subscribe
e-newsletter
contact us
advertise
from our archive
Products   
Off the Record: Recent Blog Posts
The blog written by the staff of Architectural Record
View all blog posts >>
Recently Posted Reader Photos

View all photo galleries >>
Reader Commented / Recommended
Most Commented Most Recommended
Rankings reflect comments made in the past 14 days
Rankings reflect votes made in the past 14 days

Facilities Construction
Division 06: Wood, Plastics, & Composites

3form
www.3-form.com
March 2007 updated
This year, along with many other eco-friendly resin additions, 3form introduced 100 Percent, a new sustainable material offering made entirely from post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is typically generated from recycled bottles used for detergent, shampoo, milk, and cosmetics. 3form worked with a recycling partner to devise a state-of-the-art sorting and cleaning technology to sort the waste by color and then arrange a confetti-like sprinkling of compressed color particles into artful combinations within the panels. The company¹s own 240 member work force at its Salt Lake City facility contributes to the recycling effort, even bringing in discards from their homes that are regularly shipped to the recycler in Alabama. 100 Percent panels are UV stable, offer chemical-resistance, and are suited for high-impact environments such as restroom partitions, education, and healthcare facilities, as well as outdoor applications. Initially, 100 Percent is available in four colorways in 4' x 8' sheets that are 1'' thick. Color patterns can be varied according to the needs of the specifier depending on the availability of specific recycled content.

3form www.3-form.com Chroma resin from 3form has been reinvented so it can be reprocessed and repurposed for a second life. Developed in conjunction with Bayer Material Science, Chroma features Aura, a proprietary color infusion process that allows 3form to infuse non-toxic colorant at a depth of 250 microns. To encourage recycling, 3form will buy back the panels and reprocess them through its Reclaim program. The material can also be ³leased² for a defined period of time and then returned for reprocessing.

Abet Inc.
www.abetlaminati.com
September 2001
Abet Laminati has launched Tefor, its first recyclable and recycled surfacing material. Tefor, an alloy of manufacturing wastes of high pressure laminates and chemically inert polypropylene, can be used for interior applications including retail shelving, backsplashes, and vertical cladding. Tefor is available in black or natural.

AsiaRain Jungle Hardwoods
www.asiarainhardwoods.com
October 2001
All AsiaRain jungle hardwood flooring is certifiably reclaimed, rediscovered, or recycled tropical hardwood. AsiaRain “Jungle Mix” floors are 100 percent rediscovered and reclaimed “used wood” from old railroad cross ties, telegraph poles, and bridge pilings out of Southeast Asia.

Avonite
www.avonite.com
August 2002
Avonite is considered "green" because 51 percent of its properties are from reused or reclaimed material. Avonite's series of recycled patterns utilizes particulates produced from reclaimed solid surface materials.

Black's Farmwood
www.blacksfarmwood.com
June 2000
Black's Farmwood is 100 percent reclaimed and recycled. Products include remanufactured flooring, barn timber flooring, commercial timber flooring, barn threshing flooring, barn siding, reclaimed beams, posts, and other timbers from barns and vintage structures, and structural timbers.

CanFibre Group Ltd.
ALLGREEN medium density fiberboard is made of 100 percent waste wood and binders. Panels exceeding ANSI standards for industrial MDF and have no incremental formaldehyde emissions. 888/355-4733.

Canopy
www.canopyhome.com
April 2005
Launched at the Greenbuild conference held in Portland last November, Canopy is a new resource for builders, designers, and architects who are interested in hard-to-source green materials. Canopy’s initial portfolio includes: Paperstone, a surfacing material made of a post-consumer recycled paper/resin blend from KlipTech Composites; Durat a durable solid-surface product from Finland made from 50 percent recycled plastic and that is 100 percent recyclable; Kirei, an alternative wood product made from pressed, reclaimed Sorghum stalks and a formaldehyde-free adhesive; and a flooring from EcoTimber, a supplier of FSC-certified, reclaimed and bamboo flooring.

Carnegie
www.carnegiefabrics.com
September 2001
Xorel Surfaces is the first woven hard surface using Carnegie's Xorel textile. Developed exclusively by Carnegie, Xorel Surfaces combines the colors, patterns, and textures of a woven textile with the strength and flexibility of a rigid material. Even though the textile is on the surface, the material can be drilled, cut, bent, tapped into, and heat draped. Created by thermofusing
PETG, a polyester resin, with Xorel, the end result is a durable, cleanable, hard surface with no chlorine content or plasticizers.

CertainTeed Corporation
www.certainteed.com
April 2002
Boardwalk composite decking and railing is the only composite decking system made with the patent-pending EcoTech material that combines PVC, a weatherable polymer, with recycled natural fibers for strength and durability. While most manufacturers use a much softer post-consumer recycled polyethylene (PE) to create their decking material, Boardwalk uses PVC, a harder, stronger polymer that is also used in the manufacturing of other vinyl building products such as siding and windows. Boardwalk is manufactured without toxic chemical preservatives, boasts a Class I (A) fire rating, and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Columbia Forest Products
www.columbiaforestproducts.com
April 2007 updated
Columbia Forest Products announced it has begun to convert its veneer-core hardwood plywood plants to formaldehyde-free manufacturing processes using a patented, soy-based adhesive cooperatively developed by Columbia, the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, and Hercules. Hercules has awarded Columbia a license to utilize its adhesive system on an exclusive basis for all of Columbia’s North American decorative-panel markets. The new adhesive, made primarily of soy flour, will allow Columbia to completely eliminate formaldehyde from its veneer-core and Woodstalk agrifiber-core panel products. The company expects the conversion to be complete within a year. Currently, there are few no-added-formaldehyde alternatives to UF-based adhesives on the market, and all are significantly higher in cost.

Columbia Forest Products has begun producing formaldehyde-free PureBond particleboard, complementing an existing line of formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood products. The particleboard will be manufactured at the company¹s Hearst, Ontario facility, which will turn the board into finished hardwood plywood and other panels. Columbia is seeking arrangements for other composite panel manufacturers to incorporate the PureBond adhesive system into their processes.

Chemical Specialties
www.treatedwood.com
To mitigate possible environmental damage, Preserve treated wood products are coated with a copper-based preservative, instead of the commonly used chromium and arsenic treatment. Biodegradable preservatives offer additional protection from fungi and insect attack that copper alone would not control.

Craftmark
http://craftmarkinc.com
All of Craftmark's centuries-old wood is rescued from historic building sites and oldmills and factories. This vintage lumber is harder, denser, and more stable than newwood. The company recently rescued Douglas Fir lumber from a historic Seagrams whiskeyfactory in Illinois. In the early 1900's this lumber was harvested in Oregon and sent by railcar to Illinois. Today, that same lumber has returned to Oregon, by rail car, tograce many homes in the Pacific Northwest. Craftmark mills vintage Douglas Fir, Redand White Oak, Heart Pine and many other species into flooring, wainscoting,stair treads & risers, and custom molding for restoration projects.

EHV-Weidmann Industries
www.maplexmaterial.com
September 2006
While the manufacturers of Maplex surfacing material hope their new product will be a model of green manufacturing, they avoid making any hyperbolic claims. Made from 100 percent unbleached softwood fibers from sustainably managed forests, Maplex is produced using only water, heat, and pressure. By eliminating binders, formaldehyde, or petroleum-based products, Maplex is both nontoxic and biodegradable. Two types are available: Maplex C, a medium-density, highly flexible version that can be rolled and formed; and Maplex P, a stronger, high-density version with good dimensional stability (twice the bending and tensile strength of birch plywood). Both can be punched, drilled, laminated, stained, or coated, and are suitable for most interior applications.

Formica
www.formica.com
November 2006
Formica¹s Veneer Premium Wood Surfacing Collection includes 30 new engineered wood veneers that combine fine wood grain and a polyurethane finish. All are derived from sustainable forestry practices and produced using fast-growth species including poplar, obeche, basswood, and bamboo.

Five collections, including Modern, Traditional, Metropolitan, New Classic, and Exotic Veneers, make up the group.

Goodwin Heart Pine Company
www.heartpine.com
May 2000
Most of the trees recovered by Goodwin and Company are hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. When the trees were initially hewn, it was the oldest and most dense trees that rolled off the logging rafts and slipped in the darkness of the Suwannee and Florida Rivers. Many carry the V-bottom cut of the broad axe used more than a hundred years ago. The wood is carefully raised, kiln-dried, then cut to the specifications of the particular project. Applications include the Ernest Hemingway House Museum in Key West, Florida.

Homasote, Inc.
www.homasote.com
Homasote 440 Sound Barrier is a high-density fiberboard panel made from 100 percent recycled waste paper and formaldehyde-free binders. It is designed for use as a carpet underlayment and as a sound-control panel. Related products include 4-Way Floor Decking and Firestall Roof Decking, all structural high-density fiberboard panels made of 100 percent waste paper, paraffin binders, and additives for pest and fire resistance.

Ineos Acrylics
www.luciteinternational.com
January 2001
44/01254 874000
Lucite cast acrylic can be used in the bathroom on bathtubs, shower trays, and whirlpools. The material is 100 percent recyclable.

InPro Corporation
www.inprocorp.com
September 2006
Bamboo continues to work its way into more building product categories: in addition to its ability to be sustainably harvested every three to five years, its durability makes it a good replacement for hardwoods in interior finishes and flooring. InPro¹s bamboo hand rail and chair rail products, an extension of the company¹s EnviroGT line, are available in both a lighter natural bamboo color and a rich brown hue created through a ³carbonizing² process. Materials can be ordered in 13' stock lengths or in pre-assembled
units.

Isobord
www.cier.mb.ca
May 2000
When the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources recently renovated their office space located in a 107-year-old building in the historic Exchange District of Winnipeg, Isobord was used for shelving, cabinetry, baseboards, work stations, and a reception desk. Isobord, an engineered strawboard product with non-Formaldehyde resins, was also used as door and window trim and bookcases in the 10,000 square foot office areas.

Jefferson Recycled Woodworks
http://www.ecowood.com/
April 2001
Jefferson Recycled Woodworks offers a full spectrum of lumber products, all remanufactured from salvaged lumber and timbers. They claim to currently hold one of the largest inventories of reclaimed redwood beams and timbers. A new company, AsiaRain, is now manufacturing hardwood flooring made from reclaimed exotic hardwoods in Southeast Asia.

Louisiana-Pacific
www.LPCorp.com
February 2001
Louisiana-Pacific is entering the composite decking market and plans to construct two wood fiber composite decking facilities. Composite decking is made of recycled and/or excess wood products and post-consumer recycled plastic. Products will include solid and hollow planks and railing systems. LP developed the Super Smooth Technology process to manufacture a special engineered wood substrate with an extraordinarily smooth surface. To create the surface, sustainable trees are processed into consistent wood panel sizes that are treated with a strengthening high-grade exterior binder and a special smoothing top layer.

Maharam
www.maharam.com
August 2006
Milanese designer Luisa Cevese adapted the technique she developed for her Riedizioni collection of accessories to create Ply, a pliable laminate material for interior applications manufactured for Maharam. The product is based on a proprietary process Cevese developed to embed textile remnants in a soft, translucent polyurethane. Variations of the substrate, coupled with jute, chenille, and tweed yarns, create bold effects; low contrast combinations accentuate texture and high-contrast variations add an optical twist. The translucent variation of Ply allows for opportunities to showcase materials underneath the surface. Polyurethane, the foundation of Ply, is a PVC-free organic polymer that offers the elasticity of latex coupled with extreme durability.

Nexwood Industries Ltd.
www.nexwood.com
March 2001
Nexwood is a low maintenance composite decking and railing product. It is manufactured in a proprietary extrusion process. Recycled plastic and wood-like filler (rice hulls) diverted from the waste stream are mixed and shaped to standard lumber dimensions. No toxic chemicals are used during manufacturing as the plastic content is naturally resistant to moisture, insects, and rot.

Panel Source International
www.panelsource.net
April 2004
Panel Source International manufactures a line of particleboard, MDF, and plywood panels known as Pyroblock.Pyroblock is a Class A Fire Retardant Panel, available as urea-formaldehyde free, FSC Certified, and manufactured with varying degrees of recycled and rapidly renewable fibers. Panel Source International also distributes its line of Purekor Environmentally Preferable particleboard, MDF, and Plywood.

Potlatch Corporation
www.OXSpecialties.com
October 2004 updated
Potlatch Corporation offers the OXBoard line of specialty OSB (oriented strand board). OXBoard specialty OSB products include OXTerminator Structural Building Panels, LuminOX Radiant Barrier Roof and Wall Sheathing, and OXTreme Sturd-I-Floor Panels. OXTerminator prevents termites, fungal rot and decay, and are highly resistant to surface mold growth. LumixOX reflects up to 97 percent of the sun's radiant energy, reducing homeowner's cooling costs by 10-25 percent. OXTreme panels resist moisture and edge-swell caused by exposure to rain, snow, high humidity, and other adverse weather conditions during construction.

www.potlatchcorp.com
Potlatch Corporation is the first U.S. headquartered, publicly traded forest products company to certify its Idaho lumber and plywood manufacturing operations under the standards of the internationally recognized Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Certified Potlatch products include framing lumber made of hemlock fir, larch fir, Douglas fir, and hybrid poplar, as well as decking, siding, boards, and finger-jointed boards made of red cedar. Sanded and sheathing grades of plywood made from white or Douglas fir have also been certified.

Robin Reigi Inc. for Smith & Fong Company
www.robin-reigi.com
September 2006
New from San Francisco-based Smith & Fong Company, Plyboo End Grain Block is available in 3' x 6' slabs and is ideal for tabletops, kitchen butcher-block, and other horizontal surfacing applications. The Plyboo EndGrain Block material is 1 1Ž2'' thick and is available in natural or amber, or in custom color stains. According to the manufacturer, the bamboo product will soon be available in flooring. Smith & Fong offers a range of sustainable materials, including Strand and Neopolitan bamboo and Durapalm, made from plantation grown coconut palms

SierraPine
www.sierrapine.com
December 2000
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) has certified SierraPine Limited for using up to 100 percent recovered and recycled wood fiber in its production of particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF). Three SierraPine products, Medite II, Medite FRm, and Medex are also certified for having no formaldehyde added.

S.J. Morse
www.sjmorse.com
March 2004
The S.J. Morse Company has introduced a new veneer-faced trim to provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to solid wood. The Company now offers the custom-made trim in six FSC-certified species: three domestics, oak, cherry, and maple; and three relatively unknown Brazilian species, Amapa, Taurari Vermelho, and Cupiuba.

Smith & Fong
www.plyboo.com
www.durapalm.com
December 2005 updated
Smith & Fong’s trio of wood products—Plyboo Strand plywood, Plyboo Black Tambour, and Durapalm Plywood—provide different options for decoration and paneling. Strand (left) is made of bamboo but is durable enough (3000 PSI) to withstand commercial environments. Black Tambour is made of bamboo strips applied to a thin fabric backing with a non-toxic glue and can be used on a variety of surfaces. Durapalm Plywood is made of layers of non-productive, plantation-grown coconut palm.

Avonite
www.avonite.com
Cottonwood is the newest pattern to be added to Avonite's series of solid surfacing. The colored chips are produced from recycled solid materials.

Tabu/WTP
www.tabu.it
December 2005 updated
In addition to following methods that meet today's strict air and waste water emission standards, Tabu's collections of reconstituted veneers, Newood and Caleidolegno, utilize wood species such as Obeche and Poplar, which are relatively inexpensive, fast growing wood species from managed forests.

The Green collection, from Tabu, features a line of veneers made of Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods. These veneers enable builders and architects to earn certified-wood credit from LEED, and according to Tabu, can create yields 40 times greater than using solid lumber.

Tamalpais TimberWorks
www.byofurniture.com
June 2001
BYO natural furniture kits will be available in an array of options, from complete kits ready-to-build out of the box (including the single tool required), to partial kits with just the metal assemblies, wood resource information, and detailed instructions. This allows individuals to purchase exactly what they need to create the piece that is right for them, both in terms of assembly time, skills, and budget. Customers may choose between environmentally-certified FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) pine, redwood, or exotic woods, or salvaged lumber, and between several different assembly designs and environmentally-friendly finishes. The company has partnered with eco-suppliers, from lumber companies specializing in FSC-harvested wood, to local deconstruction and salvage suppliers such as the Bay Area's Community Woodworks. Every step of Tamalpais TimberWork's process heeds this environmental philosophy, from using recycled paper at its headquarters, to recycled packaging and environmental finishes.

Tendura
www.tendura.com
September 2005
Made of 40 percent recycled plastic and 60 percent industrial-waste wood fiber, Tendura composite boards are fungus- and termite-resistant. The TenduraPlank line features a tongue-and-groove floorboard designed specifically for covered-porch applications. The boards are available in a new Solid collection, which does not need to be painted. Battleship Gray (shown) is the first color available in the line, and more colors will be added soon. Tendura also offers a Classic primed model that allows homeowners to paint their porch any color they choose.

Teragren
www.teragren.com
July 2004
Teragren's product line has expanded to include TimberGrass bamboo prefinished and site-finished flooring and accessories, stair parts, panels and veneers as well as a new Teragren brand of bamboo wide plank flooring. Company executives plan to offer a wider range of price points and new products made out of not only bamboo, but other sustainably harvested hardwoods in the near future.

Timber Holdings Ltd
www.timberholdings.com
April 2000
Used in commercial applications for more than 25 years, Iron Woods, from Timber Holdings Ltd. (THL) are naturally resistant to termites, rot, splintering, fire, and chemicals. THL works closely with designers to help them reach their environmental objectives

Titan Wood
www.titanwood.com
August 2006
Accoya, from U.K.-based Titan Wood, is produced using a patented acetylation process that converts sustainably forested softwoods and non-durable hardwoods into a modified wood product that offers durability, dimensional stability, and a non-toxic, 100 percent recyclable alternative to tropical hardwoods, biocide-treated woods, and artificial materials in external applications. The company is currently negotiating overseas distribution rights and expects Accoya to be available in the U.S. next year.

Trex Company
www.trex.com
March 2000
The Presidential Trail at Mt. Rushmore was surfaced with Trex Easy Care Decking to ensure no splinters for visitors and to reduce upkeep by the park staff. Trex is made with recycled and reclaimed plastic and wood, and requires no special tools or fasteners.

Trus Joist
http://www.trusjoist.com
Engineered lumber products have significant environmental advantages over dimension lumber. Trus Joist MacMillan relies on second-growth and alternative timber species rather than controversial old-growth timber resources. For example, the TJI joist's structurally efficient "I" shape uses half the wood fiber of solid-sawn joists. Wood-based engineered lumber is a natural insulator.

Tabu Veneer
September 2001
Tabu's line of dyed natural and reconstituted veneers is now available in the U.S. The veneers include hundreds of colors, patterns, and species, and are aniline-dyed using a computer calibrated coloring process. The dying process allows the veneers to retain the characteristics of the wood, while eliminating color variations. Tabu veneers reduce the waste experienced with natural veneers caused by these variations.

U.S. Plastic Lumber
www.usplasticlumber.com
May 2004
U.S. Plastic Lumber (USPL) produces plastic lumber made from post-consumer waste including milk jugs and detergent bottles. USPL's high-density polyethylene is made from 100% recycled plastic and is a maintenance-free product for railing or deck board. USPL also manufactures a wood-plastic composite for deck board or railing and TriMax, a structural board that can replace pressure-treated wood.

Weyerhaeuser
www.weyerhaeuser.com
April 2003
ChoiceDek is a patented composite decking material manufactured with recycled woodfiber and recycled polyethylene that provides a water resistant product practical for deck, railing, dock, and marine applications. ChoiceDek saws, drills, and finishes like wood, and will fade to a grey shade over time. Hidden channels in the railing can be used for lighting wire and support rails on top and bottom are notched for easy assembly and to hide fasteners.

www.weyerhaeuser.com/wbm
February 2005 updated
Oasis is the latest generation of decking from Alcoa. Distributed throughout North America by Weyerhaeuser, the Oasis system offers both composite and PVC deck planks and railing components. Crafted of HDPE (high density polyethylene) and fine wood fiber, Oasis composite looks and handles like wood.

Back to Green Architect Guide

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Subscription Offer: Get Architectural Record Digitally
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved