Page 29 - Green Builder Magazine Jan-Feb 2018 Issue

extremegreen Wallboard

HIS INNOVATIVE WALLBOARD defies easy categorization.
It’s made with magnesium oxide with no organic fillers
or resins, and comes in quarter-inch, half-inch and 5/8-inch
T thicknesses. The company also sells tile backer and other
products of the same material.
We talked with extremegreen CEO Sam Catling at Greenbuild. He
says the product is currently imported from China. GB: “Do you have
plans to open a U.S. manufacturing plant?” Catling: “No comment.”
We’re hoping that means we’ll one day see U.S.-made versions of
this product, which has a Class A1 fire rating, with zero flame spread
and zero smoke developed rating.
After a flooding event, Catling says the product can just be washed
off with a mild bleach solution and will continue to perform. Perhaps
the best feature, however, is that the wallboard can be used in place
of interior drywall. Seams would still need to be taped, of course,
and this might require some clever product choices to keep up with
the wall’s strong performance in the face of mold, water and fire.
Another perk is that fixtures, art and other heavy objects can be
hung directly from this material, without blocking. The product is CREDIT: EXTREMEGREEN
more suited to nailing than screws when attaching to studs.

3M Impact-Resistant

Window Film

S THE LAST HURRICANE SEASON demonstrated,
it’s not only homes in high-risk zones that can
be damaged by hurricanes. One of the most-
A common causes of major damage to homes old
and new is penetration, followed by “blowout.” This can
happen through a soffit, a vulnerable door or window.
Like more expensive impact glass, impact film will not
necessarily prevent all damage to a home in a major blow.
But as an affordable—and surprisingly effective—method
to strengthen glass, it could certainly be used as a retrofit
glazing reinforcement for homes a little further from the
coast, yet still at risk. The risks of airborne debris in older
neighborhoods are very high. Impact film could mean the
difference between a total loss, and a little water damage.
CREDIT: TABUCHI AMERICA

CREDIT: 3M RESILIENT PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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