Linseed oil seems as if it should be a great product from an environmental and health standpoint. It’s made from flax seed, a renewable agricultural crop; it’s been used for centuries; and it smells good. The problem is that standard “boiled” linseed oil sold as a wood finish contains heavy metal additives to aid drying: lead acetate and cobalt-manganese. These compounds are neither safe for you nor safe for the environment.

Enter Joe Robson of Trumansburg, New York. Robson, a cabinetmaker for over 20 years, has developed a traditional boiled linseed oil finish that is totally free of drying agents. Robson manufactures two linseed oil finishes: Tried & True Varnish Oil, and Tried & True Original Wood Finish. The Varnish Oil is 100% pure linseed oil that is heat-treated to give it drying and performance properties of finishes used a century ago. His Original Wood Finish is a mixture of the Varnish Oil and pure beeswax. “We went back to the carriage varnishes from the mid-1800s,” said Robson, who spent years researching early literature on wood finishes and experimenting with different recipes. Both products are totally non-volatile (zero VOCs), contain no petroleum or petroleum derivatives, contain no heavy metal driers, and are 100% biodegradable.

Using corn as a heating fuel may sound strange, but it has some compelling environmental and economic advantages. Corn heaters have been around for a while, but until recently they were all produced in tiny garage or basement shops with poor quality control and off-the-shelf components not designed specifically for handling and burning corn.

Two years ago, however, Eneco Corp., of Guelph, Ontario entered the picture with their line of Envirotec heaters, and the company is quickly changing the image of the industry.

While the debate over steel vs. wood framing continues (see Steel or Wood Framing: Which Way Should We Go?), new ideas for using wood resources more efficiently keep cropping up. One of the most exciting ideas we’ve seen recently is the V-Joist System from Structures Monocoques, Inc. in Montreal, Quebec.

It’s no secret that impervious surfaces add dramatically to stormwater runoff problems: erosion, downstream flooding, and pollution of surface waters. Paved areas are the biggest culprits. For most road surfaces, impervious asphalt and concrete pavement are the only practical options. But for parking areas, low-use driveways, utility access roads, pedestrian pathways, highway shoulders, and fire lanes, there are many advantages to surfaces that can absorb surface water instead of shedding it.

If all goes as planned for Greenwood Cotton Insulation Products, Inc., there may soon be a major new competitor in the fiber insulation market. Greenwood Mills, Inc., of Greenwood, South Carolina has licensed the patent to make and sell cotton insulation from Cotton Unlimited of Post, Texas, makers of Insulcot. Greenwood Mills has a new wholly owned subsidiary, Greenwood Cotton Insulation Products, to manufacture and market the insulation.

Another company, Native American Cotton Products, Inc., of Phoenix, Arizona has a license agreement to manufacture cotton insulation in the Southwest. Native American Cotton Products has until October of 1995 to produce the insulation or they forfeit their license to Greenwood Mills, which has the right to manufacture elsewhere in the U.S. While the manufacturing licenses are regional, both companies can sell nationally.

Comparing Lifecycle Costs of Exit Signs

[enlarge image]

from Batt Scraps

In 1992 The Glidden Company surprised the interior paint world by offering a latex paint without any volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs in paints have been implicated in indoor air quality (IAQ) problems and environmental illness cases. There has been a strong trend toward lower VOC formulations, spurred in part by provisions in the Clean Air Act of 1990 and some state and local regulations that are even stricter.

Washing Machine

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a serious threat in many homes. Approximately 300 deaths per year from non-fire-related CO poisoning make it the leading cause of death by poisoning in the U.S. In addition to death from acute exposure, many people suffer the symptoms of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning—headaches, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness—that resemble many common illnesses and are often misdiagnosed and mistreated. Any fossil-fuel (or solid-fuel) burning appliance in a house, or even a car in an attached garage, can release toxic levels of CO.

Considering the scope of the problem, it is amazing that so little has been done to educate and enhance public safety. There are many measures that can—and should—be taken to reduce the danger of CO poisoning. Reliable ventilation of living spaces, sealed combustion appliances, and provisions for make-up air will all increase occupant safety. Even with these safety precautions in place, however, there is always the danger of the invisible, odorless gas accumulating. Short of eliminating all combustion appliances from the house, the best way to be safe is to install a monitor.