April 2010 PAR Newsletter

With all the rain we have gotten recently, the forsythia and daffodils are blooming and the grass has turned green - spring has sprung. With it, the construction industry is starting to come out of the recession doldrums. As the outdoor landscape rolls out its new spring green there’s a whole new green emerging in construction projects as well. The government is sprinkling impressive financial incentives to get your green projects growing.

When ‘Green’ becomes a project topic, ask “What do you need your flooring to do for you?” This remains an important question while choosing flooring materials and cutting through the array of “green options”. Green can balance our environment as well as the bottom line, however there are also many shades of ‘Green’.

When you think ‘Green’, do you think LEED Certified?

• Did you know that only a building can be LEED certified - Materials, vendors and companies cannot.
• What does LEED stand for? Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
• The leading measurement of LEED Certification is through the non-profit US Green Building Council (USGBC).

USGBC defines their mission: “To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.”

HOW GREEN IS GREEN? Cost aside these days, more and more clients are asking questions about building eco friendly projects.

Whether thinking green and planning flooring for new construction/renovation, or simply updating a property, the good news is that there are a wide variety of choices and options to consider. PAR Flooring is experienced in orchestrating and planning how and where to be green from the ground up!

If your goal is LEED Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum, PAR Flooring can help you over the finish line with LEED points and the documentation to support them. PAR offers experience, knowledge and innovative flooring materials to help your project gain LEED Points. Many of our extensive flooring options lead to eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, and low VOC (reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds) solutions leaving a small carbon footprint - the true definition of Green Flooring.

Basic Criteria for flooring contributing to successful LEED Certification:

• Select phenol-based glues or sealers.
• All carpets used need to be CRI’s Green Label Plus requirements.
• All adhesives need to meet or exceed stated low VOC requirements.
• Wood flooring procured from an FSC(Certified Wood) supplier can also contribute to LEED credits.
• Use of products with a high content of recycled materials.
• Use of rapidly renewable materials (such as linoleum, cork and bamboo) and/or reclamation and reuse of products. A product with cradle-to-cradle capabilities - especially as it pertains to vinyl flooring products.
• Supplying regionally sourced materials in flooring - produced within 500 miles of the project jobsite.

Other considerations include materials’ use and maintenance. Choose floors that are more durable and require replacement less frequently, avoid high maintenance floors that use harsh chemicals, and consider floors that don’t have to be refinished.

PAR Flooring recognizes the importance of evaluating initial cost versus life-cycle value, which includes ease of repair, downtime and replacement cycles. PAR’s Value Engineering^SM is our commitment to provide innovative materials and ‘Green’ your project - efficiently, effectively, AND on budget.

In this issue

Major corporations are pushing green all the way down to suppliers

By GreenBiz Staff
Published February 25, 2010

The world's largest retailer has set a new goal for shrinking its environmental footprint and is turning to suppliers to help achieve a 20-million-ton cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle and supply chain of Walmart products by 2015.

Read more

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