View
216
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
1/52
MAY | JUNE 2009
YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGYhomeeco
Affordably Sustainable in Portland | Getting Past Greenwashing | Decking | Building Science: Vapor Barriers
www.ecohomemagazine.com
PRSTSTDUSPOSTAGE
PAIDPONTIAC,ILPERMIT#312
Best PracticesPartnerships with the DOEs Building America program andIBACOS guide studio26s high-performance mission.
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
2/52
ADVERTISEMENT
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
3/52
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
4/52Circle no. 32
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
5/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 3
contents
Case Studies
orefield, pa.: private residencePartnerships with Building America and IBACOSpush this NAHB-Gold home to the highest levels
of energy efficiency. | PAGE 18
portland, ore.: helensview heightsGoing green is only part of the means to sustainabilityin this vibrant affordable community. | PAGE 24
Feature
keeping them honest
A guide to getting past greenwashing andunderstanding product certifications. | PAGE 30
ReviewdeckingEco-friendly options for wood, composite, andplastic decking. | PAGE 38
Departmentseditors noteThorough product assessment and understandingcan help you move from gray to green. | PAGE 7
ecoupdateIndiana development earns ANSI certification |Southwall expands | K. Hovnanians Concept Home |
Santa Fe enacts green building regulations |PAGE 9
building scienceUnderstanding vapor barriers. | PAGE 13
new + notableShowerheads, paint, pavers, and more. | PAGE 44
greenwatchConceptual design borrows from nature. | PAGE 48
May | June 2009
ecohomemagazine.comGet more green at www.ecohomemagazine.com,including Web-exclusive case studies, greenbuilder profiles, and product category reviews.Youll also find:
Green-product videos from ECOHOME OnlineChief Editor Jean Dimeo.
Breaking news and trends.
Green articles from BUILDER, REMODELING, andother leading publications produced byHanley Wood, publisher of ECOHOME.
Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter.
EcoHome (ISSN 1941-7470), is published fve times per year (February, March, May, July, and November) by Hanley Wood LLC, One Tomas Circle NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Volume 2, Number 3. Copyright 2009by Hanley Wood, LLC. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. Subscriptions are free to qualifed recipients. Publisher reservesthe right to determine recipient qualifcation. Annual subscription rates for non-qualifed recipients in the United States and possessions: $29.95; Canada, $39.95 (US funds); all other countries $49.95 (US funds). Single copy price:$8.00. All rights reserved. Canada Publications Mail Agreement #- 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Standard Postage Paid at Washington,DC and at additional mailing oces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EcoHome, PO Box 3597, Northbrook, IL 60065-3597.
COVER PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
6/52
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
7/52
Circle no. 48
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
8/52
Circle no. 14
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
9/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 7
editors note
Gray to Green
Rick SchwolskyEditor in Chief
rschwolsky@hanleywood.com
W
ithin the gray
areas that exist
between vague,
vacuous
product claims
and provenperformance lies a no-mans-land for
green building professionals seeking
reliable specs. Even with the growing
numbers of labels and certifications
that substantiate to varying degrees
eco-friendly claims, not enough
manufacturers are seeking third-party
certifications; too many are still making
broad, sweeping, and, frankly, meaning-
less statements.Product selection will continue to be
one of the most critical challenges you
will face in meeting your green mis-
sionsand that puts your business and
reputation at risk.
As a former high-performance home
builder, I know what this feels like.
Youre caught between a commitment to
build high-performance homes that willstrengthen your business and your
responsibilities to build homes that
perform their most basic functions
without creating problemsor liabili-
tiesthat could weaken your business.
Youre stuck in another gray area,
between innovation and risk.
Nobody, builders often say, wants
to be the first to try out a new product,
and yet were driven to embrace changeand improve the way we build. This
dilemma puts pressure on every
decision you make, whether its
detailing a wall section, specifying
ventilation equipment, or selecting
finishes.
You have to find a reliable level of
confidence in your decisions and
balance the trade-offs associated withthem. But how can you gain the
confidence you need? One of the
clearest suggestions about sizing-up
green building products that Ive heard
in a while came from attorney Patrick
Perrone during a session at the NAHBs
recent National Green Building
Conference in Dallas: Only after
assessing products as building products
should you evaluate their greenattributes.
Instead of asking, How many green
points can I earn by using a product?
Perrone suggests asking the following
questions: Will it perform its most
important function? How long is its
warranty period? Is it readily avail-
able? How does it compare with the
products I know and use now? Does it
have a performance track record andmeet industry standards and code
requirements? Is its performance tied
to unfamiliar installation practices?
This is solid advice that empowers
you, through your own experience and
expertise, to filter out products that
would put you outside your comfort
zone in terms of unknowns and risks.
Only after evaluating potentialselections for their application as viable
building products can you focus on
their green attributes and performance
benefits and how theyll integrate with
the other elements of your green
projects. Then you should ask, What
makes these products green? How
can I avoid greenwashing? How do I
verify manufacturers performance
claims?As youll see in Aurora Sharrards
feature article Keeping Them Honest
(page 30), navigating your way toward
reliable answers to these questions is
still troublesome and often imperfect.
But solutions are emerging, mostly
because green building professionals
are demanding more substantiated data
from manufacturers and are pressuringthem to back up their claims with
third-party certifications. Follow
Sharrards advice and youll find your
way out of the gray and into the green.PHOTO:RAYNG
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
10/52
Circle no. 11
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
11/52
9MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com
ecoupdate
Southwall Technologies revolutionized windowperformance in 1979 when it introducedHeat Mirror, the clear selective film that launched
the industrys search for higher efficiencies andhas contributed to improvements in windows
ever since. And while Southwall continues to sell
films to leading window and door manufacturers,
the company is now manufacturing its own
branded insulated glass. The new subsidiary,
Southwall Insulating Glass, will produce all types
of Heat Mirror units, says company spokesman
John Miller, including single-, double-, and
triple-film units providing R-6 all the way up toR-20 center of glass. The focus, however, will
be on single-film insulating units, given their two-
times performance over conventional double-
pane glazings. Rick Schwolsky
Standard commercial vehicles often are tooheavy duty for smaller pros, and SUVs,minivans, and cars dont provide the necessary
convenience and durability. Fords solution:
the Transit Connect light-duty commercial van,
coming to the U.S. this summer. The vehiclestores materials more efficiently than consumer
vehicles, but is more compact than a standard
commercial van, which makes it easier to
maneuver on city streets. Its also more fuel
efficient, offering 22 mpg city and 25 mpg
highway, according to Ford. The van offers
a 1,600-pound payload capacity; high-tech
options include an in-dash computer and fleet
management software. Transit Connect has abase price of $21,475. Victoria Markovitz
COMING SOON|FordsFuel-Efficient Van
Just Out|SouthwallTechnologies Expands
CREDIT:COURTESY
COOLMAN
COMMUNITIES
The Village in Burns Harbor offers certified homes, a
walkable town center, and proximity to public transit.
Indiana DevelopmentFirst to Achieve ANSICertification
T
he NAHB announced that
The Village in Burns Harbor,
a development in North-
west Indiana, is the first to
earn a land development
certification under the ANSI
700-2008 National Green Building Standard.When complete, the neo-traditional com-
munity will include a mix of 265 residential
units along with a town center containing
retail and commercial space. Sixty homes
have been built so far; two by Coolman
Communities achieved Silver in the NAHBs
Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
Following the approval of the National
Green Building Standard by ANSI, developerT. Clifford Fleming revised The Villages re-
quirements so that all remaining homes will
have to earn a minimum ANSI-Silver rating.
Land development certification is governed
by Chapter 4 of the National Standard, Site
Design and Development, which awards a
range of points for subsections targeting site
selection, mission and goals, site design, site
development, and innovative practices. The
program emphasizes avoiding impact on
environmentally sensitive areas, protecting
natural features, and minimizing and mitigat-
ing disturbances from construction, especially
as they relate to slope disturbance, stormwater
management, and landscaping. Points also are
available for increasing residential density andmixed-use, pedestrian walkways, minimized
street widths, and access to public transit.
The Villages 60-acre site sits on unused
farmland and abandoned commercial prop-
erties, and is within 5 miles of two train sta-
tions and a bus stop, meeting the Standards
requirement for mass transit access points.
The development is designed around pe-
destrian activity and parks with access to thetown center, says NAHB program verifier
Chris Schwarzkopf of Energy Diagnostics in
Valparaiso, Ind. The roads are narrower to
reduce impermeable materials, a retention
pond collects rain runoff and is already at-
tracting wildlife, and we protected large trees
and landscaped with native species.
For more, visit www.villageinburnsharbor.
com. Rick Schwolsky
Existing Treesto Remain
Prairie Planting
Windbreak Planting
Shade TreesBio-Swales
PermeablePaving
Meadow Planting
The Village in Burns
Harbor landscape and site
development plan.
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
12/52
ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 200910
ecoupdate
K. Hovnanian UnveilsEnergy-EfficientConcept Home
From the outside, K. Hovnanians two-
story Building America Concept Home
doesnt look any different than its neigh-
bors in Woodbridge, Va.s Eagles Pointe devel-
opment. But insideand inside the wallsthe
house is swelling with construction details
and products that set a standard for efficiencywhile setting aside home buyers preconceived
notions about what going green means.
The house starts with the features of the
High Performance Home (HPH), the builders
standard in Mid-Atlantic markets. Implement-
ed over the past year without raising prices,
the HPH standard includes improvements
such as a 90% AFUE furnace, a 14-SEER heat
pump for the second zone, sealed ductwork,supplemental spray-foam insulation at critical
areas, optimized framing, and advanced drain-
age planes. The dwelling is 32% more efficient
than the DOE benchmark for new homes, and
Hovnanian estimates it saves $1,659 per year
in energy costs.
The Concept Home builds on those
system-wide improvements with technologies
including tankless water heating, a 96% AFUE
furnace, energy recovery ventilation, and
photovoltaics, for a dwelling that scored a 50
on the Department of Energys E-scale.
Its not only a demonstration of the energyefficiency and high performance that we build
into every home, but also features methods
that were testing and will be able to imple-
ment going forward, Tom Pellerito, Landover
Group president for K. Hovnanian, said during
the grand opening.
K. Hovnanians efforts are one result of its
nine-year partnership in the Department of
Energys Building America research initia-tive; the builder also has taken the DOEs
Builders Challenge, a voluntary outreach
program that aims to build the most energy-
efficient, high-performance homes on the
market with the eventual goal of net-zero
energy for all homes by 2030. Participation
as a member of Building Americas IBACOS
research team has allowed the builder to test
out new technologies to determine which are
appropriate and cost-efficient to mainstream
into its standard offerings.
In addition to serving as testing ground for
Hovnanian, the Concept Home provides an
interactive showcase for buyers. A mockup
of the framing structure demonstrates details
consumers typically do not see nor know they
need to care about, while a section of the base-ment is a living laboratory demonstrating the
tankless water heater, photovoltaics, energy
recovery, and other products. Feedback follow-
ing the tours helps the builder gauge buyer
interest in the technologies its testing.
There are going to be thousands of
people who are going to come through this
home and learn what its all about, said Nate
Kredich, vice president of residential marketdevelopment for the USGBC, who was on
hand to award the home LEED certification.
The project also was recognized for achiev-
ing Energy Star and a Gold level rating under
the ANSI National Green Building Standard.
Katy Tomasulo
Tankless water heating, efficient HVAC add tobuilders existing high-performance standard.
The California Building Industry Association has endorsed two voluntary green building programs: California Green Builder,
developed by the Building Industry Institute, and GreenPoint Rated, developed by Build It Green in the Bay Area. The USGBC
reports that, through April, 2,143 new homes have achieved LEED for Homes certification. The NAHB reports that more than 1,500
new homes and remodeling projects are currently being scored to the National Green Building Standard using the online scoring
tool at www.nahbgreen.com. The NAHB Research Center launched its Green Approved product rating system, which certifies
that a product can earn homes points under the National Green Building Standard. On May 12, the Colorado General Assembly
passed a bill to provide the same financial incentives for solar thermal installations in residential and commercial buildings as those
currently provided for solar photovoltaic systems in the state. The planned 17,000-acre Babcock Ranch development in Florida,targeted to get underway later this year, will be powered entirely by the sun via on-site solar facilities. The community will include
19,500 homes, a smart grid, greenways and open space, electric car chargers, green roofs, and sustainable water management
and conservation. Excerpted from online reports. To view full versions of these news items, plus additional daily green building
coverage, visit www.ecohomemagazine.com.
EcoBriefs
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
13/52
Circle no. 62
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
14/52
ecoupdate
Santa Fe Enacts Green Home Building Regulations
Effective July 1, Santa Fe, N.M., will
mandate green building codes for all
new single-family homes. The new code
comprises six categories relating to green
building: project implementation plan and
lot development; resource efficiency; energy
efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environ-
mental quality; and operation, maintenance,
and sustainable practices.
Builders can achieve one of the eight
rating levels based on a point system that sets
a minimum point total for each category. In
addition, the code requires all new single-
family residential units to be tested and certi-
fied according to the enhancements to the na-
tional Home Energy Rating Standards (HERS)
as adopted by the Residential Energy ServicesNetwork (RESNET).
New homes must meet one of eight levels of
certification based on their heated gross floor
area and lot size as follows:
Silver (minimum requirement for homes
up to 3,000 square feet): HERS index of 70;
must earn at least 359 total points for sites
under acre or 363 total points for sites
acre or larger.
Silver Plus: bonus for a lower HERS rating
of 60.
Gold (minimum requirement for homes
up to 5,000 square feet): HERS index of 50;
must earn at least 448 total points for sites
under acre or 452 total points for sites
acre or larger.
Gold Plus: bonus for lower HERS rating
of 40.
Platinum (minimum requirement forhomes up to 8,000 square feet): HERS index of
25; must earn at least 542 total points for sites
under acre or 546 total points for sites
acre or larger.
Platinum Plus: bonus for a HERS rating
of 15.
Emerald (minimum requirement for
homes 8,001 square feet and greater): HERS
index of 0; must therefore perform in a man-
ner that produces no greenhouse gases to meet
its operational energy needs. It shall also earn
at least 623 total points for sites under acre
and 629 total points for sites acre or larger.
Emerald Plus: bonus for a HERS rating
of -10.
The city will rely on HERS raters, city inspec-
tors, specialty third-party verifiers, and the
projects builder and systems installers for field
verification of required materials, components,features, and performance. For more informa-
tion, visit www.santafenm.gov. Peter Merrill
New single-family homes must meet code requirements covering six categories.
Circle no. 55
CONGRATULATIONSto Hanley Woods Jesse H. NealAward Winners
Hanley Wood is committed
to publishing quality content
that serves the information
needs of the construction
industry professionals.
Our editors have once
again been honored by the
most prestigious editorial
awards program.Join us
in congratulating them.
BUILDER
REMODELING
CUSTOM HOMEARCHITECTECOHOME
PUBLIC WORKSAQUATICS INTERNATIONAL
POOL & SPA NEWS
DEVELOPERresidential architect
MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVE
TOOLSOFTHE TRADEBIG BUILDERAFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE
DIGITAL HOME
REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
15/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 13
VAPOR BARRIERS | building science
PHOTO:RAYNG
Mark LaLiberte
The residential building industry
has enough controversial construc-
tion techniques, incorrect product
applications, antiquated codes, and
old wives tales to confuse anybody
seeking the right way to build. And
vapor barriers rank high on that list. Few builders
truly understand how they work and why to use
them. Adding to the confusion is the fact that
determining whether or not you should be install-
ing a vapor barrier depends on the homes loca-
tion. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding can
lead to catastrophic envelope failures and moldissues.
AIR AND VAPOR BARRIERS DEFINED
First I want to clear up the common confusion
between vapor barriers and air barriers. This
misunderstanding arises because air typically holds
a great deal of moisture in the form of vapor. When
vapor-laden air moves from one location to an-
other, the vapor moves with it. A well-installed air
barrier controls both the flow of air and the flow of
moisture. If you were looking for another reason to
be paying close attention to the proper installation
of air barriers, this is it.
Controlling air movement should be your first
priority in the energy-efficiency game, and it also
provides excellent moisture control. Pay close
attention to every location that air will flow, using
blocking, gaskets, and foam. For more informa-
tion on the correct use of air barriers, visit theWeb sites of Building Science Corp. at
www.buildingscience.com, Building America at
www.buildingamerica.gov, or the Air Barrier
Association at www.airbarrier.org.
Properly defined, a vapor barrier alone does not
control air movement; it controls the movement
of moisture. In fact, a vapor barrier is not actually
a barrier; its a vapor diffusion retarder (VDR). A
VDR regulates moisture flow from inside out or
from outside in at the molecular level. This mois-
ture control function happens wherever the VDR
is used in the structure. Therefore, unlike an air
infiltration barrier, the VDR does not have to be
continuous, sealed, or free of holes; a perforation
in a VDR simply allows more vapor diffusion
in that area compared with other areas where
vapor diffusion is less restrictive.
VDRs are rated by the level of vapor diffusion
control they provide.
A materials ability to retard the diffusion of
water vapor is defined in terms of its permeability
in units known as perms. This is a measure of the
number of grains of water vapor passing through
a square foot of material per hour at a known
differential vapor pressure. Any material with a
perm rating of less than 0.10 is considered a Class 1vapor retarder.
THE PROBLEM WITH VAPOR BARRIERS
The original reason for using vapor barriers was
a good one: to prevent wall and ceiling assemblies
from getting wet. In practice, we now understand
that when VDRs are installed on the interior of an
assembly, they also prevent inward drying. This
can lead to significant moisture problems and
mold; problems occur when walls get wet during
construction or more often throughout the homes
life. These wetting cycles can be from air flow,
window leaks, pressure imbalances, and a host of
lifestyle issues. Below-grade spaces are particu-
larly vulnerable. The increasing complexity of wall
systems also fuels the issue.
Then theres the climate variable. Much of the
confusion about the correct use of VDRs is the
result of research reports and anecdotal informa-tion. Almost all of this research was conducted
in cold climates and focused on the flow of vapor
from inside to outside in winter months; it did not
consider vapor movement in other climates, nor
how moisture flow occurs from outside to inside
when using air conditioning in humid summer
months. When moisture flows from a more humid
exterior environment into the wall system in air-
conditioned climates, condensation could occur on
the cooled interior VDR. You can see that if low-
perm poly were used, condensation on this surface
is possible.
Cladding choices can further complicate thePHOTO:RAYNG
President of LaLiberteOnline Inc.and a principal of Building
Knowledge Inc., Mark LaLiberte
is a highly regarded green build-
ing consultant who helps builders
nationwide understand and apply
proper building science construction
principles to improve their homes.
www.buildingknowledge.com;
www.laliberteonline.com.
Interpreting the codes and the science behind one of home
buildings most misunderstood materials.
Understanding Vapor Barriers
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
16/52
14 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
building science | VAPOR BARRIERS
exterior-to-interior vapor flow. When some
claddings, such as brick and traditional stucco, get
wet, they can retain significant amounts of water
and require longer drying times. In hot andhumid weather, moisture is drawn inward as the
sun heats these surfaces, increasing the vapor
pressure on the assembly. This could add unwant-
ed moisture as well. The best strategy for this one
is venting the masonry claddings and replacing
the poly VDR with a higher-perm product like
paint that will let the wall system cycle over
the seasons.
BEST PRACTICES
Its not just builders who are confused. Many build-
ing code officials misunderstand or misinterpret
the requirements. Just because it was done that
way 20 years ago, doesnt mean it will work the
same way in todays modern wall systems. Some
jurisdictions are becoming more flexible, and that
is a welcome change.
Current IBC/IRC specifications (see The Num-
bers, left) for VDRs factor the classification of thematerials perm rate with the locations climatic
conditions (see Figure 2, page 16). Future code
directions will most likely specify the use of more
permeable products in building assemblies: the
use of paint, rather than poly, for instance. Until all
codes reflect current building science knowledge,
and provide climate-specific material specifica-
tions, you need to be wary of selecting a VDR with
a perm rating thats too low or placing it in the
wrong location.
If in doubt, I recommend using Class I and
Class II VDRs only in the coldest Zones, 7 and 8.
In these zones, use a product like MemBrain from
CertainTeed. This innovative product looks and
installs like poly, but it behaves like a vapor diode,
allowing the perm rate to increase as the vapor
pressure increases. This means that if installed onthe interior side of the wall system, it will meet the
Class II requirements by reducing the amount of
vapor entering the wall in the winter months. But
should the wall system be subjected to a larger flow
of moisture from outside or from wet materials
inside the wall system, the product becomes more
vapor open. The perm rate rises, based on the
increased vapor pressure. This sounds like magic,
but in the world of materials science its actually
quite simple.
For other zones, I recommend applying a good
quality wall primer to all unprimed drywall, in
lieu of traditional VDRs. Prior to priming, drywall
has a perm rate of about 50. After a couple coats
of latex paint, that perm rate is reduced to 2 or 3.
In most climates, this degree of vapor control will
be quite adequate and meets the Class III require-
ments shown in The Numbers.
For more information, visit the IRC Web siteat www.iccsafe.org, where you can purchase and
read the latest code book. Otherwise, get a copy
of the Builders Guide Series for your climate from
Building Science Press (www.buildingscience
press.com).
A FINAL NOTE
Though I advocate a more liberal approach to
VDRs, this doesnt mean I am unconcerned about
moisture control. On the contrary, I believe it is
absolutely critical that we control and manage the
movement of moisture in structures. Used cor-
rectly and in the right climate, vapor ILLUSTRATION:HA
RRYWHITVER
Moisture movement is affected by
seasonal changes as well as climate
characteristics, which will define your
best strategies and options. Even in
cold climates, moisture will move from
hot exteriors to cooler interiors in the
summer, which places new emphasis
on proper selection and placement of
vapor retarders.
Wind
Coldexterior
Warm interior
SheathingSheathing
Drywall Drywall
Air conditionedinterior
Hot exterior
Solarradiation
Interiormoisture
Exteriormoisture
InsulationInsulation
FIGURE 1: MOISTURE MOVEMENT
THE NUMBERSThe current code has thefollowing definitions:
Class I Vapor Retarder: 0.1 permor less
Class II Vapor Retarder: 1.0 permor less and greater than 0.1 perm
Class III Vapor Retarder: 10 permor less and greater t han 1.0 perm
The current proposals are todefine them this way:
Vapor impermeable: 0.1 permor less
Vapor semi-impermeable: 1.0 perm or less and greater t han
0.1 perm
Vapor semi-permeable: 10 permsor less and greater than 1.0 perm
Vapor permeable: greater than10 perms
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
17/52
Circle no. 53
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
18/52
building science | VAPOR BARRIERS
Match your moisture-management strategies and details to regional conditions in your climate zone.
(Go to www.buildingscience.com and click on Vapor Barrier Code Changes.)
FIGURE 2: CLIMATE ZONES & VAPOR RETARDERS
diffusion retarders can be an important
part of a comprehensive solution to effec-tive moisture management.
To manage moisture effectively, we need
to control both air movement and mois-
ture flow. The two are always intertwined.
Sometimes one product, such as spray foam,
addresses both issues. In other cases, we can
achieve success with a well installed and
properly sealed weather resistive barrier
like housewrap or an alternate system of
spray-on coatings, or even SIPs. Remember:
Always give careful consideration to the
location and quality of the air barriers and
water management details you use, and train
the people on your crews to properly install
them.
Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D., principal of Build-
ing Science Corp., contributed to this article.
For more building science articles,
visit ecohomemagazine.com.
Circle no. 59
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
19/52
HOW TO ENTER
Enter online at GreenProductAwards.com
See Web site or entry requirements,eligibility and judging details.
DEADLINES & FEESEntry orm and ee deadline:June 19, 2009
Entry materials due via email:July 3, 2009
The fee for each entry is $150
ELIGIBILITYThe Green Product Awards are open to allcategories o residential building products.
Products will be judged on their green/sustainable attributes (such as energyefciency, resource efciency, health andcomort, etc.), their innovation and theiroverall value to residential contractorsemploying green building practices.
Building products, materials and technolo-gies introduced between January 2008and April 2009. Nominations acceptedrom manuacturers or rom public relationsand advertising representatives.
QUESTIONSCall 202.736.3308 ore-mail bpawards@hanleywood.com
2nd annual Green Product Awards.
ebuild
ebuild
PAST GREEN PRODUCT AWARD WINNERS INCLUDE
Kohler
Bosch
Soil Retention
Carlisle
ICI Paints
CALL FOR ENTRIES
GreenProductAwards.com
Enter
ebuild.
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
20/52
18 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
PROJECT DETAILS
Project: Private Residence, Orefield, Pa.
Size: 4,768 square feet; 7,365 with basement
Cost: Undisclosed
Completed: July 2008
Certifications: NAHB-Gold
HERS rating: 54
Architect: Alan Mascord Design Assoc.,
Portland, Ore., and studio26 homes
General Contractor/Interior Designer:
studio26 homes
Kitchen: Kitchens by WIPCO, Allentown, Pa.
CASE STUDY BY CHERYL WEBER
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
21/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 19
When the Bakersfather James and sons Scott
and Brianlaunched studio26 homes five
years ago, green was still just a buzzword in
Eastern Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley. But the
trio saw the deepening shift in consumer awareness and
decided to make super-energy-efficient houses their calling
card. For starters, their goal was to reduce energy use by at
least 40% compared to other homes built to code.The Bakers tapped the brain trust at Building America, a
research program sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Energy. And to make sure their best practices keep hitting the
benchmarks, every studio26 project is analyzed by Integrated
Building and Construction Solutions (IBACOS), a Building
America partner consortium that offers energy modeling.
They do takeoffs of our plans and specs and also work
through a general HVAC design, says Brian, studio26 homes
vice president of marketing and design.
The latest result of that collaboration is a house in Orefield
that earned a Gold rating under NAHBs Model Green Home
Building Guidelines. Its 542 points, earned primarily through
indoor air quality and an airtight building envelope that
Striking
GoldPENNSYLVANIA-BASED STUDIO26HOMES JOINS IBACOS AND
THE DOES BUILDING AMERICA
PROGRAM TO TACKLE COLD-CLIMATE
PERFORMANCE.
CASE STUDYBY CHERYL WEBER
PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY
CASE STUDY ERV AND AIR CLEANER
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
22/52
20 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
CASE STUDY
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE
minimizes thermal bridging, far
exceeded the Gold minimum of 395
points.
In this case, the design team beganwith a significant asset on its side: The
1.2-acre parcels gentle, south-facing
down slope provided the ideal condi-
tions for passive solar heating and
daylighting. To ensure sufficient sun
exposure throughout the day, not only
for passive solar gain but for a future PV
installation, the Bakers rotated the house
to within 20 degrees of due south. With
the long axis running east-west and the
rear facing south, all three levels are
open to solar gain and are filled with
natural light. The contemporary
Craftsman style also plays into passive
cooling with deep overhangs, porches,
and a long Trex deck across the back
that shades the walk-out basement.Given Pennsylvanias cold winters,
super-insulating the walls was a top
priority. The builders installed an Xi
concrete-and-Styrofoam foundation
system from Superior Walls made of
10-inch-thick, 10-foot-high sections
pre-insulated to R-12.5.
And to increase the energy perfor-
mance of the foundation walls, the crew
installed R-21 formaldehyde-free Johns
Manville fiberglass batts into the stud
cavities, which raised the basement
walls overall R-value to 33.5.
WINDOWS
The houses 120 aluminum-clad-wood triple-pane windows and patio doors are Energy
Starrated Pella Designer Series with between-the-glass blinds, providing a U-value of
0.23 and an SHGC of 0.26. 800.374.4758. www.pella.com. Circle 312.
ERV AND AIR CLEANER
Due to its ultra-tight construc-
tion, this home breathes
through its Trane FreshEffects
energy recovery ventilator,
which continuously exchanges
stale air with fresh air and
transfers heat and moisture
between incoming and
outgoing air via a dual-cham-
ber pipe. Before the incoming
air is distributed through the
home, a Trane CleanEffects air
cleaner removes up to 99.98%
of airborne allergens,
according to the company.
903.581.3660. www.trane.com.
Circle 311.
SEPARATED FROM SMOKE
A sunroom/smoking room with a ceramic
tile floor on the houses southwest side
soaks up solar rays. Its sealed off from the
rest of the house with gasketed exteriorwood doors, insulation, and polyethylene
sheeting, and is served by a separate
Mitsubishi MUZ-A12NA variable-speed
ductless mini-split system with R410A
refrigerant and a Panasonic WhisperCeiling
exhaust fan for adequate room ventilation.
Mitsubishi: 800.433.4822. www.mrslim.com.
Circle 313. Panasonic: 800.405.0652. www.
panasonic.com. Circle 314.
PROFILE:
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
23/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 21
The builders tightened the 2x6
wood-framed envelope by adding
1-inch extruded polystyrene to the
exterior. All the wood-framed wallswere tightly insulated with blown-in,
R-23 Johns Manville Spider Custom
Insulation, installed at 1.8 pounds per
square foot to fill gaps. Using these
measures, studio26 was able to beat
Building America targets for air leakage.
A blower-door test showed 0.101 NACH
(natural air exchanges per house),
compared to the benchmark 0.131
NACH. A duct-blaster test resulted in
0.5% air leakage, an improvement over
Building Americas 1% target.
No humidifier or dehumidifier is
needed in the house, Baker says, thanks in
part to the use of CertainTeeds
MemBrain, a smart vapor retarder
stapled to the studs between the insulationand drywall. When theres a certain level
of humidity in the wall, the pores of the
vapor retarder will begin to open and
allow vapor to emit into the house, where
it can be flushed out and absorbed by the
ventilation system, he says.
Indoor air quality was clearly at the
center of the mechanical equipment
choices and techniques. The project
earned indoor environmental quality
points with the use of a Trane energy
recovery ventilator that exchanges heat
between stale air being exhausted and
PROFILE:
James C. BakerBrian M. BakerScott A. BakerSTUDIO 26 HOMES
One benefit of a green startup is thatthere are no old standards to purge.When James Baker, president, and sonsBrian, vice president of marketing anddesign, and Scott, vice president ofoperations, set up their design/build/develop company in 2004, they spentmonths assembling a core subcontractorteam. We said our houses will bedifferent than any youve built before,says Brian. We turned away some [subs]
who were talented but not open-mindedenough for what we were trying to do.
The builders test runa team effortwith IBACOSwas a Building AmericaDemonstration Home that Brian built forhis family. Pennsylvanias first LEED-Silverhome, it served not only as field trainingfor the subcontractor team, but is also amodel for prospective clients. Eighteenmonths of energy monitoring showed it tobe 49% more efficient than a standard
code-compliant house. With just the threepartners on staff and a subcontractor teamnumbering about 50, studio26 is currentlyworking on a 44-acre conservationcommunity with a dozen dwellings.
In addition to applying the latestbuilding-science practices, the companyincludes solar-ready wiring standard.Our goal is to be the leader in Eastern
Pennsylvania for green building anddesign, and eventually to get to
net-zero energy, Baker says. In 2007,the Pennsylvania Builders Associationrecognized their progress with aBuilding Innovation Award.C.W.
ROOFING AND SIDING
CertainTeed
Independence lifetimeasphalt shingles earned
green points for the
homes proximity to the
manufacturing plant.
James Hardie integrally
colored fiber-cement
siding offers durability
while saving the need
for on-site painting.
CertainTeed: 800.233.8990.
www.certainteed.com.Circle 315. James Hardie:
888.542.7343. www.
jameshardie.com.
Circle 316.
INSULATION
First- and second-floor
walls are blanketed informaldehyde-free Johns
Manville Spider blown-in
insulation, which provides
an R-value of 23 in the 2x6
walls. Closed-cell
spray-foam insulation by
Tiger Foam seals up
hard-to-reach corners,
headers, sill plates, and
band joists. Johns
Manville: 800.654.3103.www.specjm.com. Circle
318. Tiger Foam: 800.
664.0063. www.tigerfoam.
com. Circle 319.
MOISTURE
MANAGEMENT
Given its location in aclimate where moisture
levels are significant for
most of the year, the
house has a CertainTeed
MemBrain vapor barrier
between the insulation
and drywall. Its
engineered to let walls
breathe by allowing
water vapor to pass
through when humiditylevels reach 30% or
more. 800.233.8990.
www.certainteed.com.
Circle 317.
FARLEFTPHOTO
S:JOHNS
TERLINGR
UTHPHOTOGRAPHY;TO
PAND
RIGHTPHOTOS:BARRYHALKIN
CASE STUDY
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
24/52
C S S U
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE
cooler fresh air being introduced to the
system, a Trane CleanEffects whole-
house air cleaner, and a separate HVAC
system in the sun room on the housessouthwest corner, where one of the
owners enjoys the occasional cigar.
The interior materials marry
craftsmanship, cleanliness, and sustain-
ability. MAB Enviro-Pure paints emit no
VOCs, oak floors and birch cabinetry
were sourced in Pennsylvania, and the
appliances are Energy Star certified.
Finally, like each of studio26s
projects, the house is pre-wired forfuture addition of solar panels. Its one
more component of a smart, sophisti-
cated home designed to reduce energy
costs and provide a healthy, comfortable
atmosphere.
Cheryl Weber is a freelance writer in
Lancaster, Pa.
For more case studies,
visit ecohomemagazine.com.
PLUMBING
A PEX manifold system from Watts delivers heated water directly from tank to tap rather than
filling the entire piping system with water, and PEX tubing resists corrosion and retains heat
better than copper. The plumbing manifold, located in a central utility room, is a control
center for hot and cold water that feeds flexible supply lines (red for hot, blue for cold) directly
to individual fixtures. The cold-water manifold is fed from the main water supply line and the
hot-water manifold is fed from the water heater. Two propane-fueled 0751 Series Noritztankless water heaters work in tandem to supply hot water. Watts: 978.688.1811. www.watts.
com. Circle 320. Noritz: 866.766.7489. www.noritz.com. Circle 321. PHOTO:B
ARRYHALKIN
Circle no. 18
ebuild is the destination for
construction pros searching
for information about buildingproducts. ebuild is a source of
new product coverage, trends
and news. Pros visit ebuild to
learn how to do their jobs faster,
safer and easier. ebuild connects
pros to product manufacturers,
experts and peers.
search.
source.learn.connect.
ebuild.
a 360 degree view of
product informationebuild.com
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
25/52
Circle no. 60
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
26/52
24 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
PROJECT DETAILS
Project: Helensview Heights, Portland, Ore.
Size: 3.96 acres; 52 units (40 detached, 12 condos) from925 to 1,600 square feet (detached only)
Price range: $186,000$244,000
Certifications: LEED-ND; LEED-H Silver (anticipated)
Developer: HOST Development, Portland
Architect: Peck Smiley Ettlin, Portland
Builder: R&R Energy Resources, Portland
Consultants: Green Building Services, Portland(LEED-ND AP); Earth Advantage (LEED-H AP); BrianClopton Excavating, Sherwood, Ore. (site development);AKS Engineering & Forestry, Sherwood (civil engineer)
CASE STUDYBY RICH BINSACCA
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
27/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 25
PHOTO:DAVID
PAPAZIAN
Helensview Heights is all about sustainabil-
ity, but far more than just the stuff you can
feel, touch, or tack onto a house. Built on a
4-acre infill site in a low-income section
of Portland, Ore., the 52-home enclave is designed
to inspire and anchor an investment among its
existing residents and business owners that willtransition the neighborhood into a vitaland thus
sustainablecommunity.
The development meets the highest standards of
LEED-Neighborhood Design (achieving a Gold
rating in the pilot phase of the program), and the
homes are expected to achieve Silver under LEED
for Homes. But these designations are secondary
attractions to the residents, who will enjoy lower
monthly utility rates; reduced maintenance, repair,and replacement costs; improved indoor air; and
probably higher resale value. Perhaps even more so
is the long-term value of building on a greyfield
parcel within the citys urban growth boundary to
create a perpetually owner-occupied housing option
to buyers otherwise priced out to the suburbs.
That scenario, sans the LEED accolades, is
nothing new for the locally culled project team
headed by HOST Development. The Portland-
based not-for-profit entity counts (and keeps tabson) 375 affordable homes in the metro area,
leveraging low-interest financing and other funding
from several sources to satisfy its mission.
Throughout its 20-year history, HOST has
championed energy efficiency as a tenet of low-
income housing. Theres a better chance that
low-income owners will stay in their homes if it
doesnt cost as much to operate, says executive
director John Miller, who leveraged a local utilitys
energy-saving program more than a decade ago tohelp reduce operating costs for HOSTs homeowners.
For Helensview Heights, the project team
followed the USGBCs LEED for Homes rating
system thanks to grants from the Enterprise
Community Foundations Green Communities
program and The Home Depot Foundation.
A series of design charrettes paid for by the
Enterprise grant revealed how close HOSTs
standard specs were to achieving LEED certifica-tion, and how a few tweaksincluding the use of
heat recovery ventilators and heating fireplaces
would further reduce monthly operating costs and
aid the companys marketing effort. The grant also
helped pay for a few of those upgrades, which the
project team has since integrated into the pro forma
to ensure the efficiencies continue through
build-out without adding costs.
The cost to add heat recovery ventilators, for
instance, was tied up mostly in their installation; oncethe builder found the ideal spot for the units and
streamlined the process, the premium went away.
In fact, a coordinated effort among members of
ReachingNew Heights
AT HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS IN PORTLAND, ORE., GOING GREEN IS
ONLY PART OF THE MEANS TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY ANDSUSTAIN A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD.
CASE STUDY
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
28/52
26 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS
the design/build team prior to ground-
breaking and during the build affordedcost efficiencies that enabled the project
to remain within budget and its target
price point. Everyone was looking at it,
asking what we could do to keep costs
down, says Brianna Conrow, construc-
tion project manager at HOST.
She also credits the builder, Bill Lenz
at R&R Energy Resources in Portland,
for his use of in-house crews (instead ofsubcontractors), a long track record of
building high-performance housing, and
the ability to negotiate volume discounts
with its suppliers. Hes able to control
costs and the schedule, says Conrow,
which effectively translates to maintain-
ing HOSTs affordability mission.
The Home Depot money, meanwhile, is
underwriting the $1,500 cost to gain
LEED certification once each home iscompleted. Without that [grant], wed
have to look at whether certification was
worth the cost, says Miller, who admits
that home prices trump anything else
among Helensviews potential buyers,though they do (and would still, without
the certificate) appreciate the longer-term
benefits of HOSTs efforts, specifically
lower utility bills and healthier indoor air.
In fact, to maintain a price point that
would enable buyers within 70% to
100% of the areas median family income
to purchase homes in Helensview, per
the developers mission, the project teamdiligently whittled down a wish list of
green building options to settle on those
that benefited buyers and the commu-
nity the most, remained within budget,
and, lastly, qualified under LEED for
Homes standards.
The result are homes priced $186,000
to $244,00025% to 42% less than
comparably sized detached units within
the urban growth boundary. And theseare far from shacks; HOSTs commit-
ment to high-performance housing
ensures the homes are durable and will
MAJOR APPLIANCESEnergy Starqualified refrigerators, dishwashers, and laundry
equipment from Kenmore reduce energy and water use to keep
monthly utility bills affordable. The top-mount, 18.2-cubic foot
refrigerator is EnergyGuide rated to cost just $41 per year to
operate, while the built-in, 24-inch dishwasher offers a precision,
five-level wash system and heated or no-heat drying cycles to
reduce resource use. 888.536.6673. www.kenmore.com. Circle 323.
PAINT
Evermore low-VOC (38 g/l) interior and exterior latex paint from
Glidden has been reformulated for better scrubability, low odor,
and improved coverage and durability of even dramatic and darkcolors. The mildew-resistant exterior flat coatings are 100% acrylic
latex to protect against UV rays, color fading, and extreme
weather conditions. Interior semi-gloss also is formulated for
improved mildew resistance to reduce maintenance chores.
800.454.3336. www.glidden.com. Circle 322.
LAMINATE FLOORING
Prevail wood-look laminate flooring from
Shaw features the VersaLock application
system that requires no adhesives, thus
reducing indoor air pollutants; the productalso is prefinished to eliminate off-gassing
from stains and/or sealant coatings. The
8-inch-wide planks provide a warm, solid
flooring alternative at an affordable price,
while its laminate construction and prefin-
ished surface lessen maintenance. 800.441.
7429. www.shawfloors.com. Circle 325.
FIREPLACES
The builder utilizes natural gas fireplaces
from Martin, a Custom Fireside brand, as
each homes primary heating source. The
zero-clearance, 36-inch units are capableof heating up to 1,200 square feet,
burning at 24,000 BTUs and an 80%
efficiency. The units feature glowing
ceramic fiber logs and embers; optional
accessories include firebrick and a
135-CFM blower. 916.331.2423. www.
customfireside.com. Circle 324.
CARPETING
Carpeting from Mohawk employs the
companys everSTRAND fiber, which uses
recycled plastic (PET) bottles to completely
offset virgin fiber resources with post-
consumer waste material. The use of PET
resins delivers a superior grade of synthetic
fiber for the carpet to provide inherent stain
resistance and color clarity, the firm says,while the cap and label of each bottle are
recycled as reusable core material around
which the carpet is wrapped. 800.266.4295.
www.mohawkflooring.com. Circle 326.
PROFILE:
John Miller
SIDING
HardiePlank fiber-cement lap siding from
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
29/52
MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 27
PHOTOS:DAVID
PAPAZIAN
remain efficient, but providing eight
different floor plans, a thoughtful mix ofcontemporary and more traditional
housing to integrate with existing
buildings on different street frontages,
and a high level of finishes inside and
outincluding fiber-cement lap siding
and solid-wood cabinet frontsgoes far
beyond the call of most affordable
housing. The credit, says Conrow, goes to
the upfront and ongoing effort tovalue-engineer the project.
Its a comprehensive formula that has
enabled HOST to sell 13 of the first
phase of 20 detached units at
Helensview Heights since opening in
early 2008 (and four within a six-week
span earlier this year) and, more
important, establish the foundation of a
sustainable, stable neighborhood.
While the homes (and specificallytheir prices) account for the bulk of
that sales success, the stability of
Helensview Heights also is rooted in its
neighborhood. Not much had to be
done to achieve a LEED-ND rating forthe urban infill site, thanks to existing
and nearby public transportation
options (which allowed the project team
to eliminate garages in favor of street
parking), schools, and other public
services. Park space within the plat and
the high density and small footprints of
the housing also scored points.
If you have the right location, whichwe did, theres not much effort to gain
certification, says Terry Miller, senior
consultant for Green Building Resources
in Portland, which served as the
LEED-AP for the neighborhood
development effort. We made no
significant changes to comply, and the
synergy with building to LEED for
Homes standards also helped.
In addition to income thresholds,HOST targets families (particularly
minority and single-parent households)
and works to convert renters within the
John MillerEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
HOST DEVELOPMENTA Portland native, John Miller haswitnessed the migration of the Rose Citys
workforce residents from the urban coreto the suburbs and beyond, the flipside ofa growth boundary established in the late1970s to stem sprawl and encouragehigh-density housing that instead resultedin higher land costs and housing prices.
Ironically, his not-for-profit developmentcompany, Home Ownership a Street at aTime (HOST), is using the growthboundary legislation to finance and buildhousing that keeps low-income workers
close to their jobs while maintaining urbanvitality. We work in neighborhoods thatare in transition, he says, and under a
mission that encourages existing residentsto remain (and thrive) as homeownersrather than be displaced by gentrification.
In addition to developing infillparcels near existing public transit,building communities with interestingstreetscapes, and targeting existingfamilies, HOST is able to secure
low-interest, long-term financing fromcommunity reinvestment tax credits.
He and his team also seek out in-kindand pro bono services and corporatefoundation support to supplement loans;though HOST avoids direct governmentfinancing, it does help buyers navigate thepublic funding matrix for mortgage loans.
The result of HOSTs 20-year historyis a portfolio of nearly 400 homespurchased by folks with incomes as low
as 70% of the markets median. Wereseen as a welcome addition to an activeneighborhoods existing revitalizationefforts, says Miller. We enjoy strongsupport because of our mission.R.B.
WINDOWS
Energy Starqualified, Marquee-brand 800 Series vinyl high-
performance windows from Philips Products anchor a thermally
efficient and energy-saving envelope. Heat-fusion-welded frame
and sash corners, interlocking meeting rails, -inch insulatingglass, and narrow profiles combine to optimize daylight while
reducing thermal transfer with a U-value of 0.32 and solar heat
gain with an SHGC of 0.33. A strong and durable chambered
frame delivers a low-maintenance option while a continuous
pre-punched mounting fin ensures proper fastening and sealing
between the window and the wall. 574.296.0000. www.marquee
windows.com. Circle 328.
James Hardie provides a low-mainte-
nance cladding while withstanding a rainy
climate. In addition to natural base
materials with low toxicity, a proprietary,
factory-applied sealer and primer
enhance the sidings performance
qualities and provide a surface withsuperior paint adhesion. 888.542.7343.
www.jameshardie.com. Circle 327.
HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR
The Constructo 1.5 HRV from Venmar
helps improve indoor air quality and
reduce excess humidity by delivering a
steady flow of fresh outdoor air into thehome. The product line is certified by the
Home Ventilating Institute to achieve a
heat recovery rate of up to 81%. The line
is designed specifically for midsize,
affordable new homes, with a small
housing and easy installation. 819.477.
6226. www.venmar.ca. Circle 329.
CASE STUDY
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
30/52
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS
PHOTO:D
AVID
PAPAZIAN
existing neighborhood into buyers so
that they arent victims of gentrification.
The developer also makes sure that its
homes are always owner-occupied, aperpetual deed requirement that also
maintains stability and housing values.
Its an effort that HOST homeowners
help watchdog and that the community
around Helensview embraced by
allowing the project to sail through the
approvals process.
Our mission is based on the belief
that strong, healthy communities are
created and stabilized when homeown-ers have a stake in their neighborhoods,
says Miller, quoting HOST gospel. We
look for opportunities in which the
community is interested in improving
and sustaining itself.
Rich Binsacca is a freelance writer in
Boise, Idaho.
For more case studies,
visit ecohomemagazine.com.
ROOFING
Cambridge 30 premium architectural
shingles from IKO Industries contain at
least 40% pre-consumer waste-rock
recycled content, as independently verified
by Scientific Certification Systems. The
heavyweight laminated shingles are
composed of a dimensionally stable
non-woven glass fiber mat impregnated
with stabilized waterproofing bitumen to
weather high winds, improve durability,and reduce maintenance and repair.
800.433.2811. www.iko.com. Circle 330.
INSULATION
The formaldehyde-free line of fiberglass
insulation from Johns Manville provides
thermal resistance to keep energy costs low
while reducing the potential for indoor air
pollutants. The material also is SCS certified
for recycled content (25%) and provides
acoustical performance to enhance indoor
comfort and value. The product line is
offered as faced and unfaced batts,
blown-in loose-fill, poly-encapsulated, andrigid panels to suit any application.
800.654.3103. www.specjm.com. Circle 331.
Circle no. 50Circle no. 34
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
31/52
Circle no. 31
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
32/52
30 ecohomemagazine.com
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
33/52
ecohomemagazine.com 31
If youre confused about green building products and the
claims their manufacturers are making, youre not
alone. I feel that way myself sometimes, and its my job
at the Green Building Alliance to navigate the complex
world of green product claimsand help others do the
same.
While we still have a lot of work to do to establish reliable
standards for the multiple attributes that define green products,
the good news is that there are a lot of dedicated people workingon this problem, and there are a good number of resources
already available to help you find your own comfort level with
third-party verification of green claims. This article will guide you
through the complexities of green product selection, help you
understand how products are labeled and certified, and lead you to the
most useful navigational resources.
Ultimately, whether youre getting product information from your local
supplier, direct from a manufacturer, from Web surfing, or via networking
with colleagues, the most critical thing is that you trust your source and
understand the criteria behind their recommendations.Its also important to note that green building is not just about following checklists
and picking products; at its heart, sustainable building is the integration of important
elements of design, site, energy, water, health, resource management, and other
KEEPING
THEM
HONESTSEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH BEHIND
MANUFACTURERS GREEN PRODUCT CLAIMS.
BY AURORA SHARRARD
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
34/52
32 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
Product Labels or CertificationsReferenced by NAHB and LEEDRight now third-party certifications are the most reliable wayto verify green claims when doing your product research. Hereare some of the most widely used labeling and certificationprograms referenced by LEED and the NAHB Model Green HomeBuilding Guidelines.
EFFICIENCY STANDARDSEnergy Star, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.energystar.gov/products. Besides being referenced for itscertification of homes in general, both NAHB and LEED reference
Energy Star for a variety of other products, including appliances,roofs, and equipment.
Solar Rating and Certification Corp. www.solar-rating.org
WaterSense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov/watersense
MATERIAL CONTENTRecycled Content, Scientific Certification Systems
www.scscertified.com
USDA Certified Biobased Product, U.S. Department ofAgriculture www.biopreferred.gov/Catalog.aspx
INDOOR AIR QUALITYGreenguard, Greenguard Environmental Institute
www.greenguard.org
Green Seal, Green Seal Organization www.greenseal.org
Indoor Advantage Gold, Scientific Certification Systems
http://www.scscertified.com/gbc/indooradvgold.php
FloorScore, Scientific Certification Systems www.scscertified.com/gbc/floorscore.php
MULTIPLE-ATTRIBUTE CERTIFICATIONSGENERAL
Cradle to Cradle (C2C), McDonough Braungart Design
Chemistry www.c2ccertified.com
SMaRT Consensus Sustainable Product Standards, Institute for
Market Transformation to Sustainabil ity http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/SMaRT_product_standard.html
CARPET
California Gold, California Department of General Services
www.green.ca.gov/EPP/standards.htm
Green Label or Green Label Plus, Carpet and Rug Institute
http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/index.cfm
RESPONSIBLY MANAGED WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Forest Stewardship Council
www.fsc.org
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Sustainable ForestryInitiative www.sfiprogram.com (NAHB references FSC, SFI, and
three other specific wood certifications.)A.S.
environmental and human considerations.
However, the time does come when you have to
select and specify materials, products, andcomponents for a green home. At that point, your
focus is certainly on productsand whether they
will truly contribute to the green performance
goals for your project.
THE GREENWASH FACTOR
When companies intentionally or unintentionally
make false, misleading, or exaggerated claims
about the environmental benefits of their products,
its called greenwashing.
At the most basic level, we all perpetuate
greenwash if we try to lump all of a homes
sustainable features together by calling it a green
home without substantiating our claims through
some form of documentation and certification
such as through a national or local green building
program. Product salespeople, distributors,
manufacturers, and marketers can fall into the
same greenwashing trap if they exaggerate theirproducts' performance claims or dont mention
environmental negatives that might diminish the
products green attributes.
Consequently, there are a lot of individual
performance, material, or environmental benefit
claims made about building products that require
scrutiny. The general rule about these seemingly
simple descriptions is to be skeptical and curious
enough to look behind the claim for some form ofverification. Ask yourself the following:
Is this claim obviously false? For example,
This product is LEED and NAHB certified.
(Neither USGBCs LEED program or the NAHB
certifies products.)
Is the claim unrelated or irrelevant? For
example, This product stands out from the
competition.
Is the claim too generic to make sense? For
example, This product uses the latest eco-friendlytechnology.
Does the claim only address one feature of the
product when there are other important ones that
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
35/52
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
Additional
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
36/52
34 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
are ignored? For example, This product is
maintenance free.
Can I verify the claim online or with informa-tion on the product itself?
Then start your research. If you cant find the
appropriate information to satisfy your questions
in a quick Internet search or phone call, it might
be time to start seriously doubting the claims
being made.
LABELS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Greenwashed marketing claims have increased to
the point where the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) is updating its published Guides for the Use
of Environmental Marketing Claims that address
environmental claims included in labeling,
advertising, promotional materials, and all other
forms of marketing, whether asserted directly or by
implication, through words, symbols, emblems,
logos, depictions, [and] product brand names.
TheFTC Guides currently require every express
and material-implied claim that the generalassertion conveys to reasonable consumers about
an objective quality, feature, or attribute of a
product or service must be substantiated. Heres
where labels and certifications come in.
In performing your extended research about
certain products, youll find there are different
types of information resources that can aid your
search. Directories are plentiful; these yellow
pages of existing green building products can
serve as a starting point to figure out what your
options are in a certain product category.
If you want some form of substantiation of
product content or performance, then youll be
looking for labels and certifications. Labels are simple
systems, often based on a single performance
attribute like energy or recycled content, in which a
blanket label is applied to all products. Certifications,
on the other hand, are complex assessments that rely
on multiple, science-based criteria for determiningwhether or not a product qualifies.
Though differentiating between labels and
certifications can be tricky, I generally classify
systems that only consider a single performance
attribute as labels, while certifications assess
multiple product attributes. For example, EnergyStar, which is the oldest third-party label in the
U.S., uses energy as the primary attribute for rating
washing machines, but the label is not associated
with water use reduction, which would contribute
to it being a multiple-attribute rating. Sometimes
looking at a single product attribute is helpful, but
if youre looking for a designation that assesses
products more holistically, look for a certifica-
tionor multiple labels.
Depending on the product category, certifica-
tions vary widely in which performance criteria
they include. Some certifications focus very deeply
on chemical components or indoor air quality
(e.g., Greenguard), while others include everything
from raw material extraction to end-of-life issues
(e.g., Cradle to Cradle); a few even include
information about the corporate sustainability
commitments of the product manufacturers
themselves (e.g., SMaRT).Given the many considerations certifications
include, you still need to ensure that a product will
perform its most important function and meet the
priorities youve set for your specific project and
application. Then, you can review the added benefits
of the other attributes to further inform your
decision-making process. Youll find its much easier
to find multiple-attribute certifications for certain
types (e.g., carpet, floor coverings, cabinets, furni-
ture, and wood) than for others. Over time, more
and more product categories will join this group.
LEVELS OF INDEPENDENCE
In addition to considering what a label or certifica-
tion includes, youll also want to know who is
backing up these green product claims. There are
three levels of independence when it comes to
evaluating labels and certifications.
First-party certifications are claims made by thedesigner, manufacturer, or other party directly
associated with the creation and sale of the product
in question. These are also called self certifications.
Resources
In addition to labels and certifications,here are a few third-party resourcesthat provide general guidelines for
green product selection.
BEES:A life cycle assessmentbasedside-by-side product comparisontool created by the National Instituteof Standards and Technology.www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees.
BUILDINGGREEN AND THE
GREENSPEC DIRECTORY:Anindependent media source that
thoroughly investigates productclaims. (Subscription required fordetailed information.) www.buildinggreen.com.
GREEN2GREEN:Though still in theinformation-gathering phase,Green2Greens goal is to provideside-by-side comparisons of greenbuilding products based on basiccharacteristics, installation require-
ments and experiences, environ-mental attributes, and performance.www.green2green.org.GREEN BUILDING ALLIANCE:Anaffiliate of the USGBC, GBA worksdirectly with green building productmanufacturers to help themimprove their understanding of thegreen building marketplace. GBAsdownloadable matrix comparescertifications in terms of cost tomanufacturers; number of productscertified; first-, second-, andthird-party designations; etc.
Version 2 will be out this summer.www.gbapgh.org.
RATE IT GREEN:Online communitysharing information about greenbuilding products; includes a
directory of products and services,as well as a rating system driven byusers. Its Green Building 101Resource Guide is an encyclopediaof green building and greenproduct resources. (Free to join.Online Resource Guide access is$19.95.) www.rateitgreen.com.
ECOHOME MAGAZINE:Print andWeb resource featuring a wide
range of green building productcategories and certified productsused in case study projects.www.ecohomemagazine.com.
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
37/52
Circle no. 61
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
Future Resources
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
38/52
36 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
All green claims are made directly by the party who
creates or sells the product.
Second-party certifications are assertions orlabels applied by an outside organization or
individual that has financial or other interests in the
manufacturer pursuing product certification, such
as trade associations, investors, or direct consultants.
Third-party certifications are the highest level
of assurance for verifying independent product
claims; they are made by an independent, unbiased
third party. Third parties have no connection to
manufacturers except the fee paid for the certifica-
tion process. Green Seal and Greenguard, among
many others, fall into this category.
Sometimes knowing where a product certifica-
tion comes from and everything it considers is still
not enough to make a concrete decision. Thats
when you should take a look at its compliance with
other larger standard creation bodies like the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and
the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)two bodies that certify the certificationorganizations themselves. Certifications created
according to ANSI or ISO standards must meet
high levels of quality, consistency, public comment
and review, and accessibility in both the creation
and maintenance of their certifications.
If youre looking for multiple-attribute third-party
certifications, a good place to start if youre trying to
figure out what product certifications are out there is
the NAHBs Model Green Home Building
Guidelines (which served as the basis for the
National Green Building Standard) and the
USGBCs LEED rating system. While neither of
these green building rating systems certifies
products, both reference a host of product labels and
certifications (see sidebar, page 32). If you use, trust,
and/or are a big proponent of either (or both)
systems, it might be helpful to at least start exploring
the certifications that these and other green building
rating systems reference, as they mostly point tothird-party labels or certifications that are trusted by
many green building industry stakeholders within
the green building industry.
If youre especially diligent about how and why
you specify green products, you know that
choosing a multiple-attribute third-party certifica-tion is not enough, especially since theyre not all
equal. So it is worth repeating that you need to
trust the source of your information, which means
you need to trust the organization that awards the
product certification.
If you dont understand whats behind the
certifications logo and everything a manufacturer
has to do to get it, how can you justify your product
choices? I encourage you to take the time to go
beyond the certification, visit the certifying bodys
Web site and download the relevant standard.
FINAL ANSWER
So, which ones the best? Unfortunately, there is no
overarching answer to that question. Trying to
select or specify a green product is the same as
selecting a non-green product. Its just that in
addition to all the important criteria you are used
to evaluating, now you have many environmentaland social considerations to include in your
decision-making process. Luckily, you can use
multiple-attribute third-party labels and certifica-
tions to help you navigate the world of green
building product claims. For product categories
where no certification programs exist yet, youll
need to rely on your greenwash radar and filter out
unrealistic or improper claims.
The green product market may not be as easy to
navigate as wed like, but its a lot better than it used to
be and getting better. The system of independently
verified green product claims has not yet sorted itself
out, and it will take some time to mature. One thing
you can do now is to let manufacturers and suppliers
that are making unfounded claims know that you
wont trust or accept them without independent
substantiation. Your reputation and theirs will depend
on making verifiable and realistic product claims.
Aurora Sharrard, Ph.D., LEED AP, is research
manager for the nonprofit Green Building Alliance
(GBA) in Pittsburgh. www.gbapgh.org.
More product selection help is onthe way. Heres what you can expectin the near future.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT
DECLARATION: A popular methodof disclosing detailed environmen-tal information about products inEurope. The Green Standard hascreated the first system for the
U.S., which it has dubbed theGaia Product Profile.www.thegreenstandard.org.
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: LCA is
a holistic assessment of theeconomic and environmentalimpacts of a product or processover its entire life cycle (raw-materials extraction, transportation,manufacturing, installation, use, andend of life). LCA is more of acategory of information than an
exact resource. However, the NAHBand Green Globes alreadyreference information obtained
through an LCA; LEED is addingthis component this year. Look formore products to start referencingor providing LCAs to back up theenvironmental information abouttheir products. www.lcacenter.org/LCA/begin.html.
PHAROS: The Pharos lens attemptsto translate complex productinformation into a visual guide
consumers can use to assesswhether or not building productsare truly sustainable, based on 16criteria. www.pharoslens.net;www.pharosproject.net/wiki.
ad index
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
39/52
MAY | JUNE 2009
homeecoYOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY
ADVERTISER PAGE
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICESEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESIDENTIAL REMODELINGRick Strachan202.736.3332 | Fax: 202.785.1974rstrachan@hanleywood.com
GROUP PUBLISHER & MIDWEST TERRITORYMichael Boyle773.824.2402 | Fax: 773.824.2401mboyle@hanleywood.com
PUBLISHER & NORTHEAST TERRITORYMark Taussig202.736.3406 | Fax: 202.785.1974mtaussig@hanleywood.com
GROUP PUBLISHING SUPPORT MANAGERHelene Slavin202.736.3428 | Fax: 202.785.1974hslavin@hanleywood.com
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, SOUTHEASTFredderick Chandler202.729.3544 | Fax: 202.785.1974fchandler@hanleywood.com
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, WEST
Ron Hewett970.669.1607 | Fax: 202.785.1974rhewett@hanleywood.com
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, CANADAJohn Magner416.598.0101 | Fax: 416.598.9191
jmagner@yorkmedia.net
DIRECTOR, MEDIA SERVICESMari Skelnik773.824.2463 | Fax: 773.824.2401mskelnik@hanleywood.com
PRODUCT LITERATURE & CLASSIFIED
One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20005-5811202.452.0800 | Fax: 202.785.1974
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT GROUPJanet Allen
Subscription orders or inquiries:In U.S. call 888.269.8410;International call 847.291.5221
Online: www.omeda.com/ecohome (orders only)Fax 847.291.4816Back issues: Call 888.269.8410
List rental: Call Scott Perillo 203.778.8700 ext. 132
Reprints: Contact Erik Eberz, YGS Group717.399.1900 ext. 150 | erik.eberz@theygsgroup.com
Media kits: Contact Janet Allenjallen@hanleywood.com
Ainsworth Engineered C4 39Arch Wood Protection C3 3
BioBased Insulation 12 55Correct Deck 45 63Cosella-Dorken 29 31Custom-Bilt Metals 5 48Fantech 47 6General Electric 6 14Green Product Awards 2009 17 Integrity from Marvin Windows & Doors 8, 8a-b 11JELD-WEN Windows & Doors 15 53Knauf Insulation 39 52Masco Home Services/Environments for Living C2-1 51
Met-Tile 45 57Milgard Windows & Doors 23 60Panasonic 2 32Pine Hall Brick 37 16Pollard Windows & Doors 47 17Propane Council 16a-d -Radiant Floor Company 22 18Sealants Direct 28 50Skuttle Tight 28 34Smith & Fong Plyboo 16 59
Therma-Stor 35 61Titebond by Franklin International 43 54
Viance 11 Whirlpool Corporation 33 -
Circle no. 16
product review | DECKING
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
40/52
38 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
New Jersey deck builder Gustavio del la
Cruz says his Millston Townshipremodeling company is in the direction
of being green, but that its hard to nail down
which decking products are eco-friendly. Every
manufacturer says their product is green, says
de la Cruz, who owns Barrett Contracting. And
he admits, Wed like to use green practices on all
of our projects, but only 20% are.
The reason: Few of his consumers ask for
eco-friendly decksand those who do cant
figure out if wood, wood-plastic composites, or
all-plastic deck boards are greenest. With no
green standards in the deck-building industry,
many remodelers likely dont know, either.
Indeed, decking manufacturers themselves are
still figuring it out. Manufacturers of products
ranging from uncertified but chemical-free exotic
hardwoods to all-virgin, recyclable PVC deck
boards claim their products are as eco-friendly as
plantation-grown, pressure-treated wood or
recycled-content, hard-to-dispose-of composites.
Here is a review of the green claims and
qualities of the most common decking materials.
SOLID WOOD
The oldest and most popular decking material
is also the one that is renewable: wood.
Western cedar and redwood are homeowner
favorites because of their rich color and naturalresistance to rot and insects. Decks made from
FSC- or SFI-certified wood are universally
accepted as green because suppliers can prove
through chain-of-custody that their wood comes
from sustainably managed forests.
Still, theres plenty of redwood and cedar on
the market that comes from poorly managed
forests whose owners indulge in unsustainable
harvesting. Plus, some builders say wood from
young redwood trees does not have the natural
resistance of old growth. Theres an illusion on
the part of the consumer that if they get a
redwood deck, its not going to rot, notes David
Johnston, author ofGreen From the Ground Up
and president of Whats Working, a Boulder,
Colo., consulting firm. Thats not true.
ARCH TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES. The companys Wolmanized L3 outdoor wood preservative is nonmetallic and carbon-based. The biocides used in the
preservative are known to degrade in soil, so they do not accumulate, the manufacturer says. Applied to wood, the product resists termites and fungal decay,
and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. In addition, Wolmanized L3-treated wood retains its natural color with no green tint. And because the preservative
includes no copper, the wood is easier on saw blades, the company reports. A built-in water repellent helps the wood stay straighter longer than unprotected
wood, the manufacturer says. Wolmanized L3-treated wood is appropriate only for out-of-ground use. 678.627.2000. www.wolmanizedwoodl3.com. Circle 342.
STACK
THEDECK
When selecting green deck
materials, consider content,
resources, and life cycle.
By Sharon OMalley
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
41/52
Circle no. 52
product review | DECKING
CORRECT BUILDING PRODUCTS. Made with
8/14/2019 Ecohome - 05 JUN 2009
42/52
40 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009
Likewise, he says, new cedar trees, while
less afflicted by fungus and insects than the
white sapwood of young redwoods, can be
less stable and more apt to warp and twist
than older trees, so deck boards need
replacing more often.
A growing number of homeowners and
pros have turned to exotic hardwoods,
especially Brazilian-grown ipe. Among the
tallest in the Amazon region, these huge trees
can grow trunks measuring up to 6 feet indiameter. The consumer appeal of this
unusually strong, dense wood and similar
exotic species is a stunning reddish-brown hue
that weathers to a silvery patina, coupled with
a natural resistance to rot, decay, insects, mold,
and even fire without the use of chemicals.
But for builders committed to using
certified lumber, ipe and other South and
Central American hardwoods are hard to
come by, and the price is often inflated by
demand and the high cost of earning
certification in South America. The energy
expended in transport is another detractor.
So the most commonly usedand
least-expensivewood deck boards are
made from fast-growing Southern pine,
grown domestically on plantations where
sustainability isnt an issue.
What becomes an issue is its need fortreatment with a preservative to ward off rot
and termites. Preservative manufacturers
voluntarily bumped chromated copper
arsenate (CCA) from use in the early 2000s;
since then, alternative treatments, like ACQ
(alkaline copper quat), have become
commonplace. The replacements werent
perfect, however, as early formulations of
ACQ leached more copper into the soil than
CCA and corroded steel fasteners. Newer
formulations, including micronized ACQ, are
said to be less likely to leach and corrode.
More recently, a number of manufacturers
have introduced non-metallic preservatives
for deck boards.
Amid the growing number of new wood
treatment products is heat-treated lumber,
which forgoes chemical protection for a
heat-and-steam treatment that changes thewoods makeup so that it is no longer edible to
insects. The lingering question with these
relatively new materials is whether the energy
80% recycled content, CorrectDeckCX is PVC-free
and made from 60% hardwood fiber and 40%
UV-stabilized polypropylene. The manufacturer
claims the deck boards are resistant to rotting,
staining, and fading, largely because of the recentaddition of a top layer of virgin polypropylene
about 1% of the
Recommended