Certified lumber product gains record high strength rating

LP Building Products has gained a record high strength rating for its LP SolidStart Laminated Strand Lumber product. According to an LP press release, the product has earned a 1.75E grade from APA – The Engineered Wood Association.

The engineered wood product, based on wood-strand technology, is created through a steam-injection press that cures adhesives for a strong bond and straight board with little swelling. As a result, the lumber product can be made in longer pieces than traditional lumber for faster installation and fewer callbacks, according to the company.

LP says that its environmentally efficient manufacturing process and the use of SFI-certified wood in LP SolidStart LSL gives builders points toward certification with some green building programs, including NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, Green Point Rated, Built Green Built Better and Earth Craft House. The company did not mention the more rigorous LEED certification, which generally requires a more strict certification that than afforded by the SFI program.

According to Melissa Warren, product manager for LP's Engineered Wood Product business

The strength of LP SolidStart LSL means that builders can use this one product throughout the home, including garage door headers and floor beams, to reduce build-up time as well as provide longer spans and greater design flexibility.

Panasonic releases four new green vent fans

Panasonic's building products division has launched four new vent fans in its WhisperGreen line. These models are energy efficient and feature multiple speeds; one version features a motion detector so that, according to a press release, "The motion sensor activates when someone enters the room to provide maximum airflow when the bathroom is in use. When the occupant leaves the room the fan automatically returns to the pre-set low speed. This autonomous feature makes it ideal for people with disabilities and assisted living environments such as nursing homes and retirement communities."

Ore. development aims at highest LEED rating

Independence Station, a 57,000-square-foot mixed use building that will include residential units and businesses in the town of Independence, Ore., is planning to use solar power, vegetable oil, and rainwater to achieve the highest LEED rating anywhere, becoming the "world's greenest building." From a press release: "The current record holder, a Canadian project, has a score of 63 out of a possible 69 points. At its completion next year, Independence Station will likely earn between 64 and 66 points."

Developers say the now-40 percent-complete project will meet this goal with several tactics:

• a unique 120 kilowatt installation of photovoltaic panels
• a biodiesel-fueled cogeneration and thermal storage system, including a retired tug-boat engine
• radiant floor heating and cooling, solar water heating, an ice-based cooling storage system, and a water-based ground source heat pump
• day lighting design and extensive use of LEDs
• stored winter rainwater to supply 100 percent of the building’s needs for laundry, toilet flushing and irrigation of the both the green roof and planned 40-foot interior vertical “urban garden”

Evidently the problem has met with delays, but the developer claims the project is now on course to completion.

Pros and cons of greener waste systems

As an alternative to traditional septic tanks, new alternative septic systems offer green advantages:

Alternative systems add a step to the filtration process with materials like sand, peat moss, sponges, or textiles; aerobic treatment units, which use compressed air to break down organic matter; and other technologies that result in cleaner discharge, or effluent, being dispersed on the drain field. The result is less pollution leaching into the groundwater.

But they can be mixed blessings.

The problem is that these new systems are often quirky, demanding frequent inspections and maintenance to avoid leaching effluence into groundwater, which is typically the source of drinking water in these rural areas.

Here's a good article that offers many more details.

New green blog

Consultant Mark Johnson is launching a new green blog this week. Green Design Guide is focused, according to a press release,

on residential design, sustainable building products, online design tools for going green and tips on how to qualify for the latest national green certification programs. The blog will cater to a variety of design professionals, from the designers of custom and spec homes to the designers of home remodeling and addition projects. Material covered will offer something for everyone.

I'll be reading more going forward. The only downside -- Mark's business is called "Markitect," a term similar to one Scott Adams is mocking this week in his Dilbert comic.

The saddest picture story ever told

Offered without comment, seeing as I just got my 401K statement.


The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Cave for sale

In this economy -- and by the way, news stories with the phrase "in this economy" now outnumber news stories that lack it -- more and more people are being forced out of their homes. Even if you live in a three-bedroom cave that was once a concert venue.

But if you are in the market and looking for a unique green home in Festus, Mo., note that, per the listing,

Geothermal and passive solar keep the home comfortable year-round without a furnace or air conditioning. In spite of the vast size of the home, our energy costs here run about the same as they did in our 800 square-foot starter home. The home naturally stays a little cooler than the average above-ground home, but we found that we acclimated quickly and easily.

If I were in Missouri, I'd ask them to show me.

New expansion joint filler is 100% recycled

W. R. Meadows' new expansion joint filler is made of 100% recycled synthetic rubber. According to the company, its new Eco-Joint product can be used in "roadways, airport runways, sidewalks, pavement patch repair, driveways, flooring, parking lots, plazas, flatwork, patios, and curbs." And it can be used to satisfy the requirements for several LEED credits.

You know you've hit the mainstream when ...

... they come out with a "For Dummies" book for you. You can buy "Green Business Practices For Dummies" from Amazon for $14.95, or, if you really are a dummy, from the publisher for $21.99.

Amazon also recommends to me "Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies."

Insert your own 'soy' joke here

Fomo Products, a sealant and adhesive maker, has a new line of insulation made of 10 percent soy. According to a press release I got this week (there's no online version I can find, so sorry, no link), the eco-friendly plusses include:

• Benefits the atmosphere by replacing one pound of petroleum-based polyol with one pound of soy-based polyol resulting in a 5.6 pound CO2 increase. [sic -- I think they mean "decrease"?]
• Stops air infiltration to increase energy savings and decrease HVAC costs.
• Blocks out allergens and pollutants from entering buildings, improving indoor air quality
• Contributes to LEED credits and ENERGY STAR® certification.

The company is eager to brag about its green cred -- the graphic with this post came from the company's e-mail press release. But I have to say, the grammar purist in me wishes they had put in a comma and lowercased the 'R': "Soy, you want to start a revolution?" Or even better, give it the whole nine Beatles and go with "You soy you want a revolution!"

Although I suppose not, since too many people who got the reference would have responded, "Don't you know that you can count me out."

New video for VOC-free wood restorers

Remember all those hours as a kid playing with Play-Doh? With my three-year-old often up to the elbows in it, I couldn't help but be reminded of modeling clay when I saw the video for WoodEpox, a wood reconstruction product that you can shape and carve to repair gaps and holes in damaged wood. The maker, Abatron, is promoting WoodEpox and its sister product, LiquidWood, a wood strengthener, with a new video.

The products are being touted as green because they contain no volatile organics and emit no foul smell. WoodEpox is kind of sticky, though, and not as easy for kids as Play-Doh -- the company recommends disposable gloves and rubbing alcohol to smooth it out. Here's the company's video.

If you want your own DVD of the video, just ask.

Water-saving faucets to Moen for

Fixture maker Moen has launched a Web page focussing on water conservation, sustainability, and presenting a green face to the world. The site boasts of the company's green efforts, lists earth-friendly products, and includes industry associations and company policies.

There's also a video, but seeing as this is a family-friendly blog, I won't comment on its porno-style soundtrack or the sexy shower scenes. :-)

Affordable housing org goes green in the Great White North

Habitat for Humanity Canada is teaming up with RenewAbility Energy to install energy-efficient hot water heaters in new homes built by the Canadian branch of the affordable housing organization in 2009. The system works by using outgoing hot waste water to heat incoming cold water. According to the company, the system can reduce energy costs by 20 percent to 40 percent.

Here's a video on the system:

Huttig launches green workshop

Huttig Building Products is launching its first Greener Selections Workshop on 17 Feb 2009 in St. Louis at the St. Charles Convention Center. The program, which costs $20, covers "what “green” really means, summaries of key certification programs, resources you need to know, and best ways to sell green."

The full-day event will include several presentations, two keynote speakers, and giveaways and prizes.

Bronx development marks milestone

The non-profit Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp. celebrated the opening of a new milestone last week -- the largest affordable Energy Star certified building in the country, called Intervale Green. The non-profit says that the Bronx, N.Y., multi-family housing project is "thirty-three percent more energy-efficient than a standard building." The organization also has an online press kit available. The complex was built with eco-friendly materials and features energy-efficient appliances.

Forest product co. hires new Northeast rep

Cikel America, a subsidiary of Brazilian forest products maker Cikel, has announced that it has hired a new regional sales manager for the New England and Upstate New York territory. Mark Kolbe, previously an outside sales representative for Hoboken Floors, said, "It’s exciting to represent an FSC certified company that owns and properly maintains a large portion of Brazilian forest."

By the way, Floor Daily posted the same item, and here is some more Cikel staff news from about a month ago.

For your browsing pleasure

I added the Shop Eco blog to my blogroll on the right side of the page. Enjoy.

New safe-for-drinking hose saves water

Teknor Apex has two new hoses: the Healthy Habitat and the AquaPure Neverkink. The basic idea of both is that they are lead-free, so you can use them safely for drinking water. Also, both feature a reduced flow rate, which the company claims leads to water conservation -- presumably because less water spills out on the ground. Course, when I was a kid we drank from any old hose we could get. Lead, asbestos, Bosco -- that stuff was salt and pepper to us. And we liked it!

This blog in a nutshell. Or a word cloud.

It's a little self-indulgent, I know, but I plugged this blog's URL through the Wordle Web site and created the graphic above. It's a neat way to capture an essence of a Web site, or any block of text, for that matter. Click on the image for a closer look.

Online training program for pro dealers signs two orgs

The Certified Green Dealer Program, an online training site for pro dealers and distributors, has signed on two new clients: the Construction Suppliers Association, serving dealers in Georgia and Alabama, and the Indiana Lumber and Builders' Supply Association. The folks running the program are also proud of their Web traffic.

Full disclosure: The Certified Green Dealer Program is run by LBM Journal, a competitor of my magazine, Home Channel News (I'm the managing editor).