FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

This natural stone floor and natural stone tub show off a variety of options available with natural stone.

Notice the shape of the floor tiles as well as the simple yet elegant installation. The floor material and the pattern do an excellent job of demonstrating a patterned floor with a unique shaped tile that doesn’t compete or take away from the focal point – the magnificent tub.

Notice, too the short freestanding wall that houses the plumbing for the bathtub. A different size tile and different pattern were used to compliment the tub and the floor but in no way took away from the beauty of either the tub or the floor. This is a great example of having a focal point and multiple patterns of tile or stone and texture without appearing too busy. This is a well designed room with a timeless look. It makes me want to say. “Calgon, Take me away!

1. Avoid ozone depleting chemicals in mechanical equipment and insulation.

• CFCs have largely been phased out, but their primary replacements—HCFCs– also damage the ozone layer and should be avoided where possible.
• Reclaim CFCs when servicing or disposing of equipment and, if possible, take CFC based foam insulation to a recycler who can capture CFCs.

2. Use durable products and materials.

• Because manufacturing is very energy-intensive, a product that lasts longer or requires less maintenance usually saves energy.
• Durable products also contribute less to our solid waste problems.

3. Choose low-maintenance building materials.

• Where possible, select building materials that will require little maintenance (painting, re-treatment, waterproofing, etc.), or whose maintenance will have minimal environmental impact.

4. Choose building materials with low embodied energy.

• One estimate of the relative energy intensity of various materials (by weight) is as follows: Lumber = 1, Brick = 2, Cement = 2, Glass = 3, Fiberglass = 7, Steel = 8, Plastic = 30, Aluminum = 80 –source: Building and Environment vol. 17 no. 1

5. Buy locally produced building materials.

• Transportation is costly in both energy use and pollution generation. Look for locally produced materials to replace products imported to your area. (more…)

Shaw Intros New “Green” Hard Surfaces

Friday, August 15, 2008

Dalton, GA, August 15, 2008- Shaw’s commitment to design, innovation and fashion leadership in hard surface is evident in the company’s summer introductions including two expansions within the successful Epic hardwood collection, two highly-demanded exotic looks added to laminate and a beautiful new green tile—and, no, we’re not talking the color green. Shaw is dedicated to growth and excellence within the hard surface category, and the company is working full-steam ahead to fill key niches in the marketplace.

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The Smart Consumer Understands Greenwashing

• What it means – Greenwashing is a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Environmentalists often use greenwashing to describe the actions of energy companies, which are traditionally the largest polluters.
• The term Green sheen has similarly been used to describe organizations that appear as though they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment, but are in fact not substantially altering their environmental impacts. The term came into use around 1990. It is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green (that is, operating with consideration for the environment), rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.
• How it affects you – Greenwashing may be accomplished by simply changing the name or label of a product, to give the feeling of nature, without actually changing the product itself. For example, putting an image of a forest on a bottle of harmful chemicals.
• How you can avoid it – You should read carefully the ingredients on the back of the bottle to see if harmful ingredients are listed. An even better strategy is to check the manufacturer’s website for more information and, when in doubt, contact them to ask questions directly.

What it means to you – The extent that you participate in the growing green movement is a personal preference. There are so many different ways to contribute to saving the planet. The more savvy you can be about products/services you use, the better. Today is the day you can start by changing 5 things in your life, then adding more next week until you find yourself as green as you can be!

• Keep caulked areas caulked. Every degree of temperature variance in a home can result in up to 10% addition to your heating and cooling expenses.
• Check your doors. Energy can be lost through doors that are not spaced properly from the floor. If you are having flooring replaced or added, a professional installer can check your doors for proper install height.
• Minimize use of space heaters. Spaces heaters are energy hogs and can generate more than 2 pounds of greenhouse gas per hour. These heaters don’t help your hardwood floors because the heaters increase the contraction of hardwood floors.
• Low-Emitting Materials. Install flooring that are certified to reduce low emittion standard.
• Insulation. If remodeling, ask about putting insulation between the floors to reduce heating and cooling expenses.
• Retailer. Hire a retailer or contractor that is knowledgeable about green flooring products and installation.