EA New Homes Measures Guide - Earth Advantage

2012 Earth Advantage Residential
Measures Resource Guide
7.4.6
Renewable Materials: Linoleum, Cork, Bamboo, or Wool (5-20% / 21-100%)
Energy
Health
Materials
Water
0 0 0 1/2 0
Description: Install a natural flooring product, such as wool carpet, natural linoleum (not vinyl), cork, and bamboo. Points are awarded
based on the percentage of the total flooring area covered.
Wall-to-wall carpeting is made from 100 percent wool. Sisal, woven grasses, and other natural fibers also apply. 25% post-consumer
recycled content Tile, will also be accepted. Wood is excluded. This measure does not apply to backing and pad.
Land
Benefit: Natural flooring materials are made from renewable resources and are generally less toxic than synthetic products. Linoleum is a
resilient flooring product made of linseed oil, pine rosin, sawdust, cork dust, limestone, natural pigments, and jute (backing). Cork is the
outer bark of an oak tree, Quercus Suber, which is grown primarily in the Mediterranean region. Bamboo is a rapidly growing grass
originating primarily in Asia. Wool fiber for carpet comes from sheep.
All of these products originate outside the United States, so there are some transportation impacts. However, less processing is required
than petroleum-based flooring materials. These materials are very durable and will last for decades with minimal care. They are even
biodegradable. If flooring adhesive is required, a low-toxic adhesive is recommended to follow through on the environmental benefits of the
flooring.
Wool maintains a high quality and is well known for decades of service. The natural fiber in these materials is toxin free and ideal for many
individuals with chemical sensitivities. Wool has some natural moisture buffering capacity and helps reduce swings in indoor relative
humidity by absorbing and releasing water vapor. Like all carpets, wool harbors dust and human and animal dander, which supports dust
mite populations and can aggravate allergies. Therefore, careful cleaning is important. Earthen floors are also recognized under this
measure.
Verification: EA Raters will visually identify linoleum, cork, bamboo, or wool in the field and assess the area coverage.
7.4.7
Low VOC Construction Adhesives: VOC content 70 gpl or less
Accountability Form: General
Energy
Health
Materials
Water
0 1 0 0 0
Description: Use indoor adhesives for flooring and other applications that has a VOC rating of 70 gpl or less. The performance of low-VOC
adhesives is similar to conventional products.
Land
Benefit: Unlike conventional products, low-VOC adhesives release fewer solvents during the curing process, protecting indoor air quality.
Low-VOC adhesive helps protect workers who make them and those that use them during construction. Conventional adhesive requires
hazardous solvents during clean up, such as acetone, turpentine, xylene and paint thinner. Using low-VOC construction adhesives helps
maintain a healthy living environment, and is environmentally responsible because it avoids much of the ecological costs of using
conventional construction adhesives.
Verification: EA Rater will check the VOC rating on containers found at the job site. If containers are not present, the builder must provide
documentation in the form of a receipt showing purchase of a particular product. If there is any doubt that a particular product meets a
specific VOC rating, the builder must provide an MSDS.
8 Water Efficiency
8.1 Indoor Water Efficiency
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