Material Selection
Selecting building materials can be complex. You have to take into account toxicity, performance, the environmental life cycle, cost, and other factors.
Understanding what makes a building product green is a long-term prospect. Green characteristics differ from product category to product category, and multi-attribute vetting is critical.
Material Selection
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
Wood: What’s Good?
Feature Article
Mass timber seems alluring because of its low carbon footprint, but not all wood is equally sustainable. We dig deep into the controversy over which types of timber are “climate smart.
-
Finding Products for LEED v4 and v4.1
Feature Article
Finding and managing product information for LEED has changed—and v4.1 has added even more to think about.
-
20 Ways to Advance Sustainability in the Next Four Years
Feature Article
In this age of political revolution and environmental urgency, it’s time to step back and take a look at priorities, challenges, and opportunities
-
VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
Feature Article
“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
What These Forestry Labels Really Mean
Infographic
You’ve seen FSC and SFI labels on wood products. Most often, you’ve seen no label at all. Here’s a green guide to each one.
-
The 8 Shades of Greenwash: How Many Do You Recognize?
Infographic
Most building products these days have an environmental angle to their sales pitches. Many are legit, but as ever, you still have to watch for the telltale signs of greenwash—the practice of inventing or exaggerating the environmental benefits of a product.
-
The 12 Product Rules
Infographic
These 12 product rules provide a simple approach to selecting better, healthier, and more environmentally responsible building products and materials.
-
VOC Testing: What It Can and Can’t Tell You
Primer
“Section 01350” has come a long way since it acquired its curious nickname. Here’s what it can tell you about indoor air quality—and what it can’t.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Innovative Moisture-Resistant Textile with No PFAS
Product Review
Supreen is a woven textile that incorporates silicone into its fibers along with a polyurethane backing to provide a moisture-barrier material without the need for PFAS treatments.
-
New Blowing Agents Revolutionize XPS Industry
Product Review
Due to regulatory changes in Canada and certain U.S. states, manufacturers will be offering XPS with low global warming potential starting in 2021.
-
A More Sustainable Fluorinated PVDF Metal Coating
Product Review
With the PVDF coating Fluropon Pure, “fluorinated” does not necessarily mean persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic.
-
A New Foam-Free Sub-Slab Insulation
Product Review
Foam glass aggregate made from post-consumer recycled glass bottles can replace both foam insulation and aggregate below grade.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
New Directions for Mindful Materials
News Brief
More than a database, mindful Materials is taking on an advocacy and convener role focused on healthy and sustainable materials.
-
Katerra to Shut Down in U.S., Reducing Certified CLT Options
News Brief
The “vertically integrated” company Katerra offered everything from FSC-certified mass timber products to prefab design and construction services, but it couldn’t stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
FSC Mass Timber Production Arrives in the Midwest
News Brief
The east and the west each have their own CLT producers, but now there’s one in between.
-
Justice, Circularity Overhauled in Cradle to Cradle v4
News Analysis
The latest version of the Cradle to Cradle product standard also expands embodied carbon requirements and replaces the controversial “banned list” with a new approach.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
-
The Sustainable Spec Language You Should Be Using
Blog Post
Selecting the greenest products doesn’t do any good unless strong specifications support your choices. Here’s some language you can use.
-
Let’s Talk: Mainstreaming Transparency Takes More than Letters
Op-Ed
To move the building industry toward greener products, there are two big things we need to do.
-
Material Transparency for LEED v4: EPDs and HPDs for Metal Studs
Blog Post
Reducing your building’s carbon footprint or health impacts? Going after new LEED credits? Transparency documents for steel studs can help.
-
Wingnut Real-World Testing of Basement Waterproofing
Blog Post
A basement testing of UGL Drylok Extreme, Koster NB1 Grey, Xypex Concentrate negative-side waterproofing
Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
-
Spec This, Not That: Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Projects
PDF Report
Spec This, Not That details approaches used by architects, designers, contractors, and building owners to reduce chemical hazards in their building projects. It also includes at-your-fingertips insights for designers and spec writers on which hazards to watch out for in the major building product and material categories.
-
Wood: What’s Good?
Feature Article
Mass timber seems alluring because of its low carbon footprint, but not all wood is equally sustainable. We dig deep into the controversy over which types of timber are “climate smart.
-
Wood: What’s Good?
Spotlight Report
-
VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
Feature Article
“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
