As the green movement continues to grow, so will the products.

Green Product Trends

Product Trends

By Harry Spaulding

Materials such as insulation, paints, stains, carpeting, flooring and countertops can
produce significant off-gassing in the home so manufacturers have responded with some
environmentally friendly innovations.

The idea behind green building is to increase the efficiency of buildings and their use of
resources like energy, water and building materials to protect human health and the
environment. The U.S. Green Building Council is leading the movement with its LEED
program — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED Green Building
Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and
operation of green buildings.

LEED promotes sustainability through five key areas of human and environmental
health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection
and indoor environmental quality. Fortunately, the list of product offerings that address
these topics is constantly growing.

Insulation Innovations

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment
in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon
dioxide. Fiberglass insulation tends to have a high carbon footprint from energy intensive
production, and some have associated health concerns in terms of off-gassing. Now there
are some interesting insulation alternatives to pick from.

Dryvit Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) is a cladding system for
commercial and residential construction, offering a highly energy-efficient, lightweight
engineered cladding system in a vast array of finish options. Dryvit is available in a
number of system configurations to match any climate or building condition. In testing by
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dryvit proved to be 84 percent more energy efficient
than the next best performing cladding material. When a building uses Dryvit’s systems,
energy consumption for heating and cooling the building is reduced on average by 20 to
40 percent.

Tex-Cote Super-Cote Cool Wall coatings from Textured Coatings of America Inc. have
been shown to reduce air-conditioning demand by nearly 22 percent. The exterior
coating’s heat reflective finish reduces exterior wall temperatures by as much as 40
degrees F when compared to traditional paints and coatings, and they lower interior
temperatures in both concrete block and stucco and wood-frame homes. The coatings
utilize the same heat reflective technology used by the military to reduce the heat
signature of planes and other vehicles. Since the increase in reflectivity occurs in the
infrared spectrum, it is invisible to the naked eye. These thick coatings are available in
more than 500 heat reflective colors and can be applied to virtually any type of surface
including stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement.

“A dark-colored home absorbs as much as 90 percent of the solar radiation that strikes it,
and even white walls can absorb 70 percent of the solar radiation that strikes them,”
explains Jay Haines, president and chief executive officer of Textured Coatings of
America Inc. “By reflecting this infrared radiation rather than absorbing it, the Cool Wall
exterior coatings dramatically reduce the load on a home’s air-conditioning system.”

InsultCot offers insulation made from 80 percent cotton fibers and 20 percent polyester.
The product is safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. InsulCot insulation contains
no hazardous materials and requires no respiratory or safety equipment for installation.
And installing InsulCot allows homeowners to claim a tax credit of 10 percent of the cost
of energy saving home improvements.

Using GreenFiber’s Cocoon cellulose insulation contributes to LEED certification. Made

with reclaimed newsprint, GreenFiber’s natural fiber insulation products consist of 85
percent recycled content with the remaining content consisting of fire-retardant and
stabilizing additives. Based on data from the National Solid Wastes Management
Association, recovered newsprint is one of the largest components of the residential waste
stream. Insulating a typical 1,500-sq.-ft. home with cellulose insulation recovers as much
newsprint as an individual will consume in 40 years. The products contain no asbestos,
formaldehyde, mineral wool or fiberglass. Cocoon is treated with permanent fire-
retardants to meet and exceed the ICC standards for a Class 1/A fire rated building
materials.

To help customers select paint based on green coating standards, Sherwin Williams
created their “GreenSure” designation. The company’s Duration Home Interior line
features the GreenSure designation for environmentally preferred products with
maximum performance. This interior finish promises superior washability and burnish
resistance, and is available in matte, satin and semigloss finishes along with deep, vivid
accent colors. A patented cross-linking formula prevents stains from penetrating, and this
finish is antimicrobial so it inhibits growth of mildew.

MechoShade’s Mecho/5 with EcoVeil shade cloth is a complete solar shading system that
is an environmentally friendly system. Mecho/5 is a manual solar shading system that
installs easily and operates smoothly with accessories including fascia, pockets, closures
and side channels. The EcoVeil shade cloth is made from a new material — a
thermoplastic olefin (TPO) based yarn — and is washable, UV-resistant and flame-
retardant. Mecho/5 is also antimicrobial, does not support staph and mildew and contains
no VOCs, so it does not contribute to sick building syndrome.

Reclaiming the Floor

According to Frank Endrenyi, vice president of sustainable development for Mohawk,
“our studies show that half of U.S. consumers now recycle either bottles or newspapers.
In 2004, 21 percent said they voted for candidates in part based on their environmental
records. Ninety-nine percent of school children now have access to environmental
classes.”

For Mohawk SmartStrand, petroleum is substituted with corn sugar to create Bio-PDO —
a key ingredient in the carpeting made with DuPont Sorona polymer. SmartStrand
promises superior stain resistance for substances including mustard, red wine, bleach,
acne medication, and others. Mohawk recently launched a new umbrella program called
“Greenworks” that places all green projects under a single platform for their customers
and shareholders.

EcoTimber is the first flooring company in North America to offer bamboo flooring made
with formaldehyde-free adhesives as a standard product. EcoTimber uses top-quality
mature bamboo stalks and a low-VOC European adhesive that falls far below the
European E1 standard for indoor air quality. The flooring is prefinished with an
aluminum oxide enhanced acrylated urethane system with a hardened acrylic anti-scratch
topcoat to protect against abrasion and scratching.

Bio-Bathrooms

WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the EPA. Its mission is to protect the
future of our nation’s water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-
efficient products and services. Many manufacturers offer products that meet WaterSense
standards, but some go above and beyond the standards for water conservation with
maximum efficiency.
Toto’s Aquia Dual Flush Toilet allows the user to select the amount of water the toilet
flushes: 0.9 gal. per flush (gpf) or 1.6 gpf. This feature matches water consumption with
the needs of the user. Aquia is designed for residential installations where the users
understand and appreciate the function of the dual flush system.

The Kohler San Raphael is the company’s first one-piece, 1.0-gpf high-efficiency toilet
with pressure assist technology. The toilet uses compressed air within the reservoir to
propel water to the rim and a siphon jet for robust flushing power. The 1.0 has the
potential to save a household of four between 7,000 and 10,000 gal. of water annually.
The San Raphael toilet features a sleek one-piece design, with Comfort Height seating
and an elongated bowl for ease of use. This toilet has garnered the EPA’s WaterSense
label.

Kohler also offers cast iron products that are comprised of 93 percent recycled and
reclaimed material. The company’s cast iron bathroom and kitchen sinks, bathtubs and
shower receptors come in more vibrant color options than any other material. Cast iron
won’t chip, dent, crack, stain or lose its luster.
There are many green options when it comes to countertops and most integrate recycled
content into their make-up. Recycled glass and reclaimed paper are excellent
environmental choices for durable, nontoxic, resource-efficient countertops.

Vetrazzo countertops have mixed colors of recycled glass chips embedded in a masonry
binder for a terrazzo-like look. Vetrazzo is available in a wide variety of colors and in
thicknesses from 1 to 1 1/2 in. The manufacturer has certified each product contains 80 to
90 percent post-consumer waste and is proud to say they recycled over 100 tons of glass
last year. Vetrazzo is an environmentally friendly alternative to stone and resin countertop
materials.

PaperStone is a new composite surface material that is designed to give the beauty of
stone, the strength of steel, with ease of workmanship. The surface is smooth to the touch
and features the look of soapstone or slate using a proprietary blend of more than 50
percent post-consumer recycled paper and resin, and is offered in a variety of sizes from
30 in. up to 5 ft. PaperStone countertops are heat-tolerant, stain-resistant and repairable.

Futuristic Power

EnOcean has developed the world’s first battery-free wireless control modules to
integrate energy harvesting, sensors and RF communication in a single, powerful
solution. The company’s goal is to help bring truly sustainable, green buildings within
reach. The modules eliminate battery purchasing, maintenance and disposal. The three
modules are the PTM 200C for wall-mounted light switches, the TCM 200 Transceiver
and the STM 110 Sensor Transmitter. EnOcean provides the modules to original
equipment manufacturers who package them into their own products.

“EnOcean control modules create their own electricity and you can’t get much more
sustainable than that,” says Jim O’Callaghan, EnOcean vice president of sales and
marketing.

The DOE predicts that within the next 10 years, LED lighting will be the primary light
source in residential settings as it offers energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.
LED Lighting Fixtures Inc. (LLF) offers a 6-in. down light for residential and
commercial markets. The fixture is recessed and delivers approximately 650 lumens from
a fixture at 10 to 12 watts (approximately 60 lumens per watt). The product features a
unique installation mechanism that allows it to be used in a standard 6-in. recessed
housing and it is dimmable.

Going green means finding the balance between sustainability and practicality. Now
there’s a wide array of products on the market that surpass green requirements and offer
style and efficiency. And as the green movement continues to grow, so will the product
selection.

VenconUSA.com established in 1989 and established in Charleston SC. is an authorized factory direct
merchant of certified green flooring products (including FSC Certified flooring) in a wide range of solid
hardwood, laminate, cork and engineered flooring products all available in quick ship programs from three
national warehouses. Vencon USA LLC can be reached at www.venconusa.com or by phone at 843 225
3373