Read the following for some practical tips on how to select healthy and environmentally-friendly products for three of the most commonly used types of home remodeling and renovation materials. The materials addressed here -- paint, flooring, and wood particleboard/fiberboard cover a significant amount of surface area in a home and they can be detrimental to your health if conventional products are used.
Many of the conventional products contain a host of toxic chemicals and their associated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause respiratory, skin, and eye irritation, headaches, nausea, muscle weakness, and more serious ailments. VOCs are also harmful to the environment, because they contribute to ground-level ozone (i.e., smog). Fortunately, many non-toxic, low-VOC alternatives are now available, since the demand for healthy homes and healthy products has grown. Links are provided so that you can find more information on specific products and where you can purchase them.
PAINT
• Beyond just selecting a latex, water-based paint instead of an alkyd oil-based paint, you should seek out paints specifically marketed for their "low-VOC" content. More than 25 brands of low-VOC paints are now available. Almost all of the major paint manufacturers now offer one product line that is "zero-VOC" or "low-VOC" (and therefore, often low-odor). Most of these are in the same price range as their conventional counterparts.
• White and light pastel-colored paints typically contain fewer VOCs, and darker pigments contain more VOCs.
• Most low-VOC paints are interior paints, but a couple of low-VOC exterior paints are available.
• Standards for low-VOC paints have been established by the non-profit organization, Green Seal, which has set the following VOC limits: For flat paints, 50 g/L (grams per liter); for non-flat paints, 150 g/L.
• You can find the VOC content of any paint by requesting the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the manufacturer or paint store; these sheets are often available for download on paint companies' websites. The chemicals that are commonly found in paints include formaldehyde, aldehydes, and styrene. Other ingredients of concern include heavy metals (e.g., mercury, cadmium, chromium).
• In addition to low-VOC synthetic paints, there are alternative "natural" paints; natural paints are often derived from milk protein, lime, clay, and earth pigments.
FLOORING
• It's a good idea to avoid putting down carpet wherever possible, because carpet serves as a harbor for dust, dirt, bacteria, and mold. Also, many types of carpet off-gas VOCs and contain other toxic chemicals.
• If you decide to use carpet in some areas, consider a carpet made of a natural fiber (e.g., wool, coir, sisal) rather than synthetic carpeting. But if you use wool, beware of mothproofing pesticide treatments, which can be highly toxic. Of the synthetic carpet materials, 100% nylon is safer than others. Be sure that the carpet comes with a non-toxic backing and use either non-toxic adhesives or tack-down installation. Never install carpet in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, or other moist areas where mold can easily grow.
• Vinyl flooring is commonly used in non-carpeted areas of houses, but it should also be avoided, because it contains PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Dioxin is a by-product of PVC production and it is highly toxic; it is especially dangerous if burned and inhaled, in the event of a fire. (More info on PVC can be found at healthybuilding.net)
Bamboo Flooring
Many people find bamboo flooring very attractive. It looks similar to regular wood flooring, but it is harder and more durable. Bamboo has a short growing time, so it is a rapidly renewable resource. Most bamboo flooring contains trace amounts of formaldehyde; one brand that does not is Bamboo Hardwoods, and TimberGrass contains very low levels.
• Bamboo Hardwoods: Washington, (800)783-0557; San Francisco representative: (510)550-4449, bamboohardwoods.com
• TimberGrass: Washington, (800)929-6333; Northern California distributor-Butler Johnson Corp., (800)776-2167 x302, timbergrass.com
• EcoTimber: 1611 4th Street, San Rafael, (415)258-8454, ecotimber.com
• California Bamboo Flooring Co.: 134 Paul Dr. #102, San Rafael, (888)548-7548, californiabamboo.com
• Plyboo, Smith & Fong Co.: 375 Oyster Point Blvd. #3S, South San Francisco, (650)872-1184, (866)835-9859, plyboo.com
FSC-Certified Wood Flooring
In the San Francisco Bay Area, it is becoming fairly easy to find wood products that are certified as sustainably harvested. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines address environmental, economic, and social aspects of forestry management practices. Look for the FSC logo on wood products that you purchase. There are other wood certification entities (such as the industry-sponsored Sustainable Forestry Initiative), but their standards are not nearly as rigorous. (Another wood flooring option is reclaimed wood, which is sometimes available in beautiful wide-plank varieties.)
Manufacturers of FSC-certified wood flooring include: Whitethorn (Whitethorn, CA), Parquet By Dian (Gardena, CA), Endura Hardwood Products (Oregon), Cascadia Forest Goods (OR), and others. Local stores and lumberyards that carry FSC-certified wood include:
• EcoTimber: 1611 4th Street, San Rafael, (415)258-8454, ecotimber.com
• Hayward Lumber: various Central Coast stores, (800)640-1959, haywardlumber.com
Natural Linoleum
In kitchen and bathroom areas where vinyl flooring is often used, natural linoleum can be used instead. (Vinyl flooring is sometimes generically referred to as "linoleum," so be sure to request "natural linoleum.") Natural linoleum is made of linseed oil, pine resins, and jute. It was used for decades before vinyl flooring became available, and it's making a comeback. Natural linoleum can be bought at almost any flooring or home improvement store.
Manufacturers of natural linoleum include Forbo and Armstrong. Some of the local stores that carry natural linoleum are:
• Home Depot: All stores have Armstrong (sometimes by special order), homedepot.com
• Floorcraft: 470 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco, (415)824-4056, carpetone.com
Tile
Ceramic tile is a natural material, and some types of tile are made from recycled glass (including the products listed below). When buying tile (especially imported tile), just be careful not to buy tiles with lead-based or radioactive (often cobalt blue or burnt orange) glazes. Also, use non-toxic adhesives, mortars, and grouts for installing the tile.
Manufacturers of recycled-content tile include: Oceanside Glasstile (Carlsbad, CA), Terra Green Ceramics, Environmental Stone, and Crossville Eco-Cycle and Eco-Cycle Stone.
Local stores that carry some of these types of tiles include:
• Walker Zanger: 101 Henry Adams St., Suite 412, San Francisco, (415)487-2130, walkerzanger.com
• Ceramic Tile Design: 189 13th St., San Francisco, (415)575-3785
• Floorcraft: 470 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco, (415)824-4056, carpetone.com
Cork
Cork flooring is another natural and durable material, and it has a unique and warm aesthetic. Again, be sure to use non-toxic adhesives for installation.
Manufacturers of cork flooring include Natural Cork, Dodge-Regupol, and Hendricksen Naturlich. Local stores that carry cork flooring include:
• Floorcraft: 470 Bayshore Blvd., San Francisco, (415)824-4056, carpetone.com
Concrete
For certain types of rooms and some aesthetic tastes, exposed concrete flooring is a nice option. You can get concrete with a pigment color integrated into the material, you can paint the concrete, or you can simply use a clear (non-toxic) sealer for a more modern or industrial look.
WOOD PARTICLEBOARD/FIBERBOARD
• Traditional "particleboard" is used extensively in home construction and renovation. It is often used for cabinetry, shelving, countertop substrate, doors, subflooring, and furniture. Unfortunately, urea formaldehyde resins are usually added to particleboard, which makes it an unhealthy material to use.
• There are several alternative, composite wood boards that do not contain urea formaldehyde. Sierra Pine's Medite II and Medex MDF are the only types of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) that are formaldehyde-free. Other alternatives are wheatboards and other agricultural-waste fiberboards; these include Primeboard and Pacific Northwest Fiber's "Tree Free Particleboard."
• Interior-grade plywood also contains urea formaldehyde. Exterior-grade plywood contains phenyl formaldehyde instead, which is much less toxic. You can use exterior-grade plywood in lieu of interior-grade.
Local stores that carry formaldehyde-free alternatives to particleboard include:
You can go a long way towards creating a healthy home environment for you and your family by using non-toxic paint, flooring, and wood fiberboard materials. There are many other types of materials that you can select to create an even healthier indoor environment; for example, there are non-toxic options for adhesives, stains, wallpaper, and insulation, among other materials. Look for links and future articles on healthyhomeplans.com to learn about these products.
Knowledge is more than power. Knowledge is health.
Credits Miriam Landman is a freelance writer, and Senior Associate with Simon & Associates, a green building consulting firm in San Francisco.
Healthy Home Plans provides quality architectural home plans that
feature environmentally-friendly design and non-toxic construction
materials. In addition to home plans, they offer healthy building
specification guidelines for remodeling and many related educational
resources and products.
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