technically (I believe) medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which is a species of particleboard, but denser than the run-of-the-mill stuff. Another company, by PrimeBoard, Inc. in Wahpeton, North Dakota, has started making MDF with straw (and no formaldehyde, using MDI resin instead of UF or PF), as was discussed on The List a few weeks ago (9/26). << If you're making cabinets, I think the MDF is somewhat superior to particleboard because of its uniformity in texture. I also specify sealing 100% of surfaces in cabinets, either through low- or high-pressure laminates on visible surfaces, or via 2 coats of sealer on "concealed" surfaces.
The National Particleboard Association in Gaithersburg MD 301-670-0604 has lots of information on what companies and plants produce which kinds of materials.
John Bunzick
Bruce Sullivan with the REDI listings
From: Bruce Sullivan
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 1996 4:42 PM
Doug--
The companies below list themselves in REDI 96 as producing low-formaldehyde board. I can't say that all this material is appropriate for cabinet making, but it should give you a good place to start your research. To conduct your own search of REDI point your Web broswer to:
http://oikos.com/redi/
--Bruce
Here's the list:
Allmilmo Corporation PO Box 629 Fairfield NJ 07006 Phone 1:201-227-2502 Phone 2: Fax: 201-227-2875
Gridcore Systems International 1400 Canal Avenue Long Beach CA 90813 Phone 1:310-901-1492 Phone 2: Fax: 310-901-1499
Hexacomb Corporation, Inc. 75 Tri-State Suite 200 Lincolnshire IL 60069-4459 Phone 1:708-317-1991 Phone 2:800-835-1357 Fax: 708-317-0007
Medite Corporation PO Box 4040 Medford OR 97501 Phone 1:541-773-2522 Phone 2:800-676-3339 Fax: 541-779-9921
Natural Forest Products, Inc. PO Box 426 Burlington VT 05402 Phone 1:800-858-6230 Phone 2:802-865-1111 Fax: 802-863-4344
Oregon Strand Board Company 34363 Lake Creek Drive Brownsville OR 97327 Phone 1:541-466-5177 Phone 2:800-533-3374 Fax: 541-466-5559
Rodman Industries PO Box 76 Marinette WI 54143 Phone 1:715-735-9500 Phone 2: Fax: 715-735-6148
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bruce Sullivan Tel: 541-484-9353 Iris Communications, Inc. Fax: 541-484-1645 Web: http://oikos.com/ E-mail: iris@oikos.com ------------ 1,700 green building product listings online -------------
Mike O'Brien on Comply
From: Michael O'Brien
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 1996 1:55 AM
Takashi,
I think ComPly is no longer manufactured. But, what's your objection to conventional plywood?
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