✳ Affordably Sustainable in Portland | Getting Past Greenwashing | Decking | Building Science: Vapor Barriers

ecohome YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY

MAY | JUNE 2009

Best Practices
Partnerships with the DOE’s Building America program and
IBACOS guide studio26’s high-performance mission.

PERMIT #312
PONTIAC, IL
PAID
US POSTAGE
PRST STD

www.ecohomemagazine.com
ADVERTISEMENT
Circle no. 51
Circle no. 32
 May | June 2009 contents

Case Studies
orefield, pa.: private residence
Partnerships with Building America and IBACOS
push this NAHB-Gold home to the highest levels
of energy efficiency. | PAGE 18

portland, ore.: helensview heights

Going green is only part of the means to sustainability
in this vibrant affordable community. | PAGE 24

Feature
keeping them honest
A guide to getting past greenwashing and
understanding product certifications. | PAGE 30

Review
decking
Eco-friendly options for wood, composite, and
plastic decking. | PAGE 38

Departments
✳ ecohomemagazine.com
Get more green at www.ecohomemagazine.com,
editor’s note
Thorough product assessment and understanding
including Web-exclusive case studies, green can help you move from gray to green. | PAGE 7
builder profiles, and product category reviews.
You’ll also find: ecoupdate
Indiana development earns ANSI certification |
■ Green-product videos from ECOHOME Online Southwall expands | K. Hovnanian’s Concept Home |
Chief Editor Jean Dimeo. Santa Fe enacts green building regulations | PAGE 9

■ Breaking news and trends. building science

Understanding vapor barriers. | PAGE 13
■ Green articles from BUILDER, REMODELING, and
other leading publications produced by new + notable
Hanley Wood, publisher of ECOHOME. Showerheads, paint, pavers, and more. | PAGE 44

■ Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter. greenwatch

Conceptual design borrows from nature. | PAGE 48

COVER PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

EcoHome (ISSN 1941-7470), is published five times per year (February, March, May, July, and November) by Hanley Wood LLC, One Thomas Circle NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Volume 2, Number 3. Copyright 2009
by Hanley Wood, LLC. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. Subscriptions are free to qualified recipients. Publisher reserves
the right to determine recipient qualification. Annual subscription rates for non-qualified recipients in the United States and possessions: $29.95; Canada, $39.95 (US funds); all other countries $49.95 (US funds). Single copy price:
$8.00. All rights reserved. Canada Publications Mail Agreement #- 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Standard Postage Paid at Washington,
DC and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EcoHome, PO Box 3597, Northbrook, IL 60065-3597.

MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 3

Earn FREE
AIA credits
now.
Hanley Wood University—The Leading
Providers of AIA Accredited Courses
Start earning your required CEU
credits quickly and easily today.
Hanley Wood University offers a
continually updated library of
AIA-approved CEU coursework,
available to you for free at architect-
CES.com and in the pages of ARCHITECT,
residential architect, ARCHITECTURAL
LIGHTING, eco-structure and metalmag.
Access courses and get
your 2009 Continuing
Education credits FREE online.
architectCES.com
Course Features
Instant Certification
Fun and Interactive
Pause and Save Tests
Immediate Feedback
and Test-Grading
Multiple Course Management
and Tracking
To learn more, contact
Jennifer Pearce at
jpearce@hanleywood.com
ecohome
EDITOR IN CHIEF Rick Schwolsky
YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY
303.473.9640 | rschwolsky@hanleywood.com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Pierce Jones, Ph.D.
CHIEF EDITOR, ONLINE Jean Dimeo Director, the University of Florida’s
202.736.3301 | jdimeo@hanleywood.com Extension Service Program for Resource Efficient Communities
ART DIRECTOR Allison Levy
202.736.3315 | alevy@hanleywood.com
INTERIM ART DIRECTOR Rhonda Hughes
202.380.3779 | rhughes@hanleywood.com
Mark LaLiberte
Principal
Building Knowledge Inc.
Nate Kredich
DEPUTY EDITOR Katy Tomasulo Vice President Residential Market Development
202.736.3303 | ktomasulo@hanleywood.com U.S. Green Building Council
MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Goodman Stuart McDonald
202.736.3358 | jgoodman@hanleywood.com Corporate Vice President of Operations
SENIOR WEB PRODUCER Ian Blyth Mercedes Homes
202.380.3717 | iblyth@hanleywood.com
Robert Pflieger
Senior Vice President
CONTRIBUTORS National Association of Home Builders
Rich Binsacca, Mark LaLiberte, Sharon O’Malley, Cheryl Weber
Doug Seiter
Founder
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION Austin Green Builder Program
TECHNOLOGIES Cathy Underwood
LEAD PRODUCTION MANAGER Margaret Coulter Steven Winter
AD TRAFFIC MANAGER Daisril Richards President
Steven Winter Associates
PREPRESS MANAGER Fred Weisskopf
PREPRESS COORDINATORS Betty Kerwin Gary Zajicek
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Paul Ruess Vice President of Construction
CIRCULATION MARKETING MANAGER Amy Barcomb Veridian Homes
READER SERVICE MANAGER Ann Russell
MARKETING MANAGER Webster Brehm
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESIDENTIAL REMODELING Rick Strachan
202.736.3332 | rstrachan@hanleywood.com
GROUP PUBLISHER, DISTRIBUTION/EBUILD GROUP Michael Boyle
773.824.2402 | mboyle@hanleywood.com
PUBLISHER, DISTRIBUTION/EBUILD GROUP Mark Taussig
202.736.3406 | mtaussig@hanleywood.com
GENERAL MANAGER, RESIDENTIAL REMODELING Kim Heneghan
202.380.3831 | kheneghan@hanleywood.com
Hanley Wood Business Media
PRESIDENT Peter M. Goldstone 202.736.3304
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Ron Kraft
VICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION & DATABASE DEVELOPMENT Nick Cavnar
VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION Nick Elsener
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EMEDIA Andreas Schmidt
Published by Hanley Wood, LLC EcoHome saved the following resources by using
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Frank Anton NewPage Arbor paper products, which contain 30%
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Matthew Flynn post-consumer recycled content and carry FSC, SFI,
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Jeffrey Craig and PEFC certifications:
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE SALES Paul Tourbaf Trees: 177
VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Joe Carroll
Energy: 106 million BTUs (1 home/year)
VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE Brad Lough
VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL Mike Bender Greenhouse gases: 36,388 pounds (3 cars/year)
VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES Bill McGrath
Waste water: 60,130 gallons
Editorial 303.473.9640 | Advertising 202.736.3406 Solid waste: 15,014 pounds
Fax 202.785.1974 (Environmental impact estimates were made using the
One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 600 Environmental Defense Fund Paper Calculator.
Washington, DC 20005
For more information, visit www.papercalculator.org.)
For subscription orders or inquiries:
In U.S. call 888.269.8410; international call 847.291.5221
Online: www.omeda.com/ecohome (orders only) Fax: 847.291.4816 Back issues: Call 888.269.8410
Privacy of Mailing List: We rent our subscriber list to reputable companies. If you do not wish to receive promotional mail from other
companies, please call us, toll-free, at 888.269.8410.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to EcoHome, P.O. Box 3597, Northbrook, IL 60065-3597.
EcoHome will occasionally write about companies in which its parent organization, Hanley Wood, LLC, has an investment interest.
When it does, the magazine will fully disclose that relationship.
Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons
quoted and not necessarily those of EcoHome.
Circle no. 48
Circle no. 14

Gray to Green
W
ithin the gray
areas that exist
between vague,
vacuous
product claims
and proven
performance lies a no-mans-land for
green building professionals seeking
reliable specs. Even with the growing
numbers of labels and certifications
that substantiate to varying degrees
“eco-friendly” claims, not enough
manufacturers are seeking third-party
certifications; too many are still making
broad, sweeping, and, frankly, meaning-
less statements.
Rick Schwolsky Product selection will continue to be
Editor in Chief one of the most critical challenges you
rschwolsky@hanleywood.com will face in meeting your green mis-
sions—and that puts your business and
reputation at risk.
As a former high-performance home
builder, I know what this feels like.
You’re caught between a commitment to
build high-performance homes that will
strengthen your business and your
responsibilities to build homes that
perform their most basic functions
without creating problems—or liabili-
ties—that could weaken your business.
You’re stuck in another gray area,
between innovation and risk.
“Nobody,” builders often say, “wants
to be the first to try out a new product,”
and yet we’re driven to embrace change
and improve the way we build. This
dilemma puts pressure on every
decision you make, whether it’s
detailing a wall section, specifying
ventilation equipment, or selecting
finishes.
You have to find a reliable level of
confidence in your decisions and
balance the trade-offs associated with
them. But how can you gain the
PHOTO: RAY NG
confidence you need? One of the
clearest suggestions about sizing-up
green building products that I’ve heard
MAY | JUNE 2009
editor’s note
in a while came from attorney Patrick
Perrone during a session at the NAHB’s
recent National Green Building
Conference in Dallas: “Only after
assessing products as building products
should you evaluate their green
attributes.”
Instead of asking, “How many green
points can I earn by using a product?”
Perrone suggests asking the following
questions: “Will it perform its most
important function?” “How long is its
warranty period?” “Is it readily avail-
able?” “How does it compare with the
products I know and use now?” “Does it
have a performance track record and
meet industry standards and code
requirements?” “Is its performance tied
to unfamiliar installation practices?”
This is solid advice that empowers
you, through your own experience and
expertise, to filter out products that
would put you outside your comfort
zone in terms of unknowns and risks.
Only after evaluating potential
selections for their application as viable
building products can you focus on
their green attributes and performance
benefits and how they’ll integrate with
the other elements of your green
projects. Then you should ask, “What
makes these products green?” “How
can I avoid greenwashing?” “How do I
verify manufacturers’ performance
claims?”
As you’ll see in Aurora Sharrard’s
feature article “Keeping Them Honest”
(page 30), navigating your way toward
reliable answers to these questions is
still troublesome and often imperfect.
But solutions are emerging, mostly
because green building professionals
are demanding more substantiated data
from manufacturers and are pressuring
them to back up their claims with
third-party certifications. Follow
Sharrard’s advice and you’ll find your
way out of the gray and into the green.
ecohomemagazine.com 7
Circle no. 11

Indiana Development
First to Achieve ANSI
Certification
The Village in Burns Harbor offers certified homes, a
walkable town center, and proximity to public transit.
T
he NAHB announced that
The Village in Burns Harbor,
a development in North-
west Indiana, is the first to
earn a land development
certification under the ANSI
700-2008 National Green Building Standard.
When complete, the neo-traditional com-
munity will include a mix of 265 residential
units along with a town center containing
retail and commercial space. Sixty homes
have been built so far; two by Coolman
Communities achieved Silver in the NAHB’s
Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
Following the approval of the National
Green Building Standard by ANSI, developer
T. Clifford Fleming revised The Village’s re-
quirements so that all remaining homes will
have to earn a minimum ANSI-Silver rating.
Land development certification is governed
by Chapter 4 of the National Standard, “Site
Design and Development,” which awards a
range of points for subsections targeting site
selection, mission and goals, site design, site
development, and innovative practices. The
Meadow Planting
Prairie Planting
CREDIT: COURTESY COOLMAN COMMUNITIES
Existing Trees
to Remain
The Village in Burns
Harbor landscape and site
development plan.
Shade Trees
MAY | JUNE 2009
program emphasizes avoiding impact on
environmentally sensitive areas, protecting
natural features, and minimizing and mitigat-
ing disturbances from construction, especially
as they relate to slope disturbance, stormwater
management, and landscaping. Points also are
available for increasing residential density and
mixed-use, pedestrian walkways, minimized
street widths, and access to public transit.
The Village’s 60-acre site sits on unused
farmland and abandoned commercial prop-
erties, and is within 5 miles of two train sta-
tions and a bus stop, meeting the Standard’s
requirement for mass transit access points.
“The development is designed around pe-
destrian activity and parks with access to the
town center,” says NAHB program verifier
Chris Schwarzkopf of Energy Diagnostics in
Valparaiso, Ind. “The roads are narrower to
reduce impermeable materials, a retention
pond collects rain runoff and is already at-
tracting wildlife, and we protected large trees
and landscaped with native species.”
For more, visit www.villageinburnsharbor.
com. —Rick Schwolsky
Windbreak Planting
Permeable
Paving
Bio-Swales
ecoupdate
COMING SOON | Ford’s
Fuel-Efficient Van
S tandard commercial vehicles often are too
heavy duty for smaller pros, and SUVs,
minivans, and cars don’t provide the necessary
convenience and durability. Ford’s solution:
the Transit Connect light-duty commercial van,
coming to the U.S. this summer. The vehicle
stores materials more efficiently than consumer
vehicles, but is more compact than a standard
commercial van, which makes it easier to
maneuver on city streets. It’s also more fuel
efficient, offering 22 mpg city and 25 mpg
highway, according to Ford. The van offers
a 1,600-pound payload capacity; high-tech
options include an in-dash computer and fleet
management software. Transit Connect has a
base price of $21,475. —Victoria Markovitz
Just Out | Southwall
Technologies Expands
S outhwall Technologies revolutionized window
performance in 1979 when it introduced
Heat Mirror, the clear selective film that launched
the industry’s search for higher efficiencies and
has contributed to improvements in windows
ever since. And while Southwall continues to sell
films to leading window and door manufacturers,
the company is now manufacturing its own
branded insulated glass. “The new subsidiary,
Southwall Insulating Glass, will produce all types
of Heat Mirror units,” says company spokesman
John Miller, “including single-, double-, and
triple-film units providing R-6 all the way up to
R-20 center of glass.” The focus, however, will
be on single-film insulating units, given their two-
times performance over conventional double-
pane glazings. —Rick Schwolsky
ecohomemagazine.com 9
ecoupdate

K. Hovnanian Unveils
Energy-Efficient
Concept Home
Tankless water heating, efficient HVAC add to as a member of Building America’s IBACOS
research team has allowed the builder to test
builder’s existing high-performance standard. out new technologies to determine which are
appropriate and cost-efficient to mainstream

F
rom the outside, K. Hovnanian’s two-
story Building America Concept Home
doesn’t look any different than its neigh-
bors in Woodbridge, Va.’s Eagles Pointe devel-
opment. But inside—and inside the walls—the
house is swelling with construction details
and products that set a standard for efficiency
while setting aside home buyers’ preconceived
notions about what “going green” means.
The house starts with the features of the
High Performance Home (HPH), the builder’s
standard in Mid-Atlantic markets. Implement-
ed over the past year without raising prices,
the HPH standard includes improvements
such as a 90% AFUE furnace, a 14-SEER heat
pump for the second zone, sealed ductwork,
supplemental spray-foam insulation at critical
areas, optimized framing, and advanced drain-
age planes. The dwelling is 32% more efficient
than the DOE benchmark for new homes, and
Hovnanian estimates it saves $1,659 per year
in energy costs.
The Concept Home builds on those
system-wide improvements with technologies
including tankless water heating, a 96% AFUE
furnace, energy recovery ventilation, and
photovoltaics, for a dwelling that scored a 50
on the Department of Energy’s E-scale.
“It’s not only a demonstration of the energy
efficiency and high performance that we build
into every home, but also features methods
that we’re testing and will be able to imple-
ment going forward,” Tom Pellerito, Landover
Group president for K. Hovnanian, said during
the grand opening.
K. Hovnanian’s efforts are one result of its
nine-year partnership in the Department of
Energy’s Building America research initia-
tive; the builder also has taken the DOE’s
Builders Challenge, a voluntary outreach
program that aims to build the most energy-
efficient, high-performance homes on the
market with the eventual goal of net-zero
energy for all homes by 2030. Participation
into its standard offerings.
In addition to serving as testing ground for
Hovnanian, the Concept Home provides an
interactive showcase for buyers. A mockup
of the framing structure demonstrates details
consumers typically do not see nor know they
need to care about, while a section of the base-
ment is a living laboratory demonstrating the
tankless water heater, photovoltaics, energy
recovery, and other products. Feedback follow-
ing the tours helps the builder gauge buyer
interest in the technologies it’s testing.
“There are going to be thousands of
people who are going to come through this
home and learn what it’s all about,” said Nate
Kredich, vice president of residential market
development for the USGBC, who was on
hand to award the home LEED certification.
The project also was recognized for achiev-
ing Energy Star and a Gold level rating under
the ANSI National Green Building Standard.
—Katy Tomasulo

EcoBriefs
The California Building Industry Association has endorsed two voluntary green building programs: California Green Builder,
developed by the Building Industry Institute, and GreenPoint Rated, developed by Build It Green in the Bay Area. …The USGBC
reports that, through April, 2,143 new homes have achieved LEED for Homes certification. The NAHB reports that more than 1,500
new homes and remodeling projects are currently being scored to the National Green Building Standard using the online scoring
tool at www.nahbgreen.com. …The NAHB Research Center launched its “Green Approved” product rating system, which certifies
that a product can earn homes points under the National Green Building Standard. …On May 12, the Colorado General Assembly
passed a bill to provide the same financial incentives for solar thermal installations in residential and commercial buildings as those
currently provided for solar photovoltaic systems in the state. …The planned 17,000-acre Babcock Ranch development in Florida,
targeted to get underway later this year, will be powered entirely by the sun via on-site solar facilities. The community will include
19,500 homes, a “smart grid,” greenways and open space, electric car chargers, green roofs, and sustainable water management
and conservation. —Excerpted from online reports. To view full versions of these news items, plus additional daily green building
coverage, visit www.ecohomemagazine.com.

10 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 62
ecoupdate

Santa Fe Enacts Green Home Building Regulations

New single-family homes must meet code requirements covering six categories.

E
ffective July 1, Santa Fe, N.M., will
mandate green building codes for all
new single-family homes. The new code
comprises six categories relating to green
building: project implementation plan and
lot development; resource efficiency; energy
efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environ-
mental quality; and operation, maintenance,
and sustainable practices.
Builders can achieve one of the eight
rating levels based on a point system that sets
a minimum point total for each category. In
addition, the code requires all new single-
family residential units to be tested and certi-
fied according to the enhancements to the na-
tional Home Energy Rating Standards (HERS)
as adopted by the Residential Energy Services
Network (RESNET).
New homes must meet one of eight levels of
certification based on their heated gross floor
area and lot size as follows:
■ Silver (minimum requirement for homes
up to 3,000 square feet): HERS index of 70;
must earn at least 359 total points for sites
under ½ acre or 363 total points for sites
½ acre or larger.
■ Silver Plus: bonus for a lower HERS rating
of 60.
■ Gold (minimum requirement for homes
up to 5,000 square feet): HERS index of 50;
must earn at least 448 total points for sites
under ½ acre or 452 total points for sites
½ acre or larger.
■ Gold Plus: bonus for lower HERS rating
of 40.
■ Platinum (minimum requirement for
homes up to 8,000 square feet): HERS index of
25; must earn at least 542 total points for sites
under ½ acre or 546 total points for sites ½
acre or larger.
■ Platinum Plus: bonus for a HERS rating
of 15.
■ Emerald (minimum requirement for
homes 8,001 square feet and greater): HERS
index of 0; must therefore perform in a man-
ner that produces no greenhouse gases to meet
its operational energy needs. It shall also earn
at least 623 total points for sites under ½ acre
and 629 total points for sites ½ acre or larger.
■ Emerald Plus: bonus for a HERS rating
of -10.
The city will rely on HERS raters, city inspec-
tors, specialty third-party verifiers, and the
project’s builder and systems installers for field
verification of required materials, components,
features, and performance. For more informa-
tion, visit www.santafenm.gov. —Peter Merrill

CON G RAT UL AT IO N S
to Hanley Wood’s Jesse H. Neal
Award Winners

BUILDER
REMODELING
CUSTOM HOME
ARCHITECT Hanley Wood is committed

ECOHOME to publishing quality content

PUBLIC WORKS that serves the information

needs of the construction
AQUATICS INTERNATIONAL
industry professionals.
POOL & SPA NEWS Our editors have once
DEVELOPER again been honored by the

residential architect most prestigious editorial

awards program. Join us
MULTIFAMILY EXECUTIVE
in congratulating them.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
BIG BUILDER
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE
DIGITAL HOME
REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR

Circle no. 55

Mark LaLiberte
President of LaLiberteOnline Inc.
and a principal of Building
Knowledge Inc., Mark LaLiberte
is a highly regarded green build-
ing consultant who helps builders
nationwide understand and apply
proper building science construction
principles to improve their homes.
www.buildingknowledge.com;
www.laliberteonline.com.
PHOTO: RAY NG
MAY | JUNE 2009
VAPOR BARRIERS |
Understanding Vapor Barriers
Interpreting the codes and the science behind one of home
building’s most misunderstood materials.
T
he residential building industry
has enough controversial construc-
tion techniques, incorrect product
applications, antiquated codes, and
old wives’ tales to confuse anybody
seeking the right way to build. And
vapor barriers rank high on that list. Few builders
truly understand how they work and why to use
them. Adding to the confusion is the fact that
determining whether or not you should be install-
ing a vapor barrier depends on the home’s loca-
tion. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding can
lead to catastrophic envelope failures and mold
issues.
AIR AND VAPOR BARRIERS DEFINED
First I want to clear up the common confusion
between “vapor barriers” and “air barriers.” This
misunderstanding arises because air typically holds
a great deal of moisture in the form of vapor. When
vapor-laden air moves from one location to an-
other, the vapor moves with it. A well-installed air
barrier controls both the flow of air and the flow of
moisture. If you were looking for another reason to
be paying close attention to the proper installation
of air barriers, this is it.
Controlling air movement should be your first
priority in the energy-efficiency game, and it also
provides excellent moisture control. Pay close
attention to every location that air will flow, using
blocking, gaskets, and foam. For more informa-
tion on the correct use of air barriers, visit the
Web sites of Building Science Corp. at
www.buildingscience.com, Building America at
www.buildingamerica.gov, or the Air Barrier
Association at www.airbarrier.org.
Properly defined, a vapor barrier alone does not
control air movement; it controls the movement
of moisture. In fact, a vapor barrier is not actually
a barrier; it’s a vapor diffusion retarder (VDR). A
VDR regulates moisture flow from inside out or
from outside in at the molecular level. This mois-
ture control function happens wherever the VDR
is used in the structure. Therefore, unlike an air
infiltration barrier, the VDR does not have to be
building science
continuous, sealed, or free of holes; a perforation
in a VDR simply allows more vapor diffusion
in that area compared with other areas where
vapor diffusion is less restrictive.
VDRs are rated by the level of vapor diffusion
control they provide.
A material’s ability to retard the diffusion of
water vapor is defined in terms of its permeability
in units known as “perms.” This is a measure of the
number of grains of water vapor passing through
a square foot of material per hour at a known
differential vapor pressure. Any material with a
perm rating of less than 0.10 is considered a Class 1
vapor retarder.
THE PROBLEM WITH VAPOR BARRIERS
The original reason for using vapor barriers was
a good one: to prevent wall and ceiling assemblies
from getting wet. In practice, we now understand
that when VDRs are installed on the interior of an
assembly, they also prevent inward drying. This
can lead to significant moisture problems and
mold; problems occur when walls get wet during
construction or more often throughout the home’s
life. These wetting cycles can be from air flow,
window leaks, pressure imbalances, and a host of
lifestyle issues. Below-grade spaces are particu-
larly vulnerable. The increasing complexity of wall
systems also fuels the issue.
Then there’s the climate variable. Much of the
confusion about the correct use of VDRs is the
result of research reports and anecdotal informa-
tion. Almost all of this research was conducted
in cold climates and focused on the flow of vapor
from inside to outside in winter months; it did not
consider vapor movement in other climates, nor
how moisture flow occurs from outside to inside
when using air conditioning in humid summer
months. When moisture flows from a more humid
exterior environment into the wall system in air-
conditioned climates, condensation could occur on
the cooled interior VDR. You can see that if low-
perm poly were used, condensation on this surface
is possible.
Cladding choices can further complicate the
ecohomemagazine.com 13
building science | VAPOR BARRIERS
FIGURE 1: MOISTURE MOVEMENT
Sheathing
Wind
Insulation
Cold
exterior
Moisture movement is affected by
seasonal changes as well as climate
characteristics, which will define your
best strategies and options. Even in
cold climates, moisture will move from
hot exteriors to cooler interiors in the
summer, which places new emphasis
on proper selection and placement of
vapor retarders.
THE NUMBERS
The current code has the
following definitions:
Class I Vapor Retarder: 0.1 perm
or less
Class II Vapor Retarder: 1.0 perm
or less and greater than 0.1 perm
Class III Vapor Retarder: 10 perm
or less and greater than 1.0 perm
The current proposals are to
define them this way:
Vapor impermeable: 0.1 perm
or less
Vapor semi-impermeable:
1.0 perm or less and greater than
0.1 perm
Vapor semi-permeable: 10 perms
or less and greater than 1.0 perm
Vapor permeable: greater than
10 perms
14 ecohomemagazine.com
Warm interior
Solar
radiation
Interior
moisture
Drywall
Hot exterior
exterior-to-interior vapor flow. When some
claddings, such as brick and traditional stucco, get
wet, they can retain significant amounts of water
and require longer drying times. In hot and
humid weather, moisture is drawn inward as the
sun heats these surfaces, increasing the vapor
pressure on the assembly. This could add unwant-
ed moisture as well. The best strategy for this one
is venting the masonry claddings and replacing
the poly VDR with a higher-perm product like
paint that will let the wall system cycle over
the seasons.
BEST PRACTICES
It’s not just builders who are confused. Many build-
ing code officials misunderstand or misinterpret
the requirements. Just because it was done that
way 20 years ago, doesn’t mean it will work the
same way in today’s modern wall systems. Some
jurisdictions are becoming more flexible, and that
is a welcome change.
Current IBC/IRC specifications (see “The Num-
bers,” left) for VDRs factor the classification of the
material’s perm rate with the location’s climatic
conditions (see Figure 2, page 16). Future code
directions will most likely specify the use of more
permeable products in building assemblies: the
use of paint, rather than poly, for instance. Until all
codes reflect current building science knowledge,
and provide climate-specific material specifica-
tions, you need to be wary of selecting a VDR with
a perm rating that’s too low or placing it in the
wrong location.
If in doubt, I recommend using Class I and
Class II VDRs only in the coldest Zones, 7 and 8.
In these zones, use a product like MemBrain from
Air conditioned
interior
Sheathing
Exterior
moisture
Insulation
Drywall
CertainTeed. This innovative product looks and
installs like poly, but it behaves like a vapor diode,
allowing the perm rate to increase as the vapor
pressure increases. This means that if installed on
the interior side of the wall system, it will meet the
Class II requirements by reducing the amount of
vapor entering the wall in the winter months. But
should the wall system be subjected to a larger flow
of moisture from outside or from wet materials
inside the wall system, the product becomes more
vapor open. The perm rate rises, based on the
increased vapor pressure. This sounds like magic,
but in the world of materials science it’s actually
quite simple.
For other zones, I recommend applying a good
quality wall primer to all unprimed drywall, in
lieu of traditional VDRs. Prior to priming, drywall
has a perm rate of about 50. After a couple coats
of latex paint, that perm rate is reduced to 2 or 3.
In most climates, this degree of vapor control will
be quite adequate and meets the Class III require-
ments shown in “The Numbers.”
For more information, visit the IRC Web site
at www.iccsafe.org, where you can purchase and
read the latest code book. Otherwise, get a copy
of the Builders Guide Series for your climate from
Building Science Press (www.buildingscience
press.com).
ILLUSTRATION: HARRY WHITVER
A FINAL NOTE
Though I advocate a more liberal approach to
VDRs, this doesn’t mean I am unconcerned about
moisture control. On the contrary, I believe it is
absolutely critical that we control and manage the
movement of moisture in structures. Used cor-
rectly and in the right climate, vapor
MAY | JUNE 2009
Circle no. 53
building science | VAPOR BARRIERS

FIGURE 2: CLIMATE ZONES & VAPOR RETARDERS

diffusion retarders can be an important

part of a comprehensive solution to effec-
tive moisture management.
To manage moisture effectively, we need
to control both air movement and mois-
ture flow. The two are always intertwined.
Sometimes one product, such as spray foam,
addresses both issues. In other cases, we can
achieve success with a well installed and
properly sealed weather resistive barrier
like housewrap or an alternate system of
spray-on coatings, or even SIPs. Remember:
Always give careful consideration to the
location and quality of the air barriers and
water management details you use, and train
the people on your crews to properly install
them.

Match your moisture-management strategies and details to regional conditions in your climate zone. Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D., principal of Build-
(Go to www.buildingscience.com and click on Vapor Barrier Code Changes.) ing Science Corp., contributed to this article.

✳ For more building science articles,

visit ecohomemagazine.com.

Circle no. 59
CALL FOR ENTRIES
0C7:27<5>@=2C1BA^`SaS\babVS2nd annual Green Product Awards.
3\bS`g]c`<3EU`SS\]`acabOW\OPZS^`]RcQbaT]``SQ]U\WbW]\
O[]\U[]`SbVO\PcWZRW\U^`]TSaaW]\OZaEW\\S`a]T
bVS5`SS\>`]RcQb/eO`RaeWZZPS^`]¿ZSRW\bVS4OZZWaacS]T
0C7:27<5>@=2C1BA[OUOhW\S]\bVSebuildESPaWbSO\RW\
bVSebuild<Se>`]RcQb<SeaS\SeaZSbbS`
PAST GREEN PRODUCT AWARD WINNERS INCLUDE
Kohler –>S`acORS2cOZ4ZcaVB]WZSb
Bosch –3d]ZcbW]\O\R7\bSU`O2WaVeOaVS`a
Soil Retention –2`WdOPZS5`Oaa
Carlisle –4A11S`bW¿SR/\bW_cSEWRS>ZO\Y4Z]]`a
ICI Paints –<]D=14`SaVOW`S1V]WQS>OW\b
Enterg]c`\Se^`]RcQbab]ROg
O\RUOW\SRWb]`WOZQ]dS`OUSW\
bVS^`S[WS``SaWRS\bWOZ^`]RcQba
a]c`QSaW\bVSQ]\ab`cQbW]\
W\Rcab`g´0C7:27<5>@=2C1BA
O\Rebuild.
GreenProductAwards.com
HOW TO ENTER
Enter online at GreenProductAwards.com
See Web site for entry requirements,
eligibility and judging details.
DEADLINES & FEES
Entry form and fee deadline:
June 19, 2009
Entry materials due via email:
July 3, 2009
The fee for each entry is $150
ELIGIBILITY
The Green Product Awards are open to all
categories of residential building products.
Products will be judged on their green/
sustainable attributes (such as energy
efficiency, resource efficiency, health and
comfort, etc.), their innovation and their
overall value to residential contractors
employing green building practices.
Building products, materials and technolo-
gies introduced between January 2008
and April 2009. Nominations accepted
from manufacturers or from public relations
and advertising representatives.
QUESTIONS
Call 202.736.3308 or
e-mail bpawards@hanleywood.com
 PROJECT DETAILS
Project: Private Residence, Orefield, Pa.
Size: 4,768 square feet; 7,365 with basement
Cost: Undisclosed
Completed: July 2008
Certifications: NAHB-Gold
HERS rating: 54
Architect: Alan Mascord Design Assoc.,
Portland, Ore., and studio26 homes
General Contractor/Interior Designer:
studio26 homes
Kitchen: Kitchens by WIPCO, Allentown, Pa.

18 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009


PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY
MAY | JUNE 2009
CASE STUDY BY CHERYL WEBER
Striking
Gold
PENNSYLVANIA-BASED STUDIO26
HOMES JOINS IBACOS AND
THE DOE’S BUILDING AMERICA
PROGRAM TO TACKLE COLD-CLIMATE
PERFORMANCE.
W
hen the Bakers—father James and sons Scott
and Brian—launched studio26 homes five
years ago, green was still just a buzzword in
Eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. But the
trio saw the deepening shift in consumer awareness and
decided to make super-energy-efficient houses their calling
card. For starters, their goal was to reduce energy use by at
least 40% compared to other homes built to code.
The Bakers tapped the brain trust at Building America, a
research program sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Energy. And to make sure their best practices keep hitting the
benchmarks, every studio26 project is analyzed by Integrated
Building and Construction Solutions (IBACOS), a Building
America partner consortium that offers energy modeling.
“They do takeoffs of our plans and specs and also work
through a general HVAC design,” says Brian, studio26 homes’
vice president of marketing and design.
The latest result of that collaboration is a house in Orefield
that earned a Gold rating under NAHB’s Model Green Home
Building Guidelines. Its 542 points, earned primarily through
indoor air quality and an airtight building envelope that
ecohomemagazine.com 19
CASE STUDY ERV AND AIR CLEANER
Due to its ultra-tight construc-
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE tion, this home “breathes”
through its Trane FreshEffects
energy recovery ventilator,
which continuously exchanges
stale air with fresh air and
transfers heat and moisture
between incoming and
outgoing air via a dual-cham-
ber pipe. Before the incoming
air is distributed through the
home, a Trane CleanEffects air
cleaner removes up to 99.98%
of airborne allergens,
according to the company.
903.581.3660. www.trane.com.
Circle 311.

WINDOWS
The house’s 120 aluminum-clad-wood triple-pane windows and patio doors are Energy
Star–rated Pella Designer Series with between-the-glass blinds, providing a U-value of
0.23 and an SHGC of 0.26. 800.374.4758. www.pella.com. Circle 312.

SEPARATED FROM SMOKE

A sunroom/smoking room with a ceramic
tile floor on the house’s southwest side
soaks up solar rays. It’s sealed off from the
rest of the house with gasketed exterior
wood doors, insulation, and polyethylene
sheeting, and is served by a separate
Mitsubishi MUZ-A12NA variable-speed
ductless mini-split system with R410A
refrigerant and a Panasonic WhisperCeiling
exhaust fan for adequate room ventilation.
Mitsubishi: 800.433.4822. www.mrslim.com.
Circle 313. Panasonic: 800.405.0652. www.
panasonic.com. Circle 314.
minimizes thermal bridging, far
exceeded the Gold minimum of 395
points.
In this case, the design team began
with a significant asset on its side: The
1.2-acre parcel’s gentle, south-facing
down slope provided the ideal condi-
tions for passive solar heating and
daylighting. To ensure sufficient sun
exposure throughout the day, not only
for passive solar gain but for a future PV
installation, the Bakers rotated the house
to within 20 degrees of due south. With
the long axis running east-west and the
rear facing south, all three levels are
open to solar gain and are filled with
natural light. The contemporary
Craftsman style also plays into passive
cooling with deep overhangs, porches,
and a long Trex deck across the back
that shades the walk-out basement.
Given Pennsylvania’s cold winters,
super-insulating the walls was a top
priority. The builders installed an Xi
concrete-and-Styrofoam foundation
system from Superior Walls made of
10¼-inch-thick, 10-foot-high sections
pre-insulated to R-12.5.
And to increase the energy perfor-
mance of the foundation walls, the crew
installed R-21 formaldehyde-free Johns
Manville fiberglass batts into the stud
cavities, which raised the basement
walls’ overall R-value to 33.5.

20 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

 PROFILE:
James C. Baker
Brian M. Baker
Scott A. Baker
STUDIO 26 HOMES

One benefit of a green startup is that

ROOFING AND SIDING
CertainTeed
Independence lifetime
asphalt shingles earned
green points for the
home’s proximity to the
manufacturing plant.
James Hardie integrally
colored fiber-cement
siding offers durability
while saving the need
for on-site painting.
CertainTeed: 800.233.8990.
www.certainteed.com.
Circle 315. James Hardie:
FAR LEFT PHOTOS: JOHN STERLING RUTH PHOTOGRAPHY; TOP AND RIGHT PHOTOS: BARRY HALKIN
MOISTURE
MANAGEMENT
Given its location in a
climate where moisture
levels are significant for
most of the year, the
house has a CertainTeed
MemBrain vapor barrier
between the insulation
and drywall. It’s
engineered to let walls
breathe by allowing
water vapor to pass
through when humidity
levels reach 30% or
INSULATION
First- and second-floor
walls are blanketed in
formaldehyde-free Johns
Manville Spider blown-in
insulation, which provides
an R-value of 23 in the 2x6
walls. Closed-cell
spray-foam insulation by
Tiger Foam seals up
hard-to-reach corners,
headers, sill plates, and
band joists. Johns
Manville: 800.654.3103.
www.specjm.com. Circle
there are no old standards to purge.
When James Baker, president, and sons
Brian, vice president of marketing and
design, and Scott, vice president of
operations, set up their design/build/
develop company in 2004, they spent
months assembling a core subcontractor
team. “We said our houses will be
different than any you’ve built before,”
says Brian. “We turned away some [subs]
who were talented but not open-minded
enough for what we were trying to do.”
The builder’s test run—a team effort
with IBACOS—was a Building America
Demonstration Home that Brian built for
his family. Pennsylvania’s first LEED-Silver
home, it served not only as field training
for the subcontractor team, but is also a
model for prospective clients. Eighteen
months of energy monitoring showed it to
be 49% more efficient than a standard
code-compliant house. With just the three
partners on staff and a subcontractor team
numbering about 50, studio26 is currently
working on a 44-acre conservation
community with a dozen dwellings.
In addition to applying the latest
building-science practices, the company
includes solar-ready wiring standard.
“Our goal is to be the leader in Eastern
Pennsylvania for green building and
design, and eventually to get to
net-zero energy,” Baker says. In 2007,
the Pennsylvania Builder’s Association

888.542.7343. www. more. 800.233.8990. 318. Tiger Foam: 800. recognized their progress with a
jameshardie.com. www.certainteed.com. 664.0063. www.tigerfoam. Building Innovation Award. —C.W.
Circle 316. Circle 317. com. Circle 319.

The builders tightened the 2x6
wood-framed envelope by adding
1-inch extruded polystyrene to the
exterior. All the wood-framed walls
were tightly insulated with blown-in,
R-23 Johns Manville Spider Custom
Insulation, installed at 1.8 pounds per
square foot to fill gaps. Using these
measures, studio26 was able to beat
Building America targets for air leakage.
A blower-door test showed 0.101 NACH
(natural air exchanges per house),
compared to the benchmark 0.131
NACH. A duct-blaster test resulted in
0.5% air leakage, an improvement over
Building America’s 1% target.
No humidifier or dehumidifier is
needed in the house, Baker says, thanks in
part to the use of CertainTeed’s
MemBrain, a “smart” vapor retarder
stapled to the studs between the insulation
and drywall. “When there’s a certain level
of humidity in the wall, the pores of the
vapor retarder will begin to open and
allow vapor to emit into the house, where
it can be flushed out and absorbed by the
ventilation system,” he says.
Indoor air quality was clearly at the
center of the mechanical equipment
choices and techniques. The project
earned indoor environmental quality
points with the use of a Trane energy
recovery ventilator that exchanges heat
between stale air being exhausted and

MAY | JUNE 2009 ecohomemagazine.com 21

CASE STUDY
PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCE

cooler fresh air being introduced to the

system, a Trane CleanEffects whole-
house air cleaner, and a separate HVAC
system in the sun room on the house’s
southwest corner, where one of the
owners enjoys the occasional cigar.
The interior materials marry
craftsmanship, cleanliness, and sustain-
ability. MAB Enviro-Pure paints emit no
VOCs, oak floors and birch cabinetry
were sourced in Pennsylvania, and the
appliances are Energy Star certified.
Finally, like each of studio26’s
projects, the house is pre-wired for
future addition of solar panels. It’s one
more component of a smart, sophisti-
cated home designed to reduce energy
costs and provide a healthy, comfortable PLUMBING
atmosphere. A PEX manifold system from Watts delivers heated water directly from tank to tap rather than
filling the entire piping system with water, and PEX tubing resists corrosion and retains heat

PHOTO: BARRY HALKIN

Cheryl Weber is a freelance writer in
Lancaster, Pa.
better than copper. The plumbing manifold, located in a central utility room, is a control
center for hot and cold water that feeds flexible supply lines (red for hot, blue for cold) directly
to individual fixtures. The cold-water manifold is fed from the main water supply line and the
hot-water manifold is fed from the water heater. Two propane-fueled 0751 Series Noritz

✳ For more case studies,

visit ecohomemagazine.com.
tankless water heaters work in tandem to supply hot water. Watts: 978.688.1811. www.watts.
com. Circle 320. Noritz: 866.766.7489. www.noritz.com. Circle 321.

search.
source.
learn.
connect.
ebuild.
ebuild is the destination for
construction pros searching
for information about building
products. ebuild is a source of
new product coverage, trends
and news. Pros visit ebuild to
learn how to do their jobs faster,
safer and easier. ebuild connects
pros to product manufacturers,
experts and peers.

a 360 degree view of

ebuild.com product information
Circle no. 18
Circle no. 60
 PROJECT DETAILS
Project: Helensview Heights, Portland, Ore.
Size: 3.96 acres; 52 units (40 detached, 12 condos) from
925 to 1,600 square feet (detached only)
Price range: $186,000–$244,000
Certifications: LEED-ND; LEED-H Silver (anticipated)
Developer: HOST Development, Portland
Architect: Peck Smiley Ettlin, Portland
Builder: R&R Energy Resources, Portland
Consultants: Green Building Services, Portland
(LEED-ND AP); Earth Advantage (LEED-H AP); Brian
Clopton Excavating, Sherwood, Ore. (site development);
AKS Engineering & Forestry, Sherwood (civil engineer)

24 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

 CASE STUDY BY RICH BINSACCA
Reaching
New Heights
AT HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS IN PORTLAND, ORE., GOING GREEN IS
ONLY PART OF THE MEANS TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY AND
SUSTAIN A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD.
H
elensview Heights is all about sustainabil-
ity, but far more than just the stuff you can
feel, touch, or tack onto a house. Built on a
4-acre infill site in a low-income section
of Portland, Ore., the 52-home enclave is designed
to inspire and anchor an investment among its
existing residents and business owners that will
transition the neighborhood into a vital—and thus
sustainable—community.
The development meets the highest standards of
LEED-Neighborhood Design (achieving a Gold
rating in the pilot phase of the program), and the
homes are expected to achieve Silver under LEED
for Homes. But these designations are secondary
attractions to the residents, who will enjoy lower
monthly utility rates; reduced maintenance, repair,
and replacement costs; improved indoor air; and
probably higher resale value. Perhaps even more so
is the long-term value of building on a greyfield
parcel within the city’s urban growth boundary to
create a perpetually owner-occupied housing option
to buyers otherwise priced out to the suburbs.
That scenario, sans the LEED accolades, is
PHOTO: DAVID PAPAZIAN
nothing new for the locally culled project team
headed by HOST Development. The Portland-
based not-for-profit entity counts (and keeps tabs
on) 375 affordable homes in the metro area,
leveraging low-interest financing and other funding
from several sources to satisfy its mission.
MAY | JUNE 2009
Throughout its 20-year history, HOST has
championed energy efficiency as a tenet of low-
income housing. “There’s a better chance that
low-income owners will stay in their homes if it
doesn’t cost as much to operate,” says executive
director John Miller, who leveraged a local utility’s
energy-saving program more than a decade ago to
help reduce operating costs for HOST’s homeowners.
For Helensview Heights, the project team
followed the USGBC’s LEED for Homes rating
system thanks to grants from the Enterprise
Community Foundation’s Green Communities
program and The Home Depot Foundation.
A series of design charrettes paid for by the
Enterprise grant revealed how close HOST’s
standard specs were to achieving LEED certifica-
tion, and how a few tweaks—including the use of
heat recovery ventilators and heating fireplaces—
would further reduce monthly operating costs and
aid the company’s marketing effort. The grant also
helped pay for a few of those upgrades, which the
project team has since integrated into the pro forma
to ensure the efficiencies continue through
build-out without adding costs.
The cost to add heat recovery ventilators, for
instance, was tied up mostly in their installation; once
the builder found the ideal spot for the units and
streamlined the process, the premium went away.
In fact, a coordinated effort among members of
ecohomemagazine.com 25
CASE STUDY
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS
PAINT
Evermore low-VOC (38 g/l) interior and exterior latex paint from
Glidden has been reformulated for better scrubability, low odor,
and improved coverage and durability of even dramatic and dark
colors. The mildew-resistant exterior flat coatings are 100% acrylic
latex to protect against UV rays, color fading, and extreme
weather conditions. Interior semi-gloss also is formulated for
improved mildew resistance to reduce maintenance chores.
800.454.3336. www.glidden.com. Circle 322.
MAJOR APPLIANCES
Energy Star–qualified refrigerators, dishwashers, and laundry
equipment from Kenmore reduce energy and water use to keep
monthly utility bills affordable. The top-mount, 18.2-cubic foot
refrigerator is EnergyGuide rated to cost just $41 per year to
operate, while the built-in, 24-inch dishwasher offers a precision,
five-level wash system and heated or no-heat drying cycles to
reduce resource use. 888.536.6673. www.kenmore.com. Circle 323.
CARPETING
Carpeting from Mohawk employs the
company’s everSTRAND fiber, which uses
recycled plastic (PET) bottles to completely
offset virgin fiber resources with post-
consumer waste material. The use of PET
resins delivers a superior grade of synthetic
fiber for the carpet to provide inherent stain
resistance and color clarity, the firm says,
while the cap and label of each bottle are
recycled as reusable core material around
which the carpet is wrapped. 800.266.4295.
www.mohawkflooring.com. Circle 326.
26 ecohomemagazine.com
FIREPLACES
The builder utilizes natural gas fireplaces
from Martin, a Custom Fireside brand, as
each home’s primary heating source. The
zero-clearance, 36-inch units are capable
of heating up to 1,200 square feet,
burning at 24,000 BTUs and an 80%
efficiency. The units feature glowing
ceramic fiber logs and embers; optional
accessories include firebrick and a
135-CFM blower. 916.331.2423. www.
customfireside.com. Circle 324.
the design/build team prior to ground-
breaking and during the build afforded
cost efficiencies that enabled the project
to remain within budget and its target
price point. “Everyone was looking at it,
asking what we could do to keep costs
down,” says Brianna Conrow, construc-
tion project manager at HOST.
She also credits the builder, Bill Lenz
at R&R Energy Resources in Portland,
for his use of in-house crews (instead of
subcontractors), a long track record of
building high-performance housing, and
the ability to negotiate volume discounts
with its suppliers. “He’s able to control
costs and the schedule,” says Conrow,
which effectively translates to maintain-
ing HOST’s affordability mission.
The Home Depot money, meanwhile, is
underwriting the $1,500 cost to gain
LEED certification once each home is
completed. “Without that [grant], we’d
have to look at whether certification was
worth the cost,” says Miller, who admits
LAMINATE FLOORING
Prevail wood-look laminate flooring from
Shaw features the VersaLock application
system that requires no adhesives, thus
reducing indoor air pollutants; the product
also is prefinished to eliminate off-gassing
from stains and/or sealant coatings. The
8-inch-wide planks provide a warm, solid
flooring alternative at an affordable price,
while its laminate construction and prefin-
ished surface lessen maintenance. 800.441.
7429. www.shawfloors.com. Circle 325.
that home prices trump anything else
among Helensview’s potential buyers,
though they do (and would still, without
the certificate) appreciate the longer-term
benefits of HOST’s efforts, specifically
lower utility bills and healthier indoor air.
In fact, to maintain a price point that
would enable buyers within 70% to
100% of the area’s median family income
to purchase homes in Helensview, per
the developer’s mission, the project team
diligently whittled down a wish list of
green building options to settle on those
that benefited buyers and the commu-
nity the most, remained within budget,
and, lastly, qualified under LEED for
Homes standards.
The result are homes priced $186,000
to $244,000—25% to 42% less than
comparably sized detached units within
the urban growth boundary. And these
are far from shacks; HOST’s commit-
ment to high-performance housing
ensures the homes are durable and will
MAY | JUNE 2009
 SIDING
HardiePlank fiber-cement lap siding from
James Hardie provides a low-mainte-
nance cladding while withstanding a rainy
climate. In addition to natural base
materials with low toxicity, a proprietary,
factory-applied sealer and primer
enhance the siding’s performance
qualities and provide a surface with
superior paint adhesion. 888.542.7343.
www.jameshardie.com. Circle 327.
WINDOWS HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR
Energy Star–qualified, Marquee-brand 800 Series vinyl high- The Constructo 1.5 HRV from Venmar
performance windows from Philips Products anchor a thermally helps improve indoor air quality and
efficient and energy-saving envelope. Heat-fusion-welded frame reduce excess humidity by delivering a
and sash corners, interlocking meeting rails, ¾-inch insulating steady flow of fresh outdoor air into the
glass, and narrow profiles combine to optimize daylight while home. The product line is certified by the
reducing thermal transfer with a U-value of 0.32 and solar heat Home Ventilating Institute to achieve a
gain with an SHGC of 0.33. A strong and durable chambered heat recovery rate of up to 81%. The line
frame delivers a low-maintenance option while a continuous is designed specifically for midsize,
pre-punched mounting fin ensures proper fastening and sealing affordable new homes, with a small
between the window and the wall. 574.296.0000. www.marquee housing and easy installation. 819.477.
windows.com. Circle 328. 6226. www.venmar.ca. Circle 329.
remain efficient, but providing eight neighborhood. Not much had to be
different floor plans, a thoughtful mix of done to achieve a LEED-ND rating for
contemporary and more traditional the urban infill site, thanks to existing
housing to integrate with existing and nearby public transportation
buildings on different street frontages, options (which allowed the project team
and a high level of finishes inside and to eliminate garages in favor of street
out—including fiber-cement lap siding parking), schools, and other public
and solid-wood cabinet fronts—goes far services. Park space within the plat and
beyond the call of most affordable the high density and small footprints of
housing. The credit, says Conrow, goes to the housing also scored points.
the upfront and ongoing effort to “If you have the right location, which
value-engineer the project. we did, there’s not much effort to gain
It’s a comprehensive formula that has certification,” says Terry Miller, senior
enabled HOST to sell 13 of the first consultant for Green Building Resources
phase of 20 detached units at in Portland, which served as the
Helensview Heights since opening in LEED-AP for the neighborhood
early 2008 (and four within a six-week development effort. “We made no
span earlier this year) and, more significant changes to comply, and the
important, establish the foundation of a synergy with building to LEED for
PHOTOS: DAVID PAPAZIAN
sustainable, stable neighborhood. Homes standards also helped.”
While the homes (and specifically In addition to income thresholds,
their prices) account for the bulk of HOST targets families (particularly
that sales success, the stability of minority and single-parent households)
Helensview Heights also is rooted in its and works to convert renters within the
MAY | JUNE 2009
PROFILE:
John Miller
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
HOST DEVELOPMENT
A Portland native, John Miller has
witnessed the migration of the Rose City’s
workforce residents from the urban core
to the suburbs and beyond, the flipside of
a growth boundary established in the late
1970s to stem sprawl and encourage
high-density housing that instead resulted
in higher land costs and housing prices.
Ironically, his not-for-profit development
company, Home Ownership a Street at a
Time (HOST), is using the growth
boundary legislation to finance and build
housing that keeps low-income workers
close to their jobs while maintaining urban
vitality. “We work in neighborhoods that
are in transition,” he says, and under a
mission that encourages existing residents
to remain (and thrive) as homeowners
rather than be displaced by gentrification.
In addition to developing infill
parcels near existing public transit,
building communities with interesting
streetscapes, and targeting existing
families, HOST is able to secure
low-interest, long-term financing from
community reinvestment tax credits.
He and his team also seek out in-kind
and pro bono services and corporate
foundation support to supplement loans;
though HOST avoids direct government
financing, it does help buyers navigate the
public funding matrix for mortgage loans.
The result of HOST’s 20-year history
is a portfolio of nearly 400 homes
purchased by folks with incomes as low
as 70% of the market’s median. “We’re
seen as a welcome addition to an active
neighborhood’s existing revitalization
efforts,” says Miller. “We enjoy strong
support because of our mission.” —R.B.
ecohomemagazine.com 27
CASE STUDY
HELENSVIEW HEIGHTS

existing neighborhood into buyers so

that they aren’t victims of gentrification.
The developer also makes sure that its
homes are always owner-occupied, a
perpetual deed requirement that also
maintains stability and housing values.
It’s an effort that HOST homeowners
help watchdog and that the community
around Helensview embraced by
allowing the project to sail through the
approvals process.
“Our mission is based on the belief
that strong, healthy communities are
created and stabilized when homeown-
ROOFING INSULATION
ers have a stake in their neighborhoods,” Cambridge 30 premium architectural The formaldehyde-free line of fiberglass
says Miller, quoting HOST gospel. “We shingles from IKO Industries contain at insulation from Johns Manville provides
look for opportunities in which the least 40% pre-consumer waste-rock thermal resistance to keep energy costs low
community is interested in improving recycled content, as independently verified while reducing the potential for indoor air
and sustaining itself.” by Scientific Certification Systems. The pollutants. The material also is SCS certified
heavyweight laminated shingles are for recycled content (25%) and provides

PHOTO: DAVID PAPAZIAN

Rich Binsacca is a freelance writer in
Boise, Idaho.
composed of a dimensionally stable acoustical performance to enhance indoor
non-woven glass fiber mat impregnated comfort and value. The product line is
with stabilized waterproofing bitumen to offered as faced and unfaced batts,
weather high winds, improve durability, blown-in loose-fill, poly-encapsulated, and

✳ For more case studies,

visit ecohomemagazine.com.
and reduce maintenance and repair.
800.433.2811. www.iko.com. Circle 330.
rigid panels to suit any application.
800.654.3103. www.specjm.com. Circle 331.

Circle no. 34 Circle no. 50

Circle no. 31
30 ecohomemagazine.com
BY AURORA SHARRARD

KEEPING
THEM
HONEST
SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH BEHIND
MANUFACTURERS’ GREEN PRODUCT CLAIMS.

I
f you’re confused about green building products and the
claims their manufacturers are making, you’re not
alone. I feel that way myself sometimes, and it’s my job
at the Green Building Alliance to navigate the complex
world of green product claims—and help others do the
same.
While we still have a lot of work to do to establish reliable
standards for the multiple attributes that define green products,
the good news is that there are a lot of dedicated people working
on this problem, and there are a good number of resources
already available to help you find your own comfort level with
third-party verification of green claims. This article will guide you
through the complexities of green product selection, help you
understand how products are labeled and certified, and lead you to the
most useful navigational resources.
Ultimately, whether you’re getting product information from your local
supplier, direct from a manufacturer, from Web surfing, or via networking
with colleagues, the most critical thing is that you trust your source and
understand the criteria behind their recommendations.
It’s also important to note that green building is not just about following checklists
and picking products; at its heart, sustainable building is the integration of important
elements of design, site, energy, water, health, resource management, and other

ecohomemagazine.com 31
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
Product Labels or Certifications
Referenced by NAHB and LEED
Right now third-party certifications are the most reliable way
to verify green claims when doing your product research. Here
are some of the most widely used labeling and certification
programs referenced by LEED and the NAHB Model Green Home
Building Guidelines.
EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
Energy Star, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.energystar.gov/products. Besides being referenced for its
certification of homes in general, both NAHB and LEED reference
Energy Star for a variety of other products, including appliances,
roofs, and equipment.
Solar Rating and Certification Corp. www.solar-rating.org
WaterSense, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov/watersense
MATERIAL CONTENT
Recycled Content, Scientific Certification Systems
www.scscertified.com
USDA Certified Biobased Product, U.S. Department of
Agriculture www.biopreferred.gov/Catalog.aspx
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Greenguard, Greenguard Environmental Institute
www.greenguard.org
Green Seal, Green Seal Organization www.greenseal.org
Indoor Advantage Gold, Scientific Certification Systems
http://www.scscertified.com/gbc/indooradvgold.php
FloorScore, Scientific Certification Systems www.scscertified.
com/gbc/floorscore.php
MULTIPLE-ATTRIBUTE CERTIFICATIONS
GENERAL
Cradle to Cradle (C2C), McDonough Braungart Design
Chemistry www.c2ccertified.com
SMaRT Consensus Sustainable Product Standards, Institute for
Market Transformation to Sustainability http://mts.sustainable
products.com/SMaRT_product_standard.html
CARPET
California Gold, California Department of General Services
www.green.ca.gov/EPP/standards.htm
Green Label or Green Label Plus, Carpet and Rug Institute
® http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-
and-the-environment/green-label-plus/index.cfm
RESPONSIBLY MANAGED WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Forest Stewardship Council
www.fsc.org
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Sustainable Forestry
Initiative www.sfiprogram.com (NAHB references FSC, SFI, and
three other specific wood certifications.) —A.S.
32 ecohomemagazine.com
environmental and human considerations.
However, the time does come when you have to
select and specify materials, products, and
components for a green home. At that point, your
focus is certainly on products—and whether they
will truly contribute to the green performance
goals for your project.
THE GREENWASH FACTOR
When companies intentionally or unintentionally
make false, misleading, or exaggerated claims
about the environmental benefits of their products,
it’s called “greenwashing.”
At the most basic level, we all perpetuate
greenwash if we try to lump all of a home’s
sustainable features together by calling it a “green
home” without substantiating our claims through
some form of documentation and certification
such as through a national or local green building
program. Product salespeople, distributors,
manufacturers, and marketers can fall into the
same greenwashing trap if they exaggerate their
products' performance claims or don’t mention
environmental negatives that might diminish the
products’ green attributes.
Consequently, there are a lot of individual
performance, material, or environmental benefit
claims made about building products that require
scrutiny. The general rule about these seemingly
simple descriptions is to be skeptical and curious
enough to look behind the claim for some form of
verification. Ask yourself the following:
■ Is this claim obviously false? For example,
“This product is LEED and NAHB certified.”
(Neither USGBC’s LEED program or the NAHB
certifies products.)
■ Is the claim unrelated or irrelevant? For
example, “This product stands out from the
competition.”
■ Is the claim too generic to make sense? For
example, “This product uses the latest eco-friendly
technology.”
■ Does the claim only address one feature of the
product when there are other important ones that
MAY | JUNE 2009
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
are ignored? For example, “This product is
maintenance free.”
■ Can I verify the claim online or with informa-
tion on the product itself?
Then start your research. If you can’t find the
appropriate information to satisfy your questions
in a quick Internet search or phone call, it might
be time to start seriously doubting the claims
being made.
LABELS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Greenwashed marketing claims have increased to
the point where the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) is updating its published Guides for the Use
of Environmental Marketing Claims that address
“environmental claims included in labeling,
advertising, promotional materials, and all other
forms of marketing, whether asserted directly or by
implication, through words, symbols, emblems,
logos, depictions, [and] product brand names.”
TheFTC Guides currently require “every express
and material-implied claim that the general
assertion conveys to reasonable consumers about
an objective quality, feature, or attribute of a
product or service must be substantiated.” Here’s
where labels and certifications come in.
In performing your extended research about
certain products, you’ll find there are different
types of information resources that can aid your
search. Directories are plentiful; these “yellow
pages” of existing green building products can
serve as a starting point to figure out what your
options are in a certain product category.
If you want some form of substantiation of
product content or performance, then you’ll be
looking for labels and certifications. Labels are simple
systems, often based on a single performance
attribute like energy or recycled content, in which a
blanket label is applied to all products. Certifications,
on the other hand, are complex assessments that rely
on multiple, science-based criteria for determining
whether or not a product qualifies.
Though differentiating between labels and
certifications can be tricky, I generally classify
34 ecohomemagazine.com
systems that only consider a single performance
attribute as “labels,” while “certifications” assess
multiple product attributes. For example, Energy
Star, which is the oldest third-party label in the
U.S., uses energy as the primary attribute for rating
washing machines, but the label is not associated
with water use reduction, which would contribute
to it being a multiple-attribute rating. Sometimes
looking at a single product attribute is helpful, but
if you’re looking for a designation that assesses
products more holistically, look for a certifica-
tion—or multiple labels.
Depending on the product category, certifica-
tions vary widely in which performance criteria
they include. Some certifications focus very deeply
on chemical components or indoor air quality
(e.g., Greenguard), while others include everything
from raw material extraction to end-of-life issues
(e.g., Cradle to Cradle); a few even include
information about the corporate sustainability
commitments of the product manufacturers
themselves (e.g., SMaRT).
Given the many considerations certifications
include, you still need to ensure that a product will
perform its most important function and meet the
priorities you’ve set for your specific project and
application. Then, you can review the added benefits
of the other attributes to further inform your
decision-making process. You’ll find it’s much easier
to find multiple-attribute certifications for certain
types (e.g., carpet, floor coverings, cabinets, furni-
ture, and wood) than for others. Over time, more
and more product categories will join this group.
LEVELS OF INDEPENDENCE
In addition to considering what a label or certifica-
tion includes, you’ll also want to know who is
backing up these green product claims. There are
three levels of independence when it comes to
evaluating labels and certifications.
“First-party” certifications are claims made by the
designer, manufacturer, or other party directly
associated with the creation and sale of the product
in question. These are also called “self certifications.”
Additional
Resources
In addition to labels and certifications,
here are a few third-party resources
that provide general guidelines for
green product selection.
BEES: A life cycle assessment–based
side-by-side product comparison
tool created by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology.
www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees.
BUILDINGGREEN AND THE
GREENSPEC DIRECTORY: An
independent media source that
thoroughly investigates product
claims. (Subscription required for
detailed information.) www.
buildinggreen.com.
GREEN2GREEN: Though still in the
information-gathering phase,
Green2Green’s goal is to provide
side-by-side comparisons of green
building products based on basic
characteristics, installation require-
ments and experiences, environ-
mental attributes, and performance.
www.green2green.org.
GREEN BUILDING ALLIANCE: An
affiliate of the USGBC, GBA works
directly with green building product
manufacturers to help them
improve their understanding of the
green building marketplace. GBA’s
downloadable matrix compares
certifications in terms of cost to
manufacturers; number of products
certified; first-, second-, and
third-party designations; etc.
Version 2 will be out this summer.
www.gbapgh.org.
RATE IT GREEN: Online community
sharing information about green
building products; includes a
directory of products and services,
as well as a rating system driven by
users. Its Green Building 101
Resource Guide is an encyclopedia
of green building and green
product resources. (Free to join.
Online Resource Guide access is
$19.95.) www.rateitgreen.com.
ECOHOME MAGAZINE: Print and
Web resource featuring a wide
range of green building product
categories and certified products
used in case study projects.
www.ecohomemagazine.com.
MAY | JUNE 2009
Circle no. 61
GREEN PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
All green claims are made directly by the party who
creates or sells the product.
“Second-party” certifications are assertions or
labels applied by an outside organization or
individual that has financial or other interests in the
manufacturer pursuing product certification, such
as trade associations, investors, or direct consultants.
“Third-party” certifications are the highest level
of assurance for verifying independent product
claims; they are made by an independent, unbiased
third party. Third parties have no connection to
manufacturers except the fee paid for the certifica-
tion process. Green Seal and Greenguard, among
many others, fall into this category.
Sometimes knowing where a product certifica-
tion comes from and everything it considers is still
not enough to make a concrete decision. That’s
when you should take a look at its compliance with
other larger standard creation bodies like the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and
the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)—two bodies that certify the certification
organizations themselves. Certifications created
according to ANSI or ISO standards must meet
high levels of quality, consistency, public comment
and review, and accessibility in both the creation
and maintenance of their certifications.
If you’re looking for multiple-attribute third-party
certifications, a good place to start if you’re trying to
figure out what product certifications are out there is
the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building
Guidelines (which served as the basis for the
National Green Building Standard) and the
USGBC’s LEED rating system. While neither of
these green building rating systems certifies
products, both reference a host of product labels and
certifications (see sidebar, page 32). If you use, trust,
and/or are a big proponent of either (or both)
systems, it might be helpful to at least start exploring
the certifications that these and other green building
rating systems reference, as they mostly point to
third-party labels or certifications that are trusted by
many green building industry stakeholders within
the green building industry.
36 ecohomemagazine.com
Future Resources
More product selection help is on
the way. Here’s what you can expect
in the near future.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT
DECLARATION: A popular method
of disclosing detailed environmen-
tal information about products in
Europe. The Green Standard has
created the first system for the
U.S., which it has dubbed the
“Gaia Product Profile.”
www.thegreenstandard.org.
If you’re especially diligent about how and why
you specify green products, you know that LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: LCA is
choosing a multiple-attribute third-party certifica- a holistic assessment of the
tion is not enough, especially since they’re not all economic and environmental
impacts of a product or process
equal. So it is worth repeating that you need to
over its entire life cycle (raw-
trust the source of your information, which means materials extraction, transportation,
you need to trust the organization that awards the manufacturing, installation, use, and
product certification. end of life). LCA is more of a
If you don’t understand what’s behind the category of information than an
certification’s logo and everything a manufacturer exact resource. However, the NAHB
has to do to get it, how can you justify your product and Green Globes already
reference information obtained
choices? I encourage you to take the time to go
through an LCA; LEED is adding
beyond the certification, visit the certifying body’s this component this year. Look for
Web site and download the relevant standard. more products to start referencing
or providing LCAs to back up the
FINAL ANSWER environmental information about
So, which one’s the best? Unfortunately, there is no their products. www.lcacenter.org/
overarching answer to that question. Trying to LCA/begin.html.
select or specify a green product is the same as
PHAROS: The Pharos lens attempts
selecting a non-green product. It’s just that in to translate complex product
addition to all the important criteria you are used information into a visual guide
to evaluating, now you have many environmental consumers can use to assess
and social considerations to include in your whether or not building products
decision-making process. Luckily, you can use are truly sustainable, based on 16
multiple-attribute third-party labels and certifica- criteria. www.pharoslens.net;
www.pharosproject.net/wiki.
tions to help you navigate the world of green
building product claims. For product categories
where no certification programs exist yet, you’ll
need to rely on your greenwash radar and filter out
unrealistic or improper claims.
The green product market may not be as easy to
navigate as we’d like, but it’s a lot better than it used to
be and getting better. The system of independently
verified green product claims has not yet sorted itself
out, and it will take some time to mature. One thing
you can do now is to let manufacturers and suppliers
that are making unfounded claims know that you
won’t trust or accept them without independent
substantiation. Your reputation and theirs will depend
on making verifiable and realistic product claims.
Aurora Sharrard, Ph.D., LEED AP, is research
manager for the nonprofit Green Building Alliance
(GBA) in Pittsburgh. www.gbapgh.org.
MAY | JUNE 2009
 ad index
ADVERTISER PAGE RS#

ecohome YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY

Ainsworth Engineered
Arch Wood Protection
BioBased Insulation
C4
C3
12
39
3
55
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES Correct Deck 45 63
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESIDENTIAL REMODELING Cosella-Dorken 29 31
Rick Strachan Custom-Bilt Metals 5 48
202.736.3332 | Fax: 202.785.1974
rstrachan@hanleywood.com
Fantech 47 6
General Electric 6 14
GROUP PUBLISHER & MIDWEST TERRITORY Green Product Awards 2009 17 —
Michael Boyle
773.824.2402 | Fax: 773.824.2401 Integrity from Marvin Windows & Doors 8, 8a-b 11
mboyle@hanleywood.com JELD-WEN Windows & Doors 15 53
Knauf Insulation 39 52
PUBLISHER & NORTHEAST TERRITORY
Mark Taussig Masco Home Services/Environments for Living C2-1 51
202.736.3406 | Fax: 202.785.1974 Met-Tile 45 57
mtaussig@hanleywood.com
Milgard Windows & Doors 23 60
GROUP PUBLISHING SUPPORT MANAGER Panasonic 2 32
Helene Slavin Pine Hall Brick 37 16
202.736.3428 | Fax: 202.785.1974
hslavin@hanleywood.com Pollard Windows & Doors 47 17
Propane Council 16a-d —-
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, SOUTHEAST Radiant Floor Company 22 18
Fredderick Chandler
202.729.3544 | Fax: 202.785.1974 Sealants Direct 28 50
fchandler@hanleywood.com Skuttle Tight 28 34
Smith & Fong Plyboo 16 59
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, WEST
Ron Hewett Therma-Stor 35 61
970.669.1607 | Fax: 202.785.1974 Titebond by Franklin International 43 54
rhewett@hanleywood.com
Viance 11 62
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, CANADA Whirlpool Corporation 33 -—
John Magner
416.598.0101 | Fax: 416.598.9191
jmagner@yorkmedia.net

DIRECTOR, MEDIA SERVICES

Mari Skelnik
773.824.2463 | Fax: 773.824.2401
mskelnik@hanleywood.com

PRODUCT LITERATURE & CLASSIFIED

One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005-5811
202.452.0800 | Fax: 202.785.1974

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT GROUP
Janet Allen

Subscription orders or inquiries:

In U.S. call 888.269.8410;
International call 847.291.5221
Online: www.omeda.com/ecohome (orders only)
Fax 847.291.4816
Back issues: Call 888.269.8410

List rental: Call Scott Perillo 203.778.8700 ext. 132

Reprints: Contact Erik Eberz, YGS Group

717.399.1900 ext. 150 | erik.eberz@theygsgroup.com

Media kits: Contact Janet Allen

jallen@hanleywood.com

MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 16
product review | DECKING

N
ew Jersey deck builder Gustavio del la
Cruz says his Millston Township
remodeling company is “in the direction
of being green,” but that it’s hard to nail down
which decking products are eco-friendly. “Every
manufacturer says their product is green,” says
de la Cruz, who owns Barrett Contracting. And
he admits, “We’d like to use green practices on all
of our projects, but only 20% are.”
The reason: Few of his consumers ask for
eco-friendly decks—and those who do can’t
figure out if wood, wood-plastic composites, or
all-plastic deck boards are greenest. With no
green standards in the deck-building industry,
many remodelers likely don’t know, either.
Indeed, decking manufacturers themselves are
still figuring it out. Manufacturers of products
ranging from uncertified but chemical-free exotic
STACK
THE
DECK
When selecting green deck
materials, consider content,
resources, and life cycle.
By Sharon O’Malley
hardwoods to all-virgin, recyclable PVC deck
boards claim their products are as eco-friendly as
plantation-grown, pressure-treated wood or
recycled-content, hard-to-dispose-of composites.
Here is a review of the green claims and
qualities of the most common decking materials.
SOLID WOOD
The oldest and most popular decking material
is also the one that is renewable: wood.
Western cedar and redwood are homeowner
favorites because of their rich color and natural
resistance to rot and insects. Decks made from
FSC- or SFI-certified wood are universally
accepted as green because suppliers can prove
through chain-of-custody that their wood comes
from sustainably managed forests.
Still, there’s plenty of redwood and cedar on
the market that comes from poorly managed
forests whose owners indulge in unsustainable
harvesting. Plus, some builders say wood from
young redwood trees does not have the natural
resistance of old growth. “There’s an illusion on
the part of the consumer that if they get a
redwood deck, it’s not going to rot,” notes David
Johnston, author of Green From the Ground Up
and president of What’s Working, a Boulder,
Colo., consulting firm. “That’s not true.”

ARCH TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES. The company’s Wolmanized L3 outdoor wood preservative is nonmetallic and carbon-based. The biocides used in the
preservative are known to degrade in soil, so they do not accumulate, the manufacturer says. Applied to wood, the product resists termites and fungal decay,
and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. In addition, Wolmanized L3-treated wood retains its natural color with no green tint. And because the preservative
includes no copper, the wood is easier on saw blades, the company reports. A built-in water repellent helps the wood stay straighter longer than unprotected
wood, the manufacturer says. Wolmanized L3-treated wood is appropriate only for out-of-ground use. 678.627.2000. www.wolmanizedwoodl3.com. Circle 342.

38 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 52
product review | DECKING

❮ CORRECT BUILDING PRODUCTS. Made with

80% recycled content, CorrectDeckCX is PVC-free
and made from 60% hardwood fiber and 40%
UV-stabilized polypropylene. The manufacturer
claims the deck boards are resistant to rotting,
staining, and fading, largely because of the recent
addition of a top layer of virgin polypropylene—
about 1% of the board—to shield it from moisture
and protect it from weather and wear. The use of
polypropylene instead of polyethylene makes the
boards lighter than some competing products, the
manufacturer claims, so they can span longer
distances and withstand higher temperatures with
less expansion and contraction. 877.332.5877.
www.correctdeck.com. Circle 343.
BAY TREE TECHNOLOGIES. PureWood
❯
Likewise, he says, new cedar trees, while
less afflicted by fungus and insects than the
white sapwood of young redwoods, can be
less stable and more apt to warp and twist
than older trees, so deck boards need
replacing more often.
A growing number of homeowners and
pros have turned to exotic hardwoods,
especially Brazilian-grown ipe. Among the
tallest in the Amazon region, these huge trees
can grow trunks measuring up to 6 feet in
diameter. The consumer appeal of this

decking undergoes the Stellac Thermally unusually strong, dense wood and similar
Modified Wood process, which uses steam and exotic species is a stunning reddish-brown hue
heat to protect the wood while keeping its that weathers to a silvery patina, coupled with
integrity intact. The correct combination of a natural resistance to rot, decay, insects, mold,
temperature, time, and conditioning modifies the
and even fire without the use of chemicals.
wood to protect itself, according to the company.
Wood sugars change into a natural substance But for builders committed to using
that cannot be digested by insects or used as certified lumber, ipe and other South and
food by fungus or mold, the maker says, dramati- Central American hardwoods are hard to
cally increasing the wood’s resistance to rot and come by, and the price is often inflated by
decay. Chemical- and metal-free, the wood is demand and the high cost of earning
noncorrosive and nontoxic. It is available in certification in South America. The energy
traditional-style Sahara (shown) or Linea, a
VIANCE. Ecolife is a nonmetallic preservative expended in transport is another detractor.
❯

Euro-style board with a different linear design

on each side. 888.575.4180. www.purewood
plus wood stabilizer system that offers long-term So the most commonly used—and
products.com. Circle 344.
protection against decay and termites and least-expensive—wood deck boards are
provides weathering protection to reduce
made from fast-growing Southern pine,
cracking, warping, and splitting in above-ground
grown domestically on plantations where
applications. The manufacturer says Ecolife is no
more corrosive to fasteners and metal fittings than sustainability isn’t an issue.
untreated wood, so it can be used in direct contact What becomes an issue is its need for
with aluminum. The product can be used on a wide treatment with a preservative to ward off rot
range of treatable species, can be painted or and termites. Preservative manufacturers
stained, and comes with a lifetime limited warranty. voluntarily bumped chromated copper
800.421.8661. www.treatedwood.com. Circle 345.
arsenate (CCA) from use in the early 2000s;
since then, alternative treatments, like ACQ
❯ TREX. Trex decking is (alkaline copper quat), have become
made from about 50% commonplace. The replacements weren’t
recycled and reclaimed perfect, however, as early formulations of
plastic and 50% reclaimed ACQ leached more copper into the soil than
wood. The manufacturer CCA and corroded steel fasteners. Newer
claims the product will not
formulations, including micronized ACQ, are
rot or deteriorate because
of insects or harsh
said to be less likely to leach and corrode.
weather, and resists More recently, a number of manufacturers
damage from moisture have introduced non-metallic preservatives
and sunlight. The plastic for deck boards.
part of the product is Amid the growing number of new wood
polyethylene, recycled treatment products is heat-treated lumber,
from plastic bags. The
which forgoes chemical protection for a
product also includes
reclaimed wood from
heat-and-steam treatment that changes the
used pallets and sawdust. wood’s makeup so that it is no longer edible to
800.289.8739. www.trex. insects. The lingering question with these
com. Circle 346. relatively new materials is whether the energy

40 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009


required to super-heat the wood negates the
environmental benefits of avoiding chemicals.
WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES
Most composite manufacturers fashion their
deck boards from a combination of wood
fiber and recycled plastic (including plastic
bags and milk jugs), although some rely on
virgin polyethylene. Most companies
warranty the long-lasting decks for 25 years.
Brands initially lured wood-weary
homeowners with a promise of maintenance-
free decks that won’t splinter and don’t need
painting. But the decks required more upkeep
than advertised, and problems with mold on
some brands led to class-action lawsuits
against several manufacturers.
In response, some, like A.E.R.T., have
added zinc borate—a mild fungicide and
flame retardant—to their boards. Others,
like Correct Building Products, introduced
recycled-content composite boards topped
with a skin of mold-resistant, virgin plastic
that adds a scratch-resistant, colorfast seal
and shields the organic part of the deck.
The added elements detract from the
decks’ green makeup, but Martin Grohman,
chairman and founder of Correct Building
Products, says they are necessary in today’s
marketplace. “People want this really
high-performance surface with no color
fade, antimicrobial performance, ease of
cleaning, and low upkeep,” he says. “To
deliver that kind of performance, you give
up something in terms of recycling.”
Some makers of composite decks claim
their products are made from 90% or more
recycled materials. But the same plastic
content that makes the boards durable and
resistant to decay renders them difficult to
dispose of because they’re slow to decom-
pose in landfills. Plus, because the boards
combine wood and plastic that cannot be
separated at the end of their life, there are
few ways to reuse them except to recycle
them back into deck boards, although there
is a barely existent system for doing so.
Grohman notes that the industry’s next step
is to strengthen the recycling process.
CorrectDeck, for example, stamps the
underside of its products with the ingredients
so recycling-minded future homeowners can
MAY | JUNE 2009
DECKING | product review
❯ A.E.R.T. MoistureShield composite decking is
made from 90% recycled materials, including
pre-consumer kiln-dried oak mill waste, waste
pallets, and construction debris. The plastics in the
product include low- and high-density polyethylene
from recycled milk jugs, grocery bags, detergent
bottles, pallet wrap, and food packaging waste.
Sixty percent of the materials that go into its deck
boards and deck tiles is post-consumer, which is
about two and a half times the requirement for
LEED for Homes, the manufacturer claims.
MoistureShield composite decking comes with a
limited lifetime warranty against rot, decay, and
termite damage. 866.729.2378.
www.moistureshield.com. Circle 347.
❮ EAST TEAK FINE
HARDWOODS. Shown here
on a LEED-Platinum house in
Dallas, FSC 100% Pure Ipe
decking is certified under FSC
chain of custody, guaranteeing
that the timber is legally
harvested from certified
sources practicing responsible
forestry. Ipe is naturally durable
and rot and decay resistant.
The air-dried, flat-sawn boards
are solid and unfinished and
feature eased edges. A range
of lengths is available. 214.751.
8988. www.eastteak.com.
Circle 348.
MORE THAN MATERIALS
S ome say no deck is green because it’s an optional luxury that unnecessarily consumes
resources. Others argue that decks save household energy because an outdoor room
needs no heating or cooling.
The greenest decks combine environmentally responsible materials like certified lumber
or recycled materials with building practices that prevent the problems that can shorten
their life.
Here is a checklist for deck builders who want to offer their clients the greenest in decking:
■ Avoid old-growth wood and lumber from rainforests. Insist on a responsibly harvested
product that is certified by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council or the
Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
■ If you choose a low-maintenance composite decking product, buy one made from
recycled wood and plastic rather than from virgin materials. Composite deck boards last
longer than wood so they need replacing less often.
■ For cost-conscious homeowners, consider pressure-treated lumber preserved with a
nonmetallic treatment.
■ Consider a brick or stone patio. Made from natural, low-maintenance materials, patios
tend to outlast decks. And select permeable pavers to reduce runoff.
■ Slope decks away from the house to direct water away from the building.
■ Plant shade trees that will make the deck more comfortable in the summer but let light
into the house in the winter. For remodels, carefully remove existing plants during construc-
tion and replant them afterward. —S.O’M.
ecohomemagazine.com 41
product review | DECKING
❮ FIBERON. Sensibuilt cellular PVC
decking has a foamed PVC core with no
fiber fillers. The product includes 27%
pre-consumer recycled PVC from cutting
scraps from PVC window trim and fascia
boards, and 8% reclaimed PVC, the
manufacturer says. The surface of the
deck board is coated with Lumenite, an
infrared, heat-reflecting material that the
company says resists fading. The
product comes with a 10-year warranty
against staining and fading plus a
limited lifetime warranty on materials.
Sensibuilt decking never needs staining
or painting and resists termites and
mold, splinters, and decay, the company
claims. 800.573.8841. www.fiberon
decking.com. Circle 349.
❯ EARTHSOURCE. FSC-certified machiche tropical
hardwood decking comes in 2-foot-by-2-foot solid
squares for installation on flat surfaces or in
5/4-by-6-inch planks. The open-pored, dense
hardwood comes in colors ranging from
yellow/tan to medium brown reds and dark reds;
over time, lighter spots darken to a reddish brown
hue. The wood is sourced from Mexico,
Guatemala, and Belize. The material is resistant to
decay-causing organisms and moderately resistant
to dry-wood termites, according to the company.
800.675.7257. www.earthsourcewood.com.
Circle 350.
❮ UNIVERSAL
FOREST PRODUCTS.
ProWood Micro wood
is treated with
Osmose’s MicroPro, a
preservative that has
earned Scientific
Certification Systems’
Environmentally
Preferable Product
certification. MicroPro
copper wood pre-
servative doesn’t
need organic solvents
to dissolve its copper
components, says the
maker, instead using a
CERTIFICATION POINTS micronizing technique
that grinds particles to
L EED for Homes (MR2.2) offers half a point for wood decking that is
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council; that is salvaged; or that
contains recycled content. Add another half point if the material is
a size that lets them
penetrate the wood
as a solid; wood
locally sourced. products treated with
The ANSI National Green Building Standard awards up to six points
MicroPro release 90%
for insect-resistant decking materials (602.8); up to three points for to 99% less copper
recycled-content decking (604.1); and up to eight points for wood that into water or soil.
is certified from sustainably managed forests (606.1). 800.598.9663. www.
ufpi.com. Circle 351.
42 ecohomemagazine.com
get it back to the company for reuse. And the
North American Deck and Railing Association
is working on a standard that will help deck
builders order more precise amounts of
material so they have less waste to dispose of.
Like many products, composite’s green
analysis is one of trade-offs: Not all of the
materials are renewable or recyclable, but in
exchange is a long-lasting product that
doesn’t need to be recoated with chemicals.
ALL-PLASTIC
Another response to complaints about mold,
scratches, and color fading on composites is
the growing number of all-plastic decks with
limited lifetime warranties. Even Trex, the first
to market with composite decking, offers a
cellular PVC deck board, Escapes.
Some plastic decking, like Fiberon’s
Sensibuilt, a solid-core, cellular PVC
decking material, and Renew Plastics’ Evolve
Decking, a high-density polyethylene
product, include recycled content. Some
others use all-virgin plastics.
Either way, these all-plastic deck boards do
not mix in wood fiber, so they resist mold.
And while some green builders would not call
plastic decking “green,” manufacturers tout
the fact that it can be recycled. “You could put
[our] product in with your curbside [recy-
cling] pickup, and it would be picked up with
milk jugs and water bottles. It would go to a
recycling center,” says Terry Marquart,
manufacturing manager for Renew Plastics.
Plus, because plastic decking doesn’t
decompose, its life span is indefinite, a
quality manufacturers say qualifies it as a
green product. That same characteristic,
environmentalists counter, causes a problem
when the material is dumped into landfills.
“[Green] used to be defined as the
amount of recycled content in your
product,” says Kristen Baer of Azek Deck.
“But now, people are looking at sustainabil-
ity, durability, long life cycle, and recyclabil-
ity. That’s hard to calculate.”
Sharon O’Malley is a freelance writer in
College Park, Md.
✳
For more green products,
visit ecohomemagazine.com.
MAY | JUNE 2009
 Best Practice
Volume 1
Foundations, Framing,
Roofing, Exteriors
#FG001……$69.95

Buy both and

Volume 2
save $10, plus Electrical, Plumbing,
free shipping! HVAC/Energy, Interiors
#FG200 #FG002……$69.95
$129.95

INTRODUCING ORDER NOW: WEB jlcbooks.com/fc PHONE (800) 859-3669

the newest resource
for green building pros
EcoHomeMagazine.com

s.EWGREENPRODUCTAND
TECHNOLOGYREVIEWS

s#ASESTUDIESOFGREEN
BUILDINGANDREMODELING
PROJECTS

s"UILDINGSCIENCEUPDATES
FROMINDUSTRYEXPERTS

s7EEKLYE NEWSLETTER
%CO(OME5PDATE

to advertise:
MTAUSSIG HANLEYWOODCOM
to subscribe:
WWWOMEDACOMECOHOME

your source for green

product information

Circle no. 54
new + notable
1 SRS ENERGY. Solé Power Tile is the
industry’s first building-integrated photo-
voltaic product designed specifically for
curved-roof systems, the company says. The
barrel-style tiles install alongside
US Tile’s traditional clay tiles, blending
seamlessly to allow for the collection of solar
energy without interfering with the roofline’s
aesthetics. The product provides 500 watts
per 100 square feet. The Power Tiles are
tested for durability, UV stability, color
fastness, wind resistance, and more.
267.515.5895. www.srsenergy.com. Circle 332.
1
2 KELLY MOORE PAINTS. The company
has unveiled two new zero-VOC paints.
Enviro Coat 100% acrylic no-VOC interior
paint offers excellent hide, easy application,
and water cleanup, the maker says. Green
Coat waterborne no-VOC paint also cleans
up with water and provides a tough, durable
2
finish. In addition, 16 new colors are available
3 for the eCoat line of interior and exterior
paint, which is made with at least 50%
post-consumer waste paint. 888.677.2468.
www.kellymoore.com. Circle 333.

3 ALSONS. Fluidics technology for the

657 water-saving showerhead controls water
shape and velocity to provide a full body
spray while using only 1.6 gpm. The
technology also delivers the water at a
higher velocity, creating a more invigorat-
ing experience and a uniform temperature.
800.421.0001. www.alsons.com. Circle 334.

4 VAST ENTERPRISES. Vast Permeable

Composite Pavers have an infiltration rate
of 400 inches per hour when installed with
an open-graded base, reducing stormwater
runoff. The composite pavers are made with
4 95% scrap car tires and plastic containers,
without sacrificing the strength, durability,
or appearance to replace segmental
5 concrete. The 3-inch-by-6-inch pavers,
which weigh one-third that of concrete
pavers, are suitable for driveways, parking
lots, sidewalks, and patios, including green
roof applications. 612.234.8958. www.vast
pavers.com. Circle 335.

5 TOTO USA. The Eco Soirée high-

efficiency toilet offers the look of a
traditional two-piece product in a one-piece
design. The universal-height 1.28-gpf unit
is WaterSense certified and features a
Double Cyclone flushing system, contem-
porary styling, and a SanaGloss glaze to
repel waste and bacteria. 888.295.8134.
www.totousa.com. Circle 336.

44 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

 Develop greater brand awareness and showcase your
featured editorial from this industry respected publication.

✳ Tallahassee TND | Geothermal | Zero-VOC Paints | Dishwashers | Building Science: Indoor Air Quality

Event Collateral ecohome YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN PRODUCTS + TECHNOLOGY

SPRING 2008

Media Kits Perfect

Balance
Direct Mail Affordability
and sustainability
combine in downtown
San Francisco.

Online Marketing
Recruiting Packages
Presentations

www.ecohomemagazine.com

integrated publishing solutions

800.290.5460 I ecohome@theYGSgroup.com
www.theYGSgroup.com/reprints

The YGS Group is the authorized provider of

custom reprint products from ECOHOME magazine.

EcoHome_3.75x4.75.indd 1 5/16/08 11:09:19 AM

Circle no. 57 Circle no. 63

 1 MOEN. Immersion self-pressurizing
technology increases the force and flow of
water from the Envi Eco-Performance
rainshower-style showerhead, using
2.0 gpm without sacrificing user experi-
ence. The showerhead is adjustable for a
revitalizing spray or a softer, rain-drench-
ing flow. A spiral-shaped nozzle pattern
contributes to full-body coverage.
800.289.6636. www.moen.com. Circle 337.

2 W.R. MEADOWS. Made with 100%

recycled synthetic rubber, Eco-Joint
expansion joint filler is flexible, lightweight,
UV stable, and chemical resistant, says the
maker. The product can be used as an
expansion or control joint on roads,
sidewalks, driveways, flooring, patios, and
1 2 more. It is non-extruding and is compatible
with hot and cold joint sealants. 847.214.2100.
www.wrmeadows.com. Circle 338.

3 COSENTINO. Eco countertops are made

with 75% post-industrial and post-consumer
recycled content, including salvaged mirrors;
window and bottle glass; salvaged porcelain;
and industrial furnace residuals. The
remainder is stone scrap bonded with 22%
corn oil resin. The material is non-porous;
requires no sealers; and has high stain,
scratch, and scorch performance, the firm
says. Ten colors are available. 800.291.1311.
www.ecobycosentino.com. Circle 339.
3
4 RHEEM. Designed to simplify installa-
tion, the SolPak all-inclusive active solar
domestic water heating system comes with a
heat exchanger tank, solar collector panels, a
4
controller, multi-speed pump, thermal
expansion tank, and other items. Collector
panels are certified by the Solar Rating &
Certification Committee. The maker says a
SolPak system can reduce the water heating
portion of energy bills by as much as 80%.
800.621.5622. www.rheem.com. Circle 340.

5 GAVIN HISTORICAL BRICKS. The

company’s bricks, pavers, and cobblestones
originated on historical buildings and roads.
The 150-plus-year-old European-blend
cobblestones shown here, reclaimed from U.S.
streets, offer a smooth surface look from
decades of wear. Other products include Old
Chicago–style bricks, Antique Indiana Hard
Reds, clinker bricks, and cobblestones
reclaimed from Philadelphia streets. 319.354.
5251. www.historicalbricks.com. Circle 341.

5
✳ For more new products,
visit ecohomemagazine.com.

46 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

 Get the
Wet Out

Circle no. 6

Item #MC907 . . . .$39.95

H ere’s your practical guide

to keeping moisture out
of a house. It’s filled with
details and solutions for
curing the serious moisture
problems afflicting today’s
tighter houses.

Includes a comprehensive
troubleshooting guide and
advice for dealing with mold
and rot.

ORDER NOW
WEB PHONE
jlcbooks.com/gb (800) 859-3669

Published by:
MAIL JLC Books
PO Box 933467
Atlanta, GA
31193-3467

State sales tax required on shipments to: CA & NY (applicable rate), IL & TX
(6.25%), VA (5%), VT (6%). Shipping/handling: Free until 12/31/07,
thereafter $5/1st item, $1 each additional.
RBMBK

Circle no. 17
greenwatch

1. Productive family
garden, animal habitat,
and water-conserving
native polyculture
vegetation.
3
2. Building systems 5
anticipate new technolo-
gies, disassemble for
manufacturer upgrades.
2
3. Carbon nanotubes form
strong, resource-efficient, 9 10
lightweight structures and
provide maximum design
flexibility.

4. Naturally ventilated
indoor spaces provide a 4 7
connection to the
outdoors, daylight, and
views.
11

5. Integrated photovoltaic 6
and solar-thermal systems
transform the home into a
net-energy exporter. 8

6. Heat pumps heat, cool,

and provide hot water.
1
7. Car batteries store
solar energy, export to the
electrical grid.

8. The house captures

rain and condensation to
supplement water needs.
House Like a Tree

9. Phase-change
“intelligent cladding”
insulates, allows daylight
and views.
10. High-performance
coatings on surfaces
create energy, insulate,
and reduce maintenance.
W
hen the Wall Street
Journal challenged
William McDonough +
Partners to create a
conceptual design for
a sustainable home of
the future, the designers found their inspiration
McDonough’s hallmark Cradle to Cradle inspira-
tion and influential philosophy.
The design emphasizes a natural and positive
integration with its habitat, a strong connection
between its occupants and the natural world, and a
positive impact on energy, water, and its carbon
footprint.

PHOTO: COURTESY WILLIAM MCDONOUGH + PARTNERS

11. Cementitious
materials absorb carbon
dioxide as they cure.
in nature.
According to McDonough’s program description,
the team wanted to develop a home that would “use
sunlight to generate energy, clean water, sequester
carbon, provide natural habitat, and produce …
oxygen and food.” In other words, their mission was
to create a house that functions like a tree.
“As with a tree, the house accrues positive
environmental benefits over time,” the program
statement continues, and at the end of its useful life
its materials disassemble and return to nurture
industry or the biosphere—a precept of
And while the designers have included smart
grid–connected renewables and ground-source heat
pumps in their plan, some of the most intriguing
features include lightweight carbon nanotubes for
the structure, an insulative “intelligent cladding
system” made from phase-changing materials that
enhances views and daylighting, modular systems
that can be disassembled and returned to manufac-
turers for technological updates, and cementitious
materials that absorb carbon dioxide as they cure.
Visions like these—even in concept—should
inspire us all. —Rick Schwolsky

48 ecohomemagazine.com MAY | JUNE 2009

Circle no. 3
Circle no. 39