Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

– Some tile is available with recycled content (up to 70 percent), using materials suchas scrap glass and feldspar waste from mining. These have important resource-efficiencymerit. Some manufacturers also have added innovative conservation measuresto their operations.– Terrazzo made with cement and crushed stone is also resource-efficient.❑ Health and pollution issues– Cement mortars, usually modified with acrylic additives, are among the safest settingmaterials to handle. They also have good performance in most applications.– Where adhesives and caulkings are used, such as for cove bases and flexible joints, alow-solvent-content product such as an acrylic can be chosen. Plastic adhesives containsome solvents and contribute to indoor air pollution.– Cement- and cellulose-based grouts are very safe and have low emissions. Onlyepoxy-modified grout (used for some wet and high-wear applications) contains hazardouscomponents.– Glazed tile and high-fired tile usually do not require sealers.– If a porous tile is chosen, the safest sealers are the low-volatility, acrylic or waterdispersedsilicone types. Sealers containing hazardous solvents contribute to indoorair pollution.Wood FlooringMany resource-efficient types of wood flooring are available, including salvaged, laminated,and veneered products. The most important air quality issues are the installationmethod and the finish.❑ Resource-efficient options– Salvaged solid-wood flooring is widely available. This is high-quality material availablefor a modest cost; however, the installation is more expensive than for newmaterial because it requires extra labor for fitting and refinishing. Salvaged flooringalso requires sanding and refinishing on-site.– New wood flooring materials include a wide range of veneered and laminated productsthat have a plywood or MDF core with a hardwood surface. These are usuallyprefinished at the factory with a very durable, low-maintenance finish. These are aresource-efficient choice, but are less repairable than solid wood.– Domestic hardwoods such as oak, maple, birch, and ash, and imported speciessuch as Australian eucalyptus and Scandinavian beech, are most likely to comefrom sustainable sources. Sustainably-managed sources of tropical hardwoods arealso available. 1 0– A steel-track system using wedges to hold flooring in place, or a “floating system”using edge gluing where necessary, makes wood floors easy to remove. A nail-downsystem is also salvageable, but with some loss of material. A glue-down system isprobably the least salvageable, but is required for parquet flooring.❑ Health and pollution issues– Factory prefinished products offer air-quality benefits because no sanding or finishingis performed on-site.– If sanding is performed on the premises, the area must be carefully isolated; thisshould include sealing off the doors and HVAC system and using temporary fans.– Final cleanup with a high-performance high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtervacuum is recommended.– For finishing on-site, consider the water-dispersed urethanes (actually urethane-acrylicblends) with low-volatility contents because they are among the lowest-emissionfinishes. Those with “crosslinker” additives are very durable. Hardening oils, solventvarnishes, and acid-cured varnishes give off prolonged emissions of pollutants. 11– If edge gluing is required, white carpenter’s or woodworker’s glue is a low-toxicityproduct. If glue-down methods are required, use a low-volatility flooring adhesive.