Growing and harvesting our building materials would be a great way to move toward a closed-loop system rather than a linear path from extraction to disposal. Doing so holds the promise of true sustainability and regeneration of ecosystems instead of damage to them.
Unfortunately, biobased materials today can be at least as problematic as any other material. Intensive land use, chemical use, fuel use, nutrient runoff, and other pollution are among the impacts of agriculture; add to that competition between food crops and those used for building materials or fuel. We would like to see sustainable use of biobased materials, but improving practices and figuring out how to assess and document more sustainable practices will take a long time. There is no ready equivalent to FSC for biobased materials that aren’t wood, although certification to “organic” standards or other sustainable agriculture standards can provide guidance in some cases.
At the same time, we don’t want to exclude biobased products that are typically responsibly sourced just because they don’t have a certification—particularly where they replace more problematic materials. GreenSpec continues to give preference to rapidly renewable alternatives to materials that present greater concerns. Examples of rapidly renewable materials in GreenSpec include linoleum, cork, and textiles such as wool, sisal, and organic cotton.
Monocoat
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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.
Monocoat, offered by Special Hardwood Products, is a zero-VOC floor finish derived from plant oils and natural waxes. Monocoat is available in several formulations and is appropriate for residential and commercial use, as well as interior or exterior spaces. Creative finishes are available, including products that react with the tannins in the wood to produce a unique finish. Monocoat is derived from rapidly renewable flax and carnauba plants. As the name suggests, Monocoat is applied in one coat, and according to the company, if it is properly maintained, it does not need to be resanded. After application, it needs 24–36 hours before being walked on.
Protecting wood floors in commercial or residential settings poses significant challenges. Many of today’s surface coatings are either too toxic (moisture-cure urethane) or lack the durability and require too much maintenance (penetrating oils and wax) to be viable choices for commercial or heavy residential use.
Contemporary waterborne finishes, however, can provide the durability of the toughest oil-based products with fewer negative environmental consequences. These finishes are available in one and two-part systems. One-part polyurethanes are less expensive but may not have the durability of two-part systems. Two-part polyurethanes contain a resin and a hardener or crosslinker. These polys are considered to be the toughest in the industry, but they are expensive and are usually only sold to trained professionals.
Because durability is a key attribute of sustainable finish, proper floor preparation and application are as important as the coating. The failure of urethanes, especially waterbornes, is most often due to application problems: improper wax or dust removal; incompatible sealers, stains, and polys; or insufficient drying time between coats (humidity has a dramatic impact on curing time). Along these lines, GreenSpec has investigated the issue of panelization of athletic flooring.
Depending on the wood, sealers may need to be used to avoid tannin bleed-through, raised grain, and bonding problems. Sealers prepare wood for coating, providing a bond and initial build layer that costs far less than expensive topcoats, but these sealers have to be compatible with the polyurethane being used. Most manufacturers have low-VOC sealers formulated to work with the company’s waterborne finish. Application of any polyurethane should follow manufacturer’s recommendations and those of the National Wood Flooring Association or National Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association.
Note that most polyurethane floor coatings contain isocyanates, which cause asthma and other respiratory problems. To ensure the safety of the workers and occupants, these coatings should be applied by trained professionals with safety equipment and should fully cure before occupants are allowed to enter the building.
Products in GreenSpec use technologies known for their durability, meet California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District’s strict VOC limits, and may be certified by Greenguard or SCS Indoor Advantage and/or derived from natural materials.
LEED Credits
EQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints&Coatings
IEQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings
MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
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