News

Posted on Jan 18, 2017

Don’t Get Stuck With an Unhealthy Adhesive

We’ve heard from several HomeFree users that they’d like help understanding their best options for flooring adhesives. In response, Healthy Building Network has created another “stoplight chart” for adhesives ranking the most common options.

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Posted on Dec 19, 2016

Trimming Interior Hazards Through Careful Selection of Millwork

In a standard two-bedroom apartment, there could be as many as 450 linear feet of baseboard, casings, and other trim. Follow these tips to minimize the hazardous materials in these applications.

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Posted on Dec 19, 2016

Getting A Better Handle on Cabinet Specifications

Cabinet fronts, doors, and drawer fronts tend to be made from solid hardwood. However, the rest of the cabinet is generally made from various composite wood materials, such as plywood or particleboard, which can release formaldehyde into indoor air. Follow these tips to minimize the impact that cabinets have on interior spaces:

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Posted on Dec 19, 2016

Avoiding Hazardous Material in Doors

When you consider the number of doors installed in a typical home, it’s clear that careful selection of the materials in those doors can have multiplying effects. Follow these tips to limit the amount of formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals introduced into your project.

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Posted on Dec 14, 2016

Reevaluating Insulation Materials To Create Healthier Spaces

“Without a clear focus on the safety and health of the materials used to make affordable housing more energy efficient, we will be trading lower energy costs for greater health impacts and ignoring the potential manufacturing job growth from the production of safer materials.” - Kimberly Glas, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance

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Posted on Dec 5, 2016

A Brush With Research: A HomeFree Member Searches for Healthy Paint

Guest blogger Sunshine Mathon (Foundation Communities in Austin, TX) writes about his recent experience selecting a paint for a recent project.

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Posted on Nov 17, 2016

Solid Choices in Healthier Countertops

The Homefree website now includes a “stoplight chart” for Countertops. Topping the list for healthier countertop materials is lead-free (US-made) ceramic tile, followed by solid surface products such as Corian, then engineered quartz and cultured marble. Plastic laminate and granite fall to the bottom of the ranking.

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Posted on Nov 17, 2016

A Cheat Sheet for Decoding Vinyl Product Literature

HBN created a "cheat sheet" to help connect the dots between our guidance on vinyl flooring and the technical literature produced by manufacturers. Have this sheet at the ready when a vinyl floor is necessary on your next project, and you're looking to make it as healthy as possible.

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Posted on Oct 27, 2016

Brief: Post-Consumer Polyethylene in Building Products

Learn how affordable housing communities can help ensure the quality of recycled polyethylene plastics, preventing contaminants from being incorporated into future building products made from this scrap. Healthy Building Network’s research into current recycling practices offers guidance.

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Posted on Oct 24, 2016

Spectrum of Flooring Options Now Includes Ceramic Tiles

At your request, we’ve expanded the chart once again to include two variations of ceramic tiles on the market: those manufactured in the USA and those manufactured abroad.

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