These products are environmentally attractive because they need to be replaced less frequently or their maintenance has very low impact, both of which can reduce costs as well as environmental impact.
Robust answers on typical service life of products can be hard to come by, however. In GreenSpec we reserve this criterion for products where the material is clearly more durable than alternatives, such as an exceptionally traffic-resistant polyurethane floor finish. We refer to standardized tests for durability when they are available and appropriate.
We also consider “appropriate durability”: long life is more important in a building envelope than in interior finish materials that will be replaced for aesthetic reasons. Here, reduced maintenance can be particularly important. An example is resilient flooring that doesn’t require regular waxing: an unnecessary use of resources and a health hazard.
Aerolon Insulating Coating
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Before specifying efficient heating and cooling equipment, it’s important to do what we can to reduce heating and cooling loads. Insulation is one of the key products to consider here, but because there are so many insulation products on the market, we look for additional benefits. Examples include cellulose insulation with recycled content, mineral wool insulation with no flame retardants, and fiberglass insulation with no formaldehyde binders. Other products in this area are high-performance windows and glazings, products that contribute to building airtight envelopes, products that reduce thermal bridging, and window-retrofit products.
With products in this area under constant development, we are always refining our approach. For example, as we have learned about insulation products with hazardous flame retardants and blowing agents that have high global warming potential, we have removed those products from GreenSpec, pending manufacturing changes. We encourage building professionals to pressure manufacturers for those changes through specification language and purchasing decisions. -
Just how low the VOC level needs to be for a given product to qualify for inclusion in GreenSpec depends on the product category. For most products, we require certification to California’s health-based emissions standard, CDPH Std Method v1.1 standard (also referred to as California Section 01350), which tests a product’s resultant VOC concentrations in the space after a given period of time. For wet-applied products like paints, caulks, and adhesives, we still also look for VOC content instead of, or in addition to, verified low emissions; this is because emissions testing doesn’t adequately test initial offgassing, and VOC content is currently the only widely available proxy.
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.
Protection against corrosion is the primary responsibility of steel coatings, which often contain corrosion inhibitors, volatile solvents, heavy metals, and other hazardous chemicals. These coatings are specified when steel is used structurally, outdoors, or in high-use areas. In these situations, hazardous coatings are often applied offsite in controlled conditions where emissions and hazardous materials can be safely contained. Site-applied products for non-structural applications have improved dramatically and are now available in more environmentally responsible, low-VOC formulas.
GreenSpec lists steel coatings for non-structural interior and exterior applications that have VOC levels below 50 g/l and do not contain chromium, cadmium, or hazardous airborne pollutants (HAPs).
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