Page 62 - November 2015 Green Builder Magazine

The Homeowner’s Handbook SIXTH EDITION
What Makes a Cabinet Green?
60 INSPIRATION FOR THIS IMAGE: CRYSTALCABINETS.COM
Engineered Wood Veneer
As a surfacing option, thin wood veneer is
considered green because it can be made from
younger growth trees or with leftover scraps
from furniture factories.
Low-Impact Paint
or Stain
To limit VOCs from paints
or stains, you have two
options: If you’re set on a
hard, glossy enamel finish,
the best bet is to have it
baked on at the factory,
where it can fully offgass.
For cabinets finished
onsite, low- or no-VOC,
water-based stains or
paints should be specified.
www.greenbuildermag.com 11.2015 Moisture-Proof Feet
By putting metal or polymer feet on a cabinet, you keep it out
of harm’s way—more specifically, if a leak develops, moisture
wont have a chance to saturate the bottom panel, inviting
mold or mildew and shortening the life of the unit.
The Importance of Certified Wood
Wood is a renewable resource, but in many places it has
been harvested faster than it can regenerate, with little
concern for the natural ecosystems or human communities
impacted by the logging. However, you’ve probably heard
of “certified wood.” This refers to lumber or products that
contain wood fiber from sustainably managed forests.
Globally, the area of certified forests has been rising steadily.
Wood products with certification labels have been vetted by third-
party organizations. The two certification programs you’re likely to
encounter are those managed by the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
The FSC certifies forests all over the world—380 million acres, to
date. The standard includes provisions for protecting water quality,
prohibiting pesticide use and protect old-growth habitat, among others.
Read more here: https://us.fsc.org
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KCMA Certification
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association has its own green certification
program called the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP). As with any
industry self assessment, ESP certification should be used as a baseline to
identify green-minded companies, not a guarantee that a particular
brand will meet all of your sustainability expectations. Keep in
mind that many companies that make sustainable
cabinetry and shelving do not pursue
KCMA certification.
Certified Wood
Doors
The lumber used in doors
and other parts of the
cabinet box should come
from companies certified
by FSC, SFI or another
credible certifying
organization.
Clean Core Materials
The formaldehyde-bonded particleboard and
plywood often used for shelving is bad for indoor
air quality. New products include agrifiber panels
(typically straw based), that use low-VOC binders
to replace formaldehyde glues.
As of this year, 250 million acres in the U.S.
and Canada are certified to the SFI standard.
The SFI manages standards for Forest
Management, Fiber Sourcing and Chain-
of-Custody certification; these standards
were updated this year. Read more about
the changes here: http://bit.ly/1Mt2Hio
Cabinetry is just one category where certified wood is available, so
be sure to ask for certified wood for all aspects of your project, from
framing lumber and plywood to trim. Certified wood may cost 10
to 15 percent more—although the cost depends on availability and
varies from region to region—but choosing it over lumber that isn’t
certified will help ensure forests, which are a key tool for fighting
climate change, stay intact and healthy.
11/20/15 9:54 AM