OVERVIEW
Materials really do matter to the health of occupants and the environment, but finding out what is in a product—and why—is not easy.
Products also have to perform as intended, so there are often tradeoffs between performance and the most sustainable materials.
Here you will find articles on:
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the least hazardous, most environmentally sustainable materials used in products
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environmental product declarations that can reveal the life-cycle impacts of materials
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standards and third-party certifications that provide important VOC criteria and other health and performance metrics
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chemicals of concern in building materials
You’ll also learn how what makes a product green can differ from product category to product category, and why multi-attribute vetting is critical no matter what product or material you’re selecting or specifying.
IN-DEPTH
Filter results:
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Polystyrene Insulations Are Now HBCD-Free
June 5, 2018Product Review
Dow and Owens Corning have joined the EPS industry in eliminating the hazardous halogenated flame retardant HBCD from their XPS insulation.
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Material Transparency for LEED v4: EPDs and HPDs for Metal Studs
May 22, 2018Blog Post
Reducing your building’s carbon footprint or health impacts? Going after new LEED credits? Transparency documents for steel studs can help.
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Mass Timber to Be Recognized in Washington Code
May 8, 2018News Brief
Supporters of Washington’s new mass timber law hope it will increase tall wood construction.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Insulation
Report/Course/Study Guide/Live Webinar
The BuildingGreen Guide to Insulation provides detailed guidance on insulation products and practices, including cost comparisons and detailed recommendations on what insulation to use, and what to avoid.
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Wingnut Real-World Testing of Basement Waterproofing
March 27, 2018Blog Post
A basement testing of UGL Drylok Extreme, Koster NB1 Grey, Xypex Concentrate negative-side waterproofing
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New Insulated Metal Panels without Halogenated Flame Retardants
April 4, 2018Product Review
Kingspan and Centria IMPs are using halogen-free flame retardants, resulting in less toxic, better performing insulated cladding.
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Would Wood Skyscrapers Improve Urban Sustainability?
April 4, 2018News Analysis
Plans to build a wood skyscraper in Tokyo will promote large-scale mass timber construction in cities.
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Installing Insulation With the X-Floc Ventilated Dry Injection System
March 8, 2018Blog Post
X-Floc claims the blowing equipment they use delivers cellulose at a more consistent density, and they were willing to prove it with this demonstration.
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Concrete Pours through Loophole in New Carbon Law
January 6, 2018News Analysis
Buy Clean California requires contractors to specify lower-carbon products, but industry pressure quashed the law’s potential.
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Materials Transparency & LEED
December 6, 2017Webcast
This deep dive into the three Building Product Disclosure and Optimization (BPDO) credits in LEED v4 provides the rationale for why product choices are so important, the details on how to achieve points within the three credits, and which options you shouldn't bother pursuing.
