Things to Use
Wood and Wood Alternatives
Woods marked as FSC certified (Forestry Stewardship Council) guarantee natural beauty as well as a commitment to forestland sustainability. Both hard woods and soft woods are available with FSC certification in a variety of species. Suppliers of FSC wood are now plentiful, so it makes the most sense to look for FSC lumber locally.
To learn more about certified wood:
- Forest Stewardship Council: www.fsc.org a company that researches products, and puts its stamp of approval on qualifying products.This way, consumers can recognize the mark and make an environmentally sound decision on their purchase.
- Scientific Certification Systems: www.scs1.com An independent certification organization. They are accredited by the FSC to certify well-managed forests and forest products.
- SmartWood: www.smartwood.org Part of an international conservation organization called the Rainforest Alliance. Also accredited by the FSC for their certification program.
- Canadian Standards Association: www.csa-international.org This organization creates standards to certify products. Certified wood is just one category in their standards.
- Forest Certification Resource Center : www.certifiedwood.org This site is a tool for researching where specific wood species come from, if they come from a respectfully managed forest, and if specific retailers are buying certified wood.
- American Forest and Paper Association : www.afandpa.org This organization strives to be a source for correct information for statistics and facts about wood products.
SUSTAINABLE HARVESTED CERTIFIED WOOD
Sustainably harvested certified wood products come from well-managed forests. Third party certification organizations create a system of standards to ensure that the product is environmentally responsible.
Allard Lumber wholesales FSC certified northern hardwood lumber. This includes white hard maple, red oak, and cherry.
- Allard Lumber Company
Brattleboro, VT
802-254-4939
www.allardlumber.com - Offers a variety of FSC certified lumber. Harvested from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.
Midwest Hardwood Corporation
Maple Grove, MN
763-425-8700
www.midwesthardwood.com - This company offers FSC certified lumber, flooring, wainscoting, and veneer in over 15 species. Harvested in Pennsylvania.
McDowell Lumber Company, Inc.
Crosby PA,
814-887-2717
www.mcdowelllumber.com - The Home Depot is a nationwide chain that sells FSC certified lumber.
www.homedepot.com - This company provides a variety of environmentally friendly building products for the home, included certified wood.
Building for Health
Carbondale, CO
970-963-0437
www.buildingforhealth.com - Certified lumber for cabinets
Timbergreen Farm
Spring Green, WI
608-588-7342
www.timbergreenforestry.com
Sustainable Woods Co-op
Lone Rock, WI
608-583-7100
www.sustainablewoods.com
RECLAIMED LUMBER AND TIMBERS
Reclaimed lumber is a source of wood products that are beautiful and strong, and that help decrease the demand on forest resources. The wood is salvaged from sources such as old buildings, railroad trestles, or sunken logs at the bottom or rivers.
- Reclaimed timbers, pilings & poles
Building for Health
Carbondale, CO
970-963-0437
www.buildingforhealth.com
Vintage Timberworks
Temecula,CA
951-695-1003
www.vintagetimber.com
- Salvaged wood from water and wine tanks, mills, and river-recovery logs. Can be used for plank wood flooring and a variety of other wood products.
A Reclaimed Lumber Co.
Madison, CT
928-396-3425
www.woodwood.com - Reclaimed wood flooring and other products in oak, cherry, chestnut, white pine and more. Matching stair parts available.
Aged Woods/Yesteryears Floorworks Company
York, PA
717-840-0330
www.agedwoods.com - Reclaimed lumber from disassembled old barn beams.
Barnstormers
Saugerties, NY
845-661-7989
www.safesolutionsllc.com - Salvaged products including lumber, beams and timbers. Custom remilling available.
Caldwell Building Wreckers
San Francisco, CA
415-550-6777
www.caldwell-bldg-salvage.com
Glenville Timberwrights
Baraboo, WI
608-355-9950
www.glenvillewtimberwrights.com
TerraMai
McCloud, CA
800-220-9062
www.terramai.com
SHEET MATERIALS
Sheet materials make up a significant part of a construction process. There are two important things to consider when buying sheet material like plywood. First, learn about the formaldehyde content of the product. Formaldehyde is a common component in the binders used to hold the wood particles together. The gasses produced from this chemical are probable human carcinogens. The second important consideration is to make sure the product is FSC certified.
Hardwood Plywood for cabinetry
- Certified plywood for cabinetry
Columbia Forest Products
Klamath Falls, OR
800-547-1791
www.columbiaforestproducts.com
Softwood Plywood for cabinetry
- Certified softwood fir plywood
Roseburg Forest Products
Roseburg, OR
800-245-1115
www.rfpco.com
Particle Board & Sheathing
- Offers formaldehyde free particle board made of 100% recycled wood or 100% post-consumer wood waste.
Sierra Pine
Roseville, CA
800-676-3339
www.sierrapine.com
- Certified particleboard
Collins Companies
Portland, OR
800-329-1219
www.collinswood.com - Particleboard made form sustained yield forest resources and/or recycled millwork chips.
Rodman Industries
Marinette, WI 54153
715-735-9541 -
Sheathing made form 100% recycled wastepaper. No urea, formaldehyde or asbestos. Sound deadening, twice the insulation of wood.
Homasote, Inc.
West Trenton, NJ
800-257-9491
www.homasote.com
PANELING
- Certified as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) by the Composite Panel Association, ATC Panel’s Evrpanels contain 100% recycled and recovered wood waste.
ATC Panels
Moncure, NC
800-334-2250
http://www.atcpanels.com/EVR/
- Bamboo Paneling
Teragren LLC
Bainbridge Island, WA
800-929-6333
www.teragren.com - Certified and reclaimed pine paneling
Robbins Lumber
Searsmount, ME
800-287-5067
www.rlco.com - Certified rustic hardwood tongue and groove paneling from Wisconsin Family Forests
Samsel, Ltd.
Hancock, WI
800-699-3793
www.samselsawmill.com
Alternative Interior Wall Systems:
NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS:
Building with natural materials such as earth, sand, clay, and straw creates long lasting surfaces that have an inherent natural look. The refreshing quality of nature can be brought indoors with these building methods. Some of these methods can be used to build entire homes, but for the purpose of exhibit building, could be used on a much smaller scale for their aesthetic qualities.
- STRAW CLAY: Rich clay is mixed with wheat straw and tamped down into a mold from the top. When dried the forms are removed and the wall is covered with another layer of clay with small bits of straw mixed in and sealed with linseed oil. Makes beautiful interior walls.
- RAMMED EARTH: Soil composed of clay and sand is compressed into a form, creating a very smooth surface. Walls are usually about a foot thick, and provide great thermal control. If done correctly, the resulting structures are extremely durable. (The Great Wall of China is made mostly of rammed earth!)
- CORDWOOD: This building process uses small pieces of wood that might normally be discarded or used for firewood. The small logs are layered into place with their ends sticking out. Mortar is applied to connect each log. Other materials can be added to create an interested surface. Greenhomebuilding.com suggests using glass bottles to bring in light. The end result is a beautiful rustic surface.
- STRAWBALE: Bales of straw are used as insulation in strawbale construction. The walls are usually framed with wood, filled with straw, and then covered in a stucco finish. Care must be taken to ensure that the bales do not retain moisture to avoid rotting.The finished product provides excellent insulation qualities.
To find out more about any of these building techniques, please visit these websites:
Green Home Building
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/natural_building.htm
- Non-profit community design center specializing in socially conscious and ecologically responsible design. Specialize in straw/clay construction techniques.
Design Coalition
Madison, WI
608-246-8846
www.designcoalition.org
- Creative team of socially conscious natural builders, specializing in strawbale, straw/clay, earthen and lime plaster and timber framing.
Acorn Enterprises
Madison, WI
608-832-6277
www.acornent.com
Alternative boards
- Wheat Straw Board: these products are made from left over stems after harvesting grains such as wheat, oats, and rice. Can be used as a similar product to MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). The binder used for the product is formaldehyde free.
- A renewable agricultural product with No VOC's or off-gassing. For use as wall board, in cabinetry or for furniture.
Environ Biocomposites, LLC.
Mankato, MN
800-324-8187
www.environbiocomposites.com
- Custom millwork from formaldehyde-free wheatboard. Cabinetry and doors available.
Citilog
Ewing, NJ
609-538-8680
www.citilogs.com
- A renewable agricultural product with No VOC's or off-gassing. For use as wall board, in cabinetry or for furniture.
- Sunflower Hull Board
Composite panel made from 85% sunflower hull (Dakota Burl)
Environ Biocomposites, LLC.
Mankato, MN
800-324-8187
www.environbiocomposites.com - Sorghum Stalk Board
Composed of 100% recycled agricultural fibers (sorghum stalk) and formaldehyde-free, low VOC adhesive.
Kirei USA
San Diego, CA
619-236-9924
www.kireiusa.com - Gypsum Wallboard/Drywall
Reinforced gypsum wallboard made from 95% recycled materials including newsprint (Fiberrock). This company also produces a 99% recycled synthetic sheetrock made from coal burning power plant residue.
Temple-Inland
Diboll, TX 75941
800-231-6060
www.templeinland.com
Pre-made cabinetry
- Cabinets made from renewable resources: bamboo, salvaged wood, wheatboard.
Neil Kelly Signature Cabinets
Portland, OR
503-288-6345
www.neilkellycabinets.com - Cabinetry made from wheatboard core and wood veneer; formaldehyde free, low-VOC water based adhesives used.
Humabuilt
Lake Oswego, OR
503-699-0052
www.humabuilt.com - Cabinets made with wheatstraw fiberboard cores, veneer made with certified sustainable wood.
Forefront Designs
Springfield, OR
888-245-0075
www.forefrontdesigns.com
Plastics
- Plastic Recycled Lumber: Plastic lumber is made from recycled plastics. It is extremely durable and weather resistant. This product decreases demand on forest systems and does not need the chemical treatments used on pressure treated lumber.
- Plastic lumber made from over 90% HDPE plastic from milk jugs (Evolve)
Renew Plastics
Luxemburg, WI
800-666-5207
www.renewplastics.com - Plastic lumber made from recycled milk jugs and shampoo bottles, including structural lumber.
Plastic Lumber
Akron, OH
330-762-8989
www.plasticlumber.com
Trelleborg Engineered Products, Inc.
Clearbrook, VA
800-732-7453
http://www.ecoboard.org - A wide array of textures, colors and patterns embedded in environmentally friendly eco-resin panels, with a minimum 40% post-industrial re-grind content. Easily recyclable into highest level PET stream.
3 Form
Salt Lake City, UT
801-649-2500
www.3-form.com
- Plastic lumber made from over 90% HDPE plastic from milk jugs (Evolve)
- Decking lumber
- Decking lumber made from recycled wood and plastic composites
Timbertech Ltd.
Wilmington, OH
800-307-7780
www.timbertech.com
- Decking lumber made from recycled wood and plastic composites
Miscellaneous Wood Alternatives
- Bamboo Stakes
Building for Health
Carbondale, CO
970-963-0437
www.buildingforhealth.com - Bamboo poles
Livingreen, Inc.
Santa Barbara, CA
805-966-1319
www.livingreen.com - Thatch (Coconut & Reed)
Building for Health
Carbondale, CO
970-963-0437
www.buildingforhealth.com