While working on a project the last month and wanting some texture, I came across the Wolf Gordon Earth Safe books in the showroom, featuring rice papers, grass cloths, and wood veneers "manufactured with sustainable materials and processes that are environmentally sensitive." I am interested in more specific information, like, "Do your wallcoverings include binders, inks, dyes, fungicides, pesticides, pastes, or flame retardants," which all contribute to poor indoor air quality with the … [Read more...]
Get on the SIP's Bus
Although it sounds vaguely like some sort of bacteria, rest assured, SIP's are much less threatening. The acronym stands for Structured Insulated Panel's. These efficient and ingenious panels are used in floors, walls, and roofs in mostly residential (and some light commercial) projects. From the SIPA (Structured Insulation Panel Association) website: The panels are typically made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB). … [Read more...]
Rapidly Renewing with Armstrong
It seems that the folks at Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, PA have not only jumped onto the fast-moving green bus, but are in fact driving said bus. With a recent induction into the small but esteemed group of LEED Platinum Buildings (and the first LEED EB Platinum outside of California), Armstrong Headquarters in Lancaster is a shining example of this company's committment to sustainability. Ironically, Armstrong has recently settled its asbestos injury claims, which had placed them … [Read more...]