Low-emitting

Foil-Grip 1402 is a zero-VOC aluminum tape with butyl sealant for use on flexible ducts. According to the manufacturer, Foil-Grip will adhere at temperatures up to 180ºF, is rugged enough for outdoor or below-grade use, and has a 40-year service life. Foil-Grip is available in 100' rolls in widths from 2"–36".

Carlisle manufactures a line of low-VOC and water-based duct sealants. Of those with less than 50 g/L VOCs, Flex-Grip 550 and Iron-Grip 601 are formulated for long-term flexibility, and Versa-Grip 102 and CCWI-181 are fiber-reinforced and UV-protected for outdoor use.

FlexFix is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. FlexFix is hand-tearable and the manufacturer claims it will adhere in temperatures from 0ºF–210ºF. FlexFix is available in 3" and 48mm widths in black and silver.

Intertape AC 698 is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. AC 698 hand-tears and Intertape claims it will adhere in temperatures up to 210ºF. AC 698 is available in black, clear, silver, and red.

The Galvaply roofing system is designed for slopes as low as 1/4:12 on new construction or retrofits. Galvalume steel panels provide solar reflectance of .75 and emissivity of .80 over a steel framing system with metal flashing and stainless steel drain system and seam fasteners. The company claims the system contains 60% total recycled material and will last for over 40 years. (The company does not delineate how much is post-consumer recycled content, or how it is divided up by system components.) Galvaply is installed with no PAH-releasing tar products or offgassing glues.

Huber’s Zip System consists of a sheathing with a built-in water-resistive barrier, eliminating the need for house wrap and speeding installation. When used with the company’s seam tape, the Zip System has an air leakage rate of 0.037 L/s•m2 @ 75 Pascal per ASTM E2357 (below the ABAA standard of 0.2 L/s•m2 @ 75 Pascal) and can contribute to an airtight building assembly while allowing vapor permeability, thus reducing the risk of moisture damage. Available for roofs and walls, this sheathing incorporates Huber’s PS2-rated AdvanTech floor panels, which are made with low-emitting no-added formaldehyde (NAUF) resins (a combination of phenol formaldehyde and MDI). The green outer skin is Kraft paper impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin, which forms a thermoset polymer coating . Available in 7/16"-thick 4'x8', 4'x9', and 4'x10' panels and ½"-thick 4'x8' panels, Zip sheathing comes with a 30-year warranty.

Kirei's Pacific Coastal line of paneling consists of redwood from post-industrial manufacturing scrap and blue pine from beetle-killed trees. In addition to slatwalls and tabletop slabs, the wood is available in 1/4" (1-ply) 1x8 panels and 3/4" (3-ply) 4x8 panels. The company recommends the line for applications including walls, flooring, cabinetry, and furniture. All Kirei Pacific Coastal products use NAUF resin and are CARB II certified.

Armor S2000 is a sodium-silicate-based penetrating, strengthening concrete sealer with zero VOC content. Armor S2000 is intended for interior or exterior concrete, brick, and masonry; according to the manufacturer it is ideal for basements, where it provides waterproofing up to 100 PSI, prevents mold and mildew, and reduces the transmission of gases including radon. Applied with a garden sprayer, the product penetrates 4” into concrete, according to the company, and reacts with it, working under the surface to strengthen the substrate without leaving behind a coating. One gallon of Armor S2000 can provide two coats on 1,250 ft2 of new concrete, or 700 ft2 of old or porous concrete. It is also available in half-gallon containers, and carries a lifetime warranty.

CAFboard is a compressed-fiber panel manufactured by Stramit from wheat straw. The company markets the boards for SIPs, door cores, interior sheathing, acoustical panels, and many other applications. CAFboard is processed under high heat and pressure, which convert lignin already present in the straw into a natural binder—no binder is added, and testing shows zero VOC emissions. The boards have a STC ratings of 32 (for thinner boards) and 45 (for thicker boards); and a one- or two-hour fire rating (depending on thickness) based on ASTM E119/UL263. The boards contain no added flame retardants. CAFboard is available in densities from 15.6 to 40.5 pounds per cubic foot, and Stramit USA claims that the R-value of these panels ranges from R-2.32 to R-3.03. However, the company couldn't provide a lab report backing those claims, and we think they are exaggerated—see our full review for more discussion.

Stramit also claims high resistance to mold and mildew without added chemicals, low moisture absorption, natural termite resistance, and a negative carbon footprint. CAFboard panels range in thickness from 1.000" to 3.125" and are available in two standard widths—31.50" and 42.24". The company also incorporates CAFboard into two other Stramit products: the CAFsteel panelized building system and the CAFquiet interior partition system, which features an STC rating of 50.

Mapei offers low-VOC mortars for a wide range of applications. Many of the company’s products meet California’s Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) emissions criteria, including Kerabond, Keralastic, Granirapid, and Ultraflex LFT thin-set mortars.

Laticrete offers a wide range of low-VOC thin, medium, and thick bed mortars. These include Greenguard Children & Schools certified products for interior or exterior adhesion of ceramic tile, stone, glass, brick, and other materials to a variety of substrates.

Aerolon is a hydrophobic, UV-stable, and non-combustible insulating silica aerogel coating that is suited for use in hard-to-insulate applications. Aerolon coatings insulate to R-4.1 per inch, so a typical 2 mm coating provides only about R-0.32. This is not intended as an insulating layer for buildings, but it can be appropriate where only thin layers (a few millimeters) can be applied. The energy performance benefit of Aerolon coatings will be greatest when there would otherwise be no insulation—particularly on metal surfaces where heat loss and condensation problems can be most significant. It is also used on pipes, tanks, or other high-temperature applications to prevent burns from skin contact. Coatings are quite viscous and applied in thicker layers than most other coatings—typically 2 mm in an acrylic-based formulation, and thicker layers (up to about a half-inch) can be achieved with multiple coatings. Aerolon is available in a low-VOC, water-based, acrylic formulation with a VOC content of less than 50 g/liter. Aerolon is yellow in color; for most applications, a primer is applied, then the Aerolon layer, then a pigmented topcoat.

Ardex Ardicoat Plus uses fine portland cement powder and liquid acrylic to form a waterproof coating. Ardicoat Plus is typically used on balcony restoration, on the top side of weathered slabs, and for waterproofing foundations in place of asphaltic damproofing and bitumens, and is appropriate for commercial or residential applications. The emulsion is fiber-reinforced, but the company recommends using propylene mesh during installation for added reinforcement and to make sure the coating is applied at the proper thickness.

Flash UV is a low-VOC, waterborne polyurethane floor coating that uses a combination of photoinitiators and UV light, rather than isocyanates, for curing. This coating contains no hazardous airborne pollutant (HAPs), contains only 10 g/l VOC (compared to 180 g/l or more for most commercial waterborne polyurethanes), and does not use glycol ethers. Typical polyurethanes take a week or more to fully cure, but Flash UV cures almost instantly, so the floor can be used an hour or two after application, making it appropriate for retail or other applications that cannot be shut down for extended periods. Flash UV is available in matte, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss.

UVolve is a line of UV-cured clear acrylic coatings developed for use on concrete, terrazzo, and vinyl composite tile (VCT). Applied onsite, they contain photoinitiators that cure and harden the coating instantly when exposed to UV light, producing a durable, low-maintenance surface that is free of the bisphenol-A (BPA) found in epoxy used in many concrete coatings. UVolve coatings are durable enough that they can be cleaned with soap and water, rather than having to be stripped and refinished, and their fast cure time and low VOC emissions make them appropriate for applications requiring a quick curing floor finish, such as retail outfits or hospitals. UVolve forms a thin coating, so it is not intended to replace all epoxy floor finishes.