New Green Building Materials

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Insulation

Cotton insulation made from pre-consumer recycled denim scrap makes an efficient insulator with no impact on indoor air quality and, according to Building Green, negligible pollution during manufacture. Of the two brands available, Bonded Logic treats their insulation with a borate flame retardant and InnoTherm is reported to use a mix of borate and ammonium sulfate, both healthier alternatives to brominated flame retardants which accumulate in our bodies (www.bondedlogic.com, www.innotherm.com).

Bamboo Flooring:

Over the last several years, bamboo flooring has emerged as a great alternative to conventional wood flooring. Bamboo is rapidly renewable and durable. Many species of bamboo reach maturity in three to six years, where hardwoods like maple and oak take 50 years or more. It is also harder than most hardwood flooring. Unfortunately the adhesives used to manufacture bamboo laminate usually contain formaldehyde. As with plywood, though, new adhesive technology has made possible many formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring products.

Formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring

www.bamboomountain.com
www.greenfloors.com
www.bamboohardwoods.com

Paint

Lastly, when the dust has settled and the carpenters have left, you'll want to brighten things up with a layer of paint. But paints can offgas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as the known carcinogens and neurotoxins benzene, toluene and formaldehyde. You can now find zero- and low-volatile organic compound paints just about anywhere paint is sold, and even better, the cost is comparable to conventional latex paints. Over 25 brands of low-VOC paint are on the market, including AFM safecoat (www.afmsafecoat.com), Air Care by Coronado (www.coronadopaint.com) and Ecological Paint by Innovative Formulations (www.ecologicalpaint.com).

American Clay's Natural Earth Plaster is a no-VOC wall coating that comes in 32 colors and provides a warm, durable surface. Made of clay, recycled marble dust, non-toxic mineral pigments and boric acid to eliminate mold, Natural Earth Plaster is designed for interior use and can be applied to most surfaces excluding oriented strand board and other materials liable to expand and contract (www.americanclay.com).

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