[ ÖKO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ]

Our countertops are made from a unique bio-based material created from an abundant, rapidly renewable agricultural fiber by-product, sunflower hulls. No out-gassing solvents such as urea formaldehyde are added during the manufacturing process, so the material emits no VOCs into the atmosphere. (www.environbiocomposites.com)

VOCs are volatile organic compounds commonly found in paint, paint strippers, plastics and wood preservatives that release pollutants into the environment, where they can become soil and groundwater contaminants, contribute to global warming and are suspected carcinogens.

The beautiful wood panels covering our walls are made of bamboo, an excellent high-yielding, non-timber alternative. Bamboo is a highly renewable material, one of the earth’s fastest growing plants, durable, with a tensile strength superior to steel. It needs no replanting, grows without fertilizers or pesticides and has an amazing growth cycle of three to five years versus 15-20 for many hardwoods. Bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent timber stands.

Our flooring is made from linseed oil and is completely bio-degradable. It’s also exceptionally resistant to stains, cuts and gouges even under the heaviest rolling loads and highest traffic. (Biospec, www.mannington.com)

The drywall we used in construction contains 75% or greater recycled content, including at least 10% post-consumer recycled content. The recycled gypsum plaster is covered with 100% recycled paper from newsprint, cardboard, and other post-consumer waste streams.

All of our lighting comes from low voltage, energy-conserving halogen, LED, florescent and Energy Saver light bulbs, all of which use less energy to supply the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. Our computer equipment and monitors are ENERGY STAR compliant.

We are in the process of implementing solar panels on our building for supplemental electricity.

To help conserve water, our toilets operate on a dual-flush system. The low flush uses .9 of a gallon of water compared to the 1.6 gallons used in a normal flush.

As the movement towards using environmentally friendly products continues to grow exponentially, these construction materials have become more competitively priced, are durable and attractive while minimizing impact on our environment.

We’d love to help you be contagious!