News
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.
Read MoreGetting 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:
Read MoreAvoiding 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.
Read MoreReevaluating 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
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreSolid 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.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreBrief: 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.
Read MoreSpectrum 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.
Read MoreBrief: Post-Consumer Flexible Polyurethane Foam Scrap Used In Building Products
Carpet cushion (that soft layer installed between a sub-floor and a carpet) is made from flexible polyurethane foam (FPF). Generally that foam is recycled scrap from the manufacture of furniture, such as couch cushions, or old carpet cushion itself. Healthy Building Network’s research into current recycling practices for FPF indicates that most post-consumer foam is contaminated with highly toxic flame retardants.
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