Q&A regarding stone and sustainability

by John Mattke, Chairman,

Natural Stone Council (NSC) Sustainability Committee

What are some questions I might expect from architects and designers about natural stone’s sustainability?

This is an important question and underscores the importance of substantiated sustainability. The design community is highly informed and can discern fact from fiction. Some of the questions you might expect include:

• Where is the source of the material?
• Where is the stone processed or fabricated?
• What is the Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the product (in comparison with other competing products like concrete, brick, etc.) based on application/usage e.g., cladding, flooring?
• What is the life-cycle cost?
• Are there any chemicals or components on the final product?
• What is the VOC content?
• What process does the manufacturer have in place for waste reduction and recycling?
• How is the waste that is not re-used handled?
• What is the post-consumer recycled content? Post-industrial recycled content?
• What is the total energy consumed from cradle-to-gate (from extraction through processing)?
• What company programs are in place to reduce energy consumption and/or greenhouse gas emissions?
• Does any program exist to reuse or reclaim stone at the end of its lifetime?
• Are there any other initiatives to minimize the environmental impacts associated with natural stone from its extraction to its disposal?
• What steps has your company taken towards becoming socially (planned leadership, employee, community programs) and environmentally sustainable?

A good reference for where we believe the green movement is headed is Cascadia’s Living Building Challenge — www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/resources1/materialsqnaire/building%20materials%20questionnaire. This not only asks questions about the material, but it also gets into your company’s social and environmental initiatives. Ultimately, that is how we believe companies will be evaluated in the future — the triple bottom line.

What are some ways you’ve implemented sustainable practices at Cold Spring Granite Co.?

We have done our best to be ahead of the curve. We began implementing lean practices in the late 1990s. Recently, we completed consolidation of several of our operations, which has reduced transportation costs, eliminated waste, updated/modernized stone processing, optimized energy efficiency and reduced water usage. We’ve seen an increase in energy efficiency by modernizing our equipment, and we’re proud that our water reclamation facility processes and re-uses over 95% of industrial water. Even our new headquarters building is LEED registered, pending certification. And it has all paid dividends. When visiting our facilities, architects and designers have frequently made comments about the approach we are taking. The truth of the matter is that we have been environmentally focused for a long time. My involvement in the NSC, and specifically as the chair of the sustainability committee, inspired me to form a sustainability committee within Cold Spring Granite Co. and take that commitment to another level.

What are the NSC’s plans for 2009?

We will continue to build our library of research-based documents and share them with the industry, including a comparative evaluation (Life-Cycle Assessment) of stone products versus other products in selected product classes to substantiate the benefits of stone in the marketplace. The NSC will be working to educate the industry and design community about the sustainability of Genuine Stone. The University of Tennessee will be presenting at the National AIA Convention in San Francisco this spring — using our industry as their case study for sustainability. We will also begin a road mapping process to chart key opportunities and challenges facing the natural stone industry in the immediate future with respect to sustainability. We want to stress that the success of the road map process relies on the active involvement of professionals and companies throughout our industry. If you would like to participate, or would simply like more details about the process as they become available, please contact us by phone, through the Genuine Stone Web site at www.GenuineStone.com, or notify Amanda McKenna at the University of Tennessee via e-mail at AMcKenna@utk.edu.

I’m on board in theory, but what can I personally do to help move the sustainability agenda forward?

Get in the game. Get involved. Take advantage of educational opportunities. Visit the Genuine Stone Web site and read the research documents housed there. Share them with your colleagues and customers. Join us in the road mapping process. Take a hard look at your company’s sustainability practices, and make improvements wherever you can. Engage in conversation with others in the industry — at industry meetings or conferences, by phone or even E-mail. We are all in this together. Keep in mind the environmental slogan, “Think globally. Act locally.” It certainly fits.

If you’d like to learn more about the NSC and their sustainability efforts, please visit www.GenuineStone.com, or contact John Mattke at 320-685-3621 or jmattke@coldspringgranite.com.

Source: Stone World Fabricator E News by Stone World Magazine

by John Mattke, Chairman, Natural Stone Council (NSC) Sustainability Committee

What exactly is LEED?

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) — the nation’s leading coalition on sustainable building — established the LEED® Green Building Rating System^TM. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) is a third-party certification program and a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.  

LEED is the most widely used rating system for green building. This system defines standards for environmentally responsible, healthier and more profitable structures, and it awards points to new construction and major renovation projects in five categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality.

Is LEED certification more trouble than it’s worth?

Some believe the costs to file and become certified is cumbersome; however, the LEED guidelines have become the norm for green design standards or architects even for projects that do not seek certification. The actual LEED certification process helps gauge the level of authenticity. It’s a broadly accepted standard, and there is substance behind the claims. There are over 14,400 registered projects, and the number of certified projects is almost 2,000. LEED certification continues to grow exponentially since its inception. Many projects report cost savings (within three to five years) that offset the additional cost to become certified.

Do you think green building will become standard practice?

It really already has become the norm. With such an increased interest in protecting the environment, we rarely hear of design and construction projects that don’t have sustainable elements incorporated in them. Honestly, it isn’t an option to discard the green movement. Green building is in everyone’s best interests, including Genuine Stone. In fact, there are talks underway to globalize green building practices. LEED has been implemented in India and the United Arab Emirates. The United Kingdom has its own version — BREEAM — which is gaining acceptance across Europe. Green building is here to stay, and the stone industry should serve as part of the foundation.

Source: Stone World Fabricator E News by Stone World Magazine

Q&A regarding stone and sustainability

by John Mattke, Chairman, Natural Stone Council (NSC) Sustainability Committee

What do the NSC’s sustainability efforts mean to individual businesses?

As you are probably aware, we undertook a very large survey initiative in partnership with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Clean Products. The data we collected from individual businesses forms the foundation for establishing the baseline environmental footprint of the stone industry. By offering the facts about natural stone and environmental considerations, we hope to increase market demand, improve the perceptions about our companies and our industry and challenge our competitors with solid information.

Right now, as you read this, the design community is making product selection decisions and comparisons based on environmental and life-cycle impacts. There are many other industries such as carpet, concrete and wood that are already prepared to respond to the market with this information. We need to make sure that genuine stone is adequately represented.

Finally, the NSC’s sustainability efforts should help to educate the industry about the growing trend toward social responsibility and the importance of what we call the “triple bottom line,” which refers to key selection criteria — including financial, social and environmental measures.

What is the NSC doing with all of the surveys they collected earlier this year?

Since the University of Tennessee has received and analyzed all of the data collected earlier this year, they have started to produce several sets of information — life-cycle datasets, best practices, case studies and material fact sheets. If you haven’t been to www.GenuineStone.com lately to see all of the documents there, you should do that today. Anyone can access this information and each new piece as it is published.

Life-cycle datasets: To accurately assess the environmental profile of natural stone products, impacts over the entire life cycle of these products must be identified. Information characterizing stone fabrication was amassed through a rigorous survey of the industry, and life-cycle datasets have been established for granite, limestone and sandstone quarrying and processing operations. The datasets can be accessed through www.GenuineStone.com and downloaded from the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products’ Web site.

Version two, which is projected to include additional sandstone data, a marble dataset, and begin to add specific transportation data, is currently in development.

Best practices: The NSC is committed to supporting sustainable initiatives and innovations at all levels of the production of Genuine Stone® products. As such, best practices of the industry have been identified, and these guidance documents were created to provide assistance in implementing environmentally-preferable operations.

• Best Practice: Water Consumption, Treatment, and Reuse”
• Best Practice: Site Maintenance and Quarry Closure (published November 2008)

Case Studies — Genuine Stone products inherently have some environmentally preferable characteristics. The case studies highlight these positive attributes of stone and its application as a green building product.

• Case Study: Application of Green Building Certification Programs to Natural Stone
• Case Study: Longevity of Stone Flooring and Associated Human Health and Environmental Impacts (published October 2008)

Material Fact Sheets — Designers are more frequently being asked to identify green building materials, but they do not always have the needed information. Using the life-cycle data, material fact sheets describing several stone types are being generated to provide useful information in this selection process, among other information. The one-page (double-sided) documents will summarize the current market for stone, regions of deposits worldwide, physical properties and  applicable ASTM standards, as well as environmental data and human health considerations. Currently, we have fact sheets for granite, limestone, marble and sandstone.

Again, all of these documents and an overview of our current and future activity can be accessed right now at www.GenuineStone.com.

In these tough economic times, how will sustainability impact my bottom line?

With regard to sustainability, you are either in the game or you’re sitting on the sidelines. If you’re not on board with sustainable practices, you will surely see a negative impact on your bottom line because your competitors get it. I firmly believe that to be in the game going forward, we will all need to be involved, well-versed in the sustainability performance of our companies and working to improve the overall environmental footprint of our industry. If people believe that sustainability is a fad, they are mistaken.

Source: Stone World Fabricator E News by Stone World Magazine

Q

by John Mattke, Chairman,

Natural Stone Council (NSC) Sustainability Committee

I’m hearing a lot about “green.” What does it mean in terms of natural stone?

“Green” is a buzzword associated with everything and anything that’s supposedly better for our environment. There is little disagreement that stone, in and of itself, is a natural material. It is, after all a natural element of the Earth, even in its final form. However, green refers to more than the natural stone material and its many characteristics that enhance its environmental profile (natural material, durable, recyclable, reusable, etc.). Green also encompasses the environmental performance of the companies that produce it — in our case, the stone industry itself. We are viewed by buyers (businesses, consumers) based on the choices we make to lessen the impact on the environment. Current perceptions of the stone industry include a dirty, unsophisticated operating environment, high energy consumption, high water consumption and high waste factors. It is our challenge to help our industry address these perceptions with hard data in a proactive way.

Isn’t “green” just marketing lingo?

Absolutely not. Green has become a concern of customers in all sectors, particularly in light of growing global concern about climate change. Unfortunately, as green marketing has grown, so has the confusion as to which products are really the best choices when it comes to sustainability and the environment. Statements or claims need to be genuine and substantiated by true science versus “green washing,” a term that refers to claims or statements made by companies and industries that are not supported by facts. The NSC is committed to providing the research and promotional support necessary to help those of us in the natural stone industry substantiate our claims about natural stone as a green product.

More Q&A tomorrow on stone and sustainability!

Source: Stone World Fabricator E News by Stone World Magazine

This new law leads the way in supporting other countries’ efforts to govern their own natural resources to ensure that only legally logged timber for flooring and furniture is sold into the United States. The Act goes a long way to putting in place powerful incentives for timber  producing countries such as China, Russia and Honduras to trade in wood products that come from legally logged sources or risk paying huge penalties . This is the world’s first such legislation and according to a Greenpeace spokesperson “is the most important piece of US forestry legislation passed in the past decade”. According to industry experts there is no doubt that the Lacey Act will have a significant impact on the sales of wood flooring in the United States for many years.

According to Alexander von Bismarck, Executive Director of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) “Passage of this law marks a new phase in the global fight to transform the timber trade”. The EIA has been actively engaged in the investigation of illegal logging for the past ten years and through their efforts were able to bring the coalition together. The EIA estimated that in 2006 10% or $3.8 billion dollars of US wood imports were derived from illegally logged timber. According to the EIA video “Increasingly China is the first stop for high risk timber” It goes on to state that “China relies on a constant stream of imported material much of this comes from the world’s illegal logging hotspots like the temperate forests of Russian where according the EIA is the location of some of the most lawless logging found anywhere on earth. According to published material enough illegal logs cross the Russia/China border each day to fill 3 ½ football fields.

Some industry officials state that the problem may even be worst in South America where up to 50% of the timber is illegally logged. With this legislation the flow of illegally logged timber will slow and then with tighter enforcement hopefully be eliminated. As Mr. Bismarck stated “the world’s biggest consumer nation has sent a message that will be heard in forest communities around the world”.

The Lacey Act provisions have been in effect since May 22, 2008 however the full impact will be after December 15^th, 2008 when all importers are required to provide a basic declaration. This declaration will accompany every shipment of wood or wood products. The purpose of these declarations is to increase transparency about the wood and wood products trade and enable the U.S. government to better enforce the law. The declaration must contain: 1. The scientific name of any species used 2. The country of harvest, 3. The quantity and measure, and 4.The value.

The new legislation will be enforced by a combination of Federal agencies including the Department of Agriculture (APIS) and US department of the Interior supported by the Department of Homeland Security, which controls U.S. customs and monitors the borders through Customs and Border Protection The Act allows for penalties up to $500,000 for corporation, $250,000 for individual, or twice maximum gain/loss from transaction and possible prison for up to five years. In the case where a buyer unknowingly purchases illegal wood then the penalty would only be a Forfeiture of goods.

So what can flooring retailers protect themselves?  According to Elinor Colbourn, Senior Trial Attorney, US Department of Justice all buyers of wood flooring and wood products must exercise “due care” by asking suppliers questions in order to comply with all relevant laws” .She suggest that “companies should implement solid supply chain principles and where ever possible verify the legality of your wood”. This may involve asking for proof from suppliers that the product was legally sourced and have them provide verification. Another method to ensure compliance is for flooring retailers to purchase FSC certified wood flooring from an approved supplier. All FSC suppliers are Chain of Custody certified meaning that the product is legally logged.

For more information contact the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Peter is the founder and president of Magnum Floors (www.magnumfloors.com), Charleston, SC – one of the Nation’s leading sources for certified green wood flooring products.

Over his 25+ years of International flooring experience Peter has achieved a leading role in developing new markets for muli-national flooring companies. His industry uccesses include:

Under an exclusive agreement with UNILIN DÉCOR’s, Belgium, (US annual sales $80,000,000) Mr. Rundle introduced UNICLIC laminate products to North America. In 2006 Unilin was purchase by Mohawk Industries (Dalton, GA.) for $2.3 billion.

Entered into an exclusive agreement with Mannington Mills (annual sales $500,000,000) to introduce their wood products into Europe and later became the first European distributor.
Acted in the capacity of the senior consultant to Sultan Vicwood (K. T. Chong) to bring their African timber and Chinese manufactured flooring products to the US markets. Vicwood has significant timber holdings in Africa (estimated at 8 million hectares) 4,000 employees in China and commercial real estate in Hong Kong.

Develop the strategy and then arranged for the first shipments of Chinese hardwood flooring to CCA Global (US flooring sales $2 billion annually).

Developed the first North American laminate program with Weyerhaeuser (annual sales $21.9 billion in 2006). First year laminate sales were in excess of $12,000,000.

Owned and developed the Easy Lock Laminate flooring brand which was later introduced to LOWES HOME CENTER and sold to Kronotex

Introduced prefinished solid wood flooring into the United Kingdom and Ireland by establishing relationships with Canada’s largest solid wood flooring manufactures

Installing new wood floors – The amount of traffic in the room and it’s affect on the choice of wood:

The amount of foot traffic in the designated room will directly affect the color and finish of any wood floors. Natural light wood colors like oak and maple are less affected than dark color wood floors, which tend to wear and show traffic marks sooner. In areas with high traffic extra attention is recommended as far as recoating.  New York Wood Floors are often being coated 1-2 full coats every 6 month to a year and glossy finishes are not being used at all. Such areas are sanded lightly before coating.

Thanks to New York Wood Floors for your advice!

Rob McNealy has more then 10 years of construction experience under his tool belt, and more than three years running a flooring company in Colorado, called Natural Wood Floors.

In addition to running a successful flooring business, Rob has also been providing social media consulting through his company called Contrived Media, and is an advocate for small business through his small business and startup podcast, called Startup Story Radio.

You can hear the podcast here. Look for more interesting interviews on his site.

Hand Tufted Area Rugs

While most handmade rugs are of the hand knotted type there is a different weaving process that doesn’t involve any knots whatsoever. It is know as the hand-tufted process. Hand-tufted rugs were very fashionable in the 1920’s and 1930’s and though they are not as popular today they do offer people a less expensive option to hand tied rugs.

The base material in a hand-tufted rug is primarily a pre-woven canvas. The pile of these rugs can consist of wool, silk and synthetic fibers.

Hand-tufted rugs can be mistaken for hand-knotted rugs because they can share similar properties, however they’re not as durable as hand knotted rugs but they cost considerably less. The main reason hand-tufted rugs are cheaper then hand-knotted is they are much easier and quicker to make. Hand-tufted rugs aren’t made by forming little knots; instead they’re made by forming little tufts using specific tools.

The process starts by cutting the backing material into the correct size and shape so that it can be stretched over a backing frame at which point the craftsman can commence. A drawing of the proposed area rug is created so that its image can be projected onto the material and the area rugs design can be traced. Like a paint-by-numbers kit, numbers are given to each area to represent the colors to be used. The correct color yarns are than pushed, with the use of a unique device called a tufting gun, through the backing. Latex glue is then applied to hold each tuft to the backing. The looped tufts are then cut to create the pile. A layer of latex is then laminated on the back of the rug along with a layer of a material designed to protect the floor in the homes where the area rugs will be placed.

While not as durable or valuable, hand tufted rugs do come in similar styles to hand knotted and at a price more consumers can afford.

This article was produced exclusively for Floor Talk! by the staff of RugSale.com an online retailer.

Hand Woven Area Rugs

Although power machinery turns out most of the carpets sold today, it has not eliminated the ancient craft of hand weaving. Rugs were listed as valued belongings in Persian literature as early as the 6th century. They were most likely coarse flat-woven fabrics produced on looms in much the same way that other plain textiles were made at the time. Hand-knotted rugs were created later, possibly by nomad tribes of Turkestan or the Caucasus. The weaving of hand-knotted rugs spread throughout the Orient, and Persia became the predominant center of manufacture. Most handmade rugs are Orientals and are still made in the Middle and Far East.

Oriental rugs are usually classed geographically. They are referred to as Persian, Turkish, Caucasian, Turkoman, Indian, or Chinese. The different varieties within these groups may be named for towns in the various weaving districts and marketing centers.

Hand tied rugs are constructed on a special form of loom which consists of evenly spaced pegs on long, parallel beams. Most hand tied rugs are made with wool which is spun and died to the specifications of the rug pattern and planned color pallet. Some higher end rugs use silk for highlights in the pattern.

The base components of the rug are called the warp, weft, and Tufts. The stands of warp run parallel to the length of the rug and stick out each end to create the fringe. The spun bunches of wool, known as tufts, are hand tied to the warp stands. After a row of tufts are tied, a weft strand is woven perpendicular to and through the warp strands and then pushed together to create a denser pile. This meticulous time consuming process is then repeated until the rug is complete. The tufts (wool bunches) are then trimmed to create an even pile. This whole process can take a small group of people three years or more to finish but the results can be fabulous. There is nothing like the durability and artistry of a genuine hand tied area rug.

This article was produced exclusively for Floor Talk! by the staff of RugSale.com an online retailer.

Today more than ever, hardwood flooring is a popular choice for homeowners. And many homeowners are moving beyond the standard, narrow-width flooring to embrace the beautiful styles of antique, or traditional wood flooring. Antique-looking wood floors — exemplified by styles such as wide plank flooring, distressed floors, even reclaimed wood floors — are appearing in homes across the country.

If you are planning on installing an antique-looking, or wide plank floor, where do you begin? What species of wood should you use? The choices, with so many wood types on the market, may seem overwhelming. But with a little planning upfront, the process can be transformed into an enjoyable learning experience about this remarkable, and natural, product. Here are some guidelines to help you pick the right kind of wood for your project.

Keep it firmly in mind that there are no set rules. It’s going to be your floor, and you are going to be living on it, so the most important thing is that you be happy with your choice. With that in mind, consider the common ways that different woods have been used in the past. Over time, it has been common to use certain types of wood in certain architectural settings. For example, wide plank white pine is usually thought of as a “country” look. It was the wood most widely available to our ancestors. Most of the homes of yesteryear, by necessity, were somewhat rustic, and the style, like country design in general, has remained popular. On the other hand, classic white oak, also a perfect choice for wide plank flooring, is often associated with elegant and formal wood floors.

One way to classify different hardwoods is by looking at which wood is most often associated with a particular home style. But remember, these are just guidelines. Wood is a very flexible material, and the same wood can often work in a variety of settings. Also, most of the woods mentioned here can be ordered in different grades, adding to its flexibility. Select grade is the smoothest, often resulting in an elegant look. Country, and rustic grades are more rough-finished, and can also be delibarately distressed in milling, by processes such as quarter-sawing and skip planing, giving a real antique or country look to the floor.

Country style wood flooring

- Heart Pine. The classic heart pine wood floor looks as good in a country setting as it does in a traditional one. For a country, or rustic wood floor, wide plank heart pine is a perfect choice, with its flame-like grain and color like a pumpkin.

- Eastern White Pine. The smooth-grained, knotty, eastern white pine creates a wood floor that will look right at home in a country style house. It has been the wood of choice in American country homes for generations.

- Character Grade White Oak. For a more rustic looking wood floor, the flecked pattern of character grade white oak, very suitable for quarter-sawn flooring, is an excellent choice.

- Red Oak. Coarse-grained, quarter-sawn, wide plank red oak flooring creates a timeless country look that will enhance any country style home.

Traditional style wood flooring

Warm, elegant floors are often found in traditional American homes, such as Colonial and Georgian style houses. Suggested woods for a traditional architecture include:

- Eastern White Pine. It is a fine, smooth-grained, knotty wood, with a very soft texture. It is very authentic for older homes, creating a warm, classic tone.

- Cherry. A subtle, tight grain, medium hardness, and a deep red color are the hallmarks of cherry flooring. The red color of cherry continues to deepen over the years, resulting in a warmth of tone that is almost unmatched. A cherry wood floor works well in formal or country settings.

- White Oak. A tight-grained, dense, hard wood. A white oak wood floor is seen in many classic American homes. The select grade gives a more traditional look, while country grade white oak, more knotty in appearance, can be used to create a more rustic looking wood floor.

- Heart Pine. One of the best-loved of all American woods. A heart pine wood floor is another time-tested American look. It is a very hard wood, with a dramatic, flame-like grain, and an orange pumpkin color. It works beautifully in a country or a traditional setting.

Contemporary style wood flooring

- Hard Maple. This durable wood has a tight, close grain, and is one of the hardest woods available. Hard maple flooring has a clear, light look, and is perfect for light, contemporary rooms with plenty of windows. You will see hard maple used in settings that require an extremely hard-wearing surface, such as a gymnasium.

- Birch. Another hard-wearing, dense wood, birch has a tight grain, and a subtle, sometimes swirling pattern. Birch is the perfect wood for a modern, light floor.

- Hickory. A very hard, tight grain, usually with some knots, and sometimes the grain can be dramatic. A hickory floor can work just as well in a country setting as in a modern one.

- Walnut. A popular choice, walnut is medium-hard, with marbleized coloring, and well-suited to natural finishes. Walnut flooring is a very versatile wood, suitable for many architectural styles.

Wood Floors for Every Style of Home

Home styles and architecture are not limited to a few classic looks. There is an infinite variety of decors, and wood floors complement them all. From a heart pine wood floor in a French country farmhouse, to eastern white pine flooring in a log home, to a rich, red, Santos mahogany floor in a classic, nineteenth-century style library, the choices are almost limitless. Do some research on the internet, perhaps look at some image galleries of hardwood flooring, and let your imagination take wing. Then go out to some showrooms and see, and most importantly, touch, the wood. Genuine hardwood is a material you’re almost bound to fall in love with. And when you find the right wood for your project, you will simply know it.