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Newsletter – April 2010
Green Flooring
April 2010 PAR Newsletter
With all the rain we have gotten recently, the forsythia and daffodils are
blooming and the grass has turned green – spring has sprung. With it, the
construction industry is starting to come out of the recession doldrums. As
the outdoor landscape rolls out its new spring green there’s a whole new
green emerging in construction projects as well. The government is sprinkling
impressive financial incentives to get your green projects growing.
When ‘Green’ becomes a project topic, ask “What do you need your flooring to do for you?” This remains
an important question while choosing flooring materials and cutting through the
array of “green options”. Green can balance our environment as well
as the bottom line, however there are also many shades of ‘Green’.
When you think ‘Green’, do you think LEED Certified?
Did you know that only a building can be LEED certified – Materials,
vendors and companies cannot.
What does LEED stand for? Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design.
The leading measurement of LEED Certification is through the non-profit
US Green Building Council (USGBC).
USGBC defines their mission: “To transform the way
buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an
environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment
that improves the quality of life.”
HOW GREEN IS GREEN? Cost aside these days, more and
more clients are asking questions about building eco friendly projects.
Whether thinking green and planning flooring for new construction/renovation,
or simply updating a property, the good news is that there are a wide variety of
choices and options to consider. PAR Flooring is experienced in orchestrating
and planning how and where to be green from the ground up!
If your goal is LEED Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum, PAR Flooring can
help you over the finish line with LEED points and the documentation to support
them. PAR offers experience, knowledge and innovative flooring materials to
help your project gain LEED Points. Many of our extensive flooring options
lead to eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, and low VOC (reduced amounts
of volatile organic compounds) solutions leaving a small carbon footprint –
the true definition of Green Flooring.
Basic Criteria for flooring contributing to successful LEED Certification:
All adhesives need to meet or exceed stated low VOC requirements.
Wood flooring procured from an FSC(Certified Wood) supplier can also
contribute to LEED credits.
Use of products with a high content of recycled materials.
Use of rapidly renewable materials (such as linoleum, cork and bamboo)
and/or reclamation and reuse of products. A product with cradle-to-cradle
capabilities – especially as it pertains to vinyl flooring products.
Supplying regionally sourced materials in flooring – produced within
500 miles of the project jobsite.
Other considerations include materials’ use and maintenance. Choose
floors that are more durable and require replacement less frequently, avoid
high maintenance floors that use harsh chemicals, and consider floors that
don’t have to be refinished.
PAR Flooring recognizes the importance of evaluating initial cost versus
life-cycle value, which includes ease of repair, downtime and replacement
cycles. PAR’s Value EngineeringSM is our commitment to
provide innovative materials and ‘Green’ your project – efficiently,
effectively, AND on budget.
In this issue
Major corporations are pushing green all the way down to suppliers
The world’s largest retailer has set a new goal for shrinking its
environmental footprint and is turning to suppliers to help achieve a
20-million-ton cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle and
supply chain of Walmart products by 2015.
