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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Getting Flame Retardants Out of Foam Insulation
Feature Article
In an effort to eliminate the use of halogenated flame retardants, building code changes are being proposed by a group of fire experts, architects, chemists, and environmentalists.
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The Hidden Science of High-Performance Building Assemblies
Feature Article
Any four walls and a roof make an enclosure, but for efficiency, comfort, and durability, those elements have to be meticulously designed and installed.
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Seal, Tape, Gasket: A Sticky Search for Better Materials
Feature Article
Given the importance of sealing hidden joints in our air and water barriers, you'd think we'd know how long our sealants, adhesives, and gaskets last.
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Exterior Paints: Long-Term Protection and Environmental Tradeoffs
Feature Article
Exterior coatings protect buildings from the environment but often contain hazardous ingredients, so maximizing their durability is often the greenest option.
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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Knoll, Steelcase in Lead with Level 3 Certified Products
Product Review
Two years after the "level" furniture certification program was developed by BIFMA, six products and products lines meet the most rigorous of the certifications-level 3.
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BuildingGreen Announces 2010 Top-10 Green Products
Product Review
BuildingGreen announces its 2010 Top-10 Green Products, with exciting entries drawn from the GreenSpec directory and coverage in Environmental Building News.
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Nexterra NSF-140-Certified Commercial Carpet Tiles
Product Review
Bolyu and Cambridge carpet tiles with Nexterra backing were the first carpets certified to NSF 140-2007e, achieving the platinum level.
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BuildingGreen Announces 2008 Top-10 Green Products
Product Review
BuildingGreen's 2008 Top-10 Green Products include FSC-certified bamboo flooring, zero-VOC paints, and an integrated heating and ventilation system, among others.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Bark Cladding Is First Cradle to Cradle Platinum Product
News Brief
C2C Platinum certification sets a very high bar for sustainability. A decade in, Bark House shingles are the first product to make the grade.
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Living Product Challenge Logs First Certifications
News Analysis
Though only a year old, LPC has its first two entry-level certifications: Owens Corning insulation and Sirewall rammed earth.
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New Ways to Meet LEED v4 Ingredient Disclosure
News Analysis
LEED addenda for April 2016 add BIFMA, C2C Material Health, Declare, and the Globally Harmonized System for classifying chemicals.
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Study Vets Materials for Entire Wall Assemblies
News Brief
When you look at the whole assembly, it can change how you see the materials. Here XPS and fiberglass come out ahead, and SPF behind.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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