Monday, April 20, 2009
Thinking about Eco-Friendly - What does it mean...
.... the downturn seems to be making more homeowners interested in efficiency — a new motivation for exploring “green” ideas, even when they involve higher upfront costs. For now, notes Sal Alfano, editorial director of Remodeling, a trade publication, “green is alive and kicking.” That said, there are hurdles to this theoretical new normal. For one, remodelers who specialize in eco-friendly projects say many homeowners still tend to focus on green rather than green stuffperformance. It’s easier to imagine friends being impressed by the virtue of your recycled-glass bathroom tiles than by properly sealed air-conditioning ducts, even though more systemic projects have “orders of magnitude” more impact, says Paul Eldrenkamp, president of Byggmeister Inc., a builder in Newton, Mass. But since redefining what’s normal is invariably a step-by-step process, maybe one small green decision can lead to another.....
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Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Environmental Impact of Wood Floors is Minimal
The National Wood Flooring Association conducted a life cycle analysis of solid wood flooring, from its beginning as a seedling in the forest to harvest, from harvest to manufacture, from manufacture to installation, and from installation to end of life when the material was no longer useful as flooring. The report found that of all flooring products available, wood floors came from the only renewable raw material: trees. In addition, the process of manufacturing the lumber into flooring uses less water and energy to produce than other flooring options. In many cases, the waste material not used in the final product is often recycled for other uses. The water is reused in boilers to help heat the manufacturing facilities, and the wood and sawdust not used for the final product is often burned to provide energy for the manufacturing process. In other words, very little waste material ends up in the landfill, and the minimal material that does find its way there is totally biodegradable.
To learn more about the environmental benefits of wood flooring, visit the National Wood Flooring Association's web site at www.woodfloors.org.
Bamboo Floors Increase the Value of your house
Bamboo flooring may only be a little over ten years old, but its beauty and environmental factors have spoken for itself. And, floor experts have discovered that bamboo is actually harder than hardwoods such as Maple and Oak. Not only that, bamboo is extremely eco-friendly, and stands up the look, feel, sound, and warmth of its hardwood peers.
When we think of bamboo, we see reeds of tall grasses growing in tropical locations. So how does a grass become transformed into a wood floor? For starters, only Timber bamboo is used. Once bamboo poles reach 40 to 50 feet in height, they are harvested and dried. The drying process is slow, typically four years in the sun. The bamboo is then sliced into thin uniform strips and planed on all sides. The pieces are converted into flooring made of either two or three layered horizontal or vertical laminated pieces. Bamboo can either be nailed to a wood subfloor or glued directly to a concrete sub-floor. Floating is not recommended. There is a variety of moldings made available as well to hide expansion gaps and for staircases.
Bamboo flooring comes in a variety of colors. Pretreated, coloring choices are natural and smoky amber. If the product comes to the states untreated, stains can vary from pinks to a variety of browns. Because bamboo is a grass rather than a tree, its finished appearance is very distinctive. Most distinctive is the eye-catching pattern of slightly darker bands produced by its nodes – a feature that clearly sets it apart from wood. Bamboo’s other aesthetic features include the tightness of its grain and the uniformity of its color.
These untreated and stained pieces of bamboo flooring are then given a final coating, typically made up of an aluminum oxide and polyurethane scratch-resistant topcoat. Coatings can be matte or glossy, with glossy tending to scratch more easily than matte.
Bamboo’s popularity has continued to grow with its discovery. The fact that it is a grass, a quickly renewable resource that yields a product 25 times faster than timber, has been of primary interest to the environmentally conscious. The beauty is an added bonus. With the cost of bamboo equivalent to oak flooring, it isn’t hard on the pocketbook either. Bamboo is also easy to clean and considered ideal for allergy sufferers, as they do not harbor dust mites.
So if you are ready to transform the look of your home, putting in bamboo flooring will give you a huge start.