Building Materials
Playground Equipment & Decking
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Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated wood playground equipment and decking |
Recycled plastic and composite lumber, sustainable-grown wood |
Insulation
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Poorly installed, leaky, formaldehyde-filled products |
Soy, wool, and cotton, non-hazardous, well-installed products |
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems (HVAC)
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Poorly installed, leaky house envelope, using expensive energy to manage heating and cooling |
Well-designed whole house systems, passive solar strategies, Energy Star air conditioners and heaters |
Photovoltaic systems (PV)
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Large-ugly roof panels, limited battery storage/use options |
Sleek, efficient, solar roof panels and tiles, computerized, energy managing, on-grid, off-grid combination systems |
Wood Framing, Wall Boards, Cabinetry, Trims & Molding
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Conventional wood sources, wastefully-cut, Over-framed, and wallboard materials filled with Formaldehyde and other toxic chemical binders Termite-tempting, wood-wasting siding |
Salvaged Wood, Certified Wood, sustainably grown wood, Low Volotile Organic Compound (VOC) Engineered Lumber, Optimal Value Engineering, Advanced Framing Techniques, Prefab Wall Systems (SIPS), Steel, Rammed Earth, Straw Bale, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), Strawboard/Wheatboard Fiber-cement siding |
Paints, Finishes, Wall Coverings
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Paints, stains, lacquers and other finishes containing solvents with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and other harmful off-gassing additives Vinyl, glue-heavy, VOC emitting wall coverings |
Low VOC paints, clays, milkpaints and water based, non-toxic finishes VOC-free natural, materials using non-toxic adhesives |
Landscaping
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Liberal use of pesticides to control pests, and herbicides to control garden weeds |
Integrated Pest management techniques (IPM), low toxicity products and home recipes |
Glues, Sealants & Caulks
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Highly-volatile adhesives, solvents and caulks |
Water-based, 100% silicone, and low VOC products |
Deconstruction
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All materials rendered useless, then hauled off to landfill |
Careful deconstruction, selling/reusing/recycling all possible materials |
Windows
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Drafty single-paned, energy-leaking windows |
Double-paned, properly installed, heat-reflecting Energy Star windows |
Concrete with Fly Ash
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Carbon Dioxide producing new concrete |
Recycled, Fly Ash, added concrete |
Roofing and Attics
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Heat-absorbing dark tile and shingle roofing materials |
Heat abating light-colored roofing materials, roof underlays, vegetal roofs |
Spotlight on the Experts
James Chuda
My wife, Nancy, and I chose to put our energies into something positive, and spent the past five years constructing an all natural home using the safest materials on the market. Building an entirely green home, inside and out, epitomized our lives' work in environmental activism. The house is an eco-friendly project highlighting holistic and ecological architecture with all materials, products, and furnishings that not only protect … Read More »
