Page 65 - Green Builder Homeowner's Handbook 2016

Exteriors / Roofing / Structure / Insulation / IAQ / Windows / Heating / Lighting / Appliances / Faucets & Fixtures / Finishes / Cabinets & Tops / Alternative Energy

A cabinet company looking for the ESP label must achieve a agency in the previous 12 months.” Again, they can rack up points
minimum number of points in each of the following categories: simply for staying on the right side of regulations. Our point is not
to bash the KCMA, but to urge its many members to think much
Air Quality 30 bigger about what it means to be green. We often write about ESP-
Product Resource Management 30 certified cabinet brands that are being used in our demonstration
Process Resource Management 20 homes and other projects. We know these companies, and they’ve
Environmental Stewardship 15 indicated that they want to get real about sustainability. We believe
Community Relations 10 they’re sincere, and we expect exciting new cabinet products soon.

Some points are sound—such as the five points awarded under Homeowners and builders have been frustrated too long by the
ESP for “reviewing the environmental practices and policies of lack of readily available green cabinetry and shelving. It’s time to give
its key vendors and contractors,” although reviewing it should be them more options. For people with asthma, chemical sensitivity or
noted, does not guarantee any changes. Unfortunately, other point infants in the house, the only alternative in the past has been to take
criteria act as loopholes that weaken the program. For example, a matters into their own hands, to have their cabinets custom built and
company can earn 10 points in Air Quality if “75 percent of finished finished with low-VOC paints, or to seal in VOCs and formaldehyde
products are finished domestically, and finishes used emit no with surface sealing paints. They shouldn’t have to work so hard.
greater HAPs (hazardous air pollutants) than allowed by local plant
operating permits.” We’d call that simply playing by the rules. They A few brands are pointing the way by offering low-VOC water-
also can earn five Community Relations points for not getting any borne finishes and safer adhesives, along with straw core shelves
citations “from any federal, state or local environmental regulatory and wood for both door faces and veneers that is certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council. Change is coming. GB

Countertops: What’s the Difference?

Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor

Material Price Overall score Test
per sq.ft. results

Stains
Heat
Abrasion
Impact

Quartz (engineered stone) $ - 79
78
Granite - 78
62
Laminate - 58
53
Solid surfacing - 52
38
Tile (ceramic and porcelain) 10-30 36
26
Concrete (topical sealer) 80-120

Stainless steel 100-150

Concrete (penetrating sealer) 80-120

Limestone 60-100

Marble 50-140

SOURCE: CONSUMER REPORTS

Consumer Reports analyzed various attributes of common countertop materials, including how it handles staining, heat,
abrasions and impact. Quartz (engineered stone) got the highest marks, with marble coming in last, primarily because
it doesn’t hold up well against abrasions and impact. While both quartz and granite garner high scores, it’s important to
remember that large amounts of energy are required to transport these stones, so it’s best to look for a local fabricator.
Stainless steel has become quite popular in contemporary kitchens, but it is susceptible to scratching. – Editor

www.greenbuildermedia.com The Homeowner’s Handbook 2016 GREEN BUILDER 63