In light of this green building revolution, many vendors are coming to us for guidance on how they can be green. We are also getting many requests on consulting for people wanting to get part of the green stimulus package. The good news is that if you already have a business that can be slightly modified to be more sustainable, then we can help you out. One such industry is the floor covering industry. Most of our flooring contractors are doing their best to quickly adapt using some of the advice that we have given them.
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to see how you can improve you product offering and green up your process:
- Where did the product come from? Some of the green answers would be: A sustainably managed forrest (FSC), Reclaimed off of older structure, it is a repidly renewable resource, or a locally sourced product (reduced carbon footprint.)
- How is it installed? I would like to see accurate “takeoffs” for materials and reduced waste during the installation process. If the builder recycles onsite, then the scraps may be able to be reused onsite if they do not have chemicals in the. Jobsite grinders can turn the scraps into erosion control.
- How is it finished? In order to get green points in most of the green programs you must use no or low VOC finishes. If it comes prefinished, then the product must not off gas into the indoor environment.
Ask you flooring contractor if they have a green process. If it is similar to what we have listed here then you should be ok to work with them. If they tell you that they are green because they have recycled carpet or bamboo flooring, then tell them to read this post and do some more homework. Sustainabilty is a holistic approach that does not have just one right answer.
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