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.
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Finding Furniture Without Toxic Flame Retardants
Feature Article
Flame retardants in upholstered furniture are easier to avoid under new rules, but they’re not gone. Here’s how to navigate the changing landscape.
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Certified Wood: How SFI Compares to FSC
Feature Article
FSC-certified wood is ingrained in rating systems like LEED, but rival SFI has a revised standard. Can it show it’s just as good on the issues that matter most?
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Take Control of Your Materials: Four Empowering Lessons from Teams That Beat the Red List
Feature Article
Need to streamline your product vetting process? These LBC project teams have it down to a science, and anyone can apply their methods.
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Cool Products from the Latest Greenbuild Expo
Feature Article
We scoured the Greenbuild expo floor for the best new products and the most interesting updates. Then we whittled it down to these standouts.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Mineral-Based Interior Paints Go Mainstream
Product Review
Mineral-based paint from Romabio contains no synthetic resins, and can be used in place of standard interior acrylic latex paint on drywall.
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Interior Paints: LEED v4 and Beyond
Product Review
LEED v4 overhauled its low-emitting materials credit, with a new emphasis on VOC content and emissions. But be sure to look for durability as well.
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New Options Emerging among Mass Timber Panels
Product Review
Lots of glue, or all wood? Two new products highlight very different approaches to structural panels.
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Fiberglass, XPS, Cork? Insulation Options for LEED v4 and Living Buildings
Product Review
Choosing insulation with an eye to points in LEED v4 or Living Building Challenge compliance? Here’s how insulation materials compare.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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AIA Adopts Materials Pledge: Spec, and You Shall Receive
News Analysis
The AIA Materials Pledge, inspired by the 2030 commitment, looks at issues from carbon to social justice.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Hidden Seam Failures? We Put Flashing Tapes to the Test
Blog Post
Flashing and air barrier seam tapes get buried deep in our walls where we rely on long-term performance without monitoring them. Are they doing their jobs?
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Sealing Without Stickum: Gaskets Make a Place for Themselves
Blog Post
Compressible gaskets keep air and water barriers continuous without liquid sealants or adhesive tapes. But they don’t all last equally well.
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Sustainable Sealants: The Challenges of Predicting Service Life
Blog Post
Caulk joint sealants can be a major deciding factor in how long your building envelope lasts. Is there a better way to predict how long the sealants last?
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Stickiness Explained! Making Building Tapes and Membranes Stay Put
Blog Post
When you use tape to seal a seam or flash a sill, you need peel-and-stick performance—not “stick-and-peel.”
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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