BUILD IT GREEN
Environmental responsibility has been gaining in popularity as more architects, builders and homeowners recognize its benefits. With family health and community wellness as key components, JT’S Lumber wants to help you understand “green” and make better choices for green living.

What is Green Building?

Green Building is the use of construction practices and materials that protect people and the environment. Green buildings are designed in an integrated manner to respond to the local climate and conditions, to use environmental resources wisely, and to consider the long‐term use of the building. Specifically, green buildings are designed, built and operated to deliver improved performance over conventional building practices in the following areas:

• Energy Efficiency
  Energy consumption has an extensive impact on the earth. Each year homes consume energy, making the impact of the consumption on the environment accrue over time. Many of our current energy needs expel toxins into the air. Creating a home or building that reduces energy consumption is important. With unpredictable energy costs, it is advantageous for consumers to add products to make their homes more energy efficient.

• Water Conservation
  Conserving water helps to preserve and protect our water resources. As world population grows, there is an increase on the strains placed upon the environment, including water usage. Like energy efficient products, water efficient products can also help consumers save money. Technologies have improved and new low flow products in the market are better than ever.

• Health Conscious Products
  There are several things that consumers can do to create a healthier lifestyle inside and outside their homes. Consumers can use environmentally preferred cleaners, all-natural pest control and fertilizers, VOC paints and caulks, and formaldehyde-free insulation.

• Reduce Waste & Recycle
  The benefits of purchasing recycled products are two‐fold. Purchasing recycled products conserve natural resources and energy, while keeping landfill mass down. Waste is significantly reduced through the recycling of old products into new products. Consider the following; the energy saved from recycling one aluminum can is enough to operate a television for three hours.

• Sustainable Forestry
  Sustainable forestry is managing forest resources to meet today’s needs without interfering with future generations’ needs. Sustainable forest products are products from wood harvested from forests that are managed responsibly. Products that have been certified through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), come from forests where environmental, economic, and social interests are protected.

What Products Are Green Environmentally Friendly

Adhesives
Adhesives that need ventilation or can’t be around fire and sparks are usually laden with volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s. The dangers to human health from VOC’s are sufficient to inspire the development of adhesives with less or none of the dangerous chemicals. New adhesives do the same job with fewer environmental and health risks.

• Dap Caulks and Sealants

• GE Sealants

• Macco Adhesives

• OSI Green Series Adhesives

Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets can be hazardous to your health. Cabinets can give off fumes that can make you ill. Cabinets made of particle board and treated with formaldehyde, for instance, can outgas for the life of the product. Look for cabinets made with low‐ or no VOC content materials.

• Bertch Manufacturing

• Corian

• Crystal Cabinet Works

• Decora Cabinets

• Merillat Industries

Decking
Alternatives to traditional wood decking materials abound because they make sense. Wood is a high maintenance material that needs almost constant attention when left outdoors. If you really want wood, try to use FSC certified wood. When searching for a wood alternative, the best options will have a high recycled content.

• Correct Deck

• Trex Decking

Exterior Siding
Exterior siding should be low maintenance, extremely durable, good looking, and safe. Vinyl was once thought to be a good choice, but tops out only in the cost category. Fiber cement and metal are usually better options when it comes to sustainable siding choices.

• James Hardie Siding

• Certainteed Weatherboard

Insulation
Insulation is a key feature of an energy efficient home. All building components; walls, ceilings, roofs, and floors should be insulated to minimize heat loss, save energy, and improve comfort.

• Owens Corning

• Johns Manville

Paints
Paints and coatings contribute to the overall indoor air quality of a home. Select paints and coatings that have low‐ or no‐ VOC (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are the fumes that you smell while you paint, or when you walk into a recently painted room. The use of VOCs in paints and coatings is often to achieve smoother application or quicker drying.

• California Paints

• Cabot  Stain

• Messmer’s

• Minwax

Roofing
When considering a roofing material, ask the same questions you would ask when buying any building material. First, what is the origin of the material? In the case of traditional roofing products like asphalt shingles, the origin is petroleum. Aside from the obvious environmental ramifications of using petroleum products, there are also disposal issues to consider. Presently there are many roofing alternatives that may become total replacements to traditional roofing materials.

• Certainteed Roofing

• EcoStar Roofing

• GAF/ELK Roofing

Sheathing
Using a proper sheathing product on your walls can help offset the environmental impacts of building a new home.

• USG Gypsum

Structural Framing
Virtually any wood product has an engineered alternative that in most cases offers consistent performance, predictable quality, and superior structural characteristics, while reducing construction waste. Although these products aren’t perfect, new technology is improving the durability and off-gassing issues that have posed problems in the past.

• Boise Cascade

Windows
Everybody loves windows. What is the attraction? We love the connection to the outdoors, to be engaged in nature yet comfortable indoors no matter what the weather is outside. In addition to bringing views, light, and aesthetic value to a home, windows contribute to two vital energy systems: day lighting and heating.

• Andersen Windows & Doors

• JELDWEN Windows and Doors