Finishing Touches: Natural SelectionEvery day's a green day with earth-friendly products.

  • By Stephani L. Miller
  • Source: BUILDING PRODUCTS Magazine
  • Publication date: 2007-09-20
TruStone America

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

TruStone America. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is an alternative building material that has been used in Europe for more than 50 years. Its cellular structure gives it acoustic and thermal insulating properties, the maker says. The lightweight, air-tight material can be used in interior and exterior applications. 877-351-4448. www.e-crete.com.

Weston Solutions

GreenGrid DIY Kit

Weston Solutions. A green roof improves a home's energy performance, reduces stormwater runoff, and contributes to a healthier environment. Already covering more than 100 million square feet of European rooftops, green roofs are becoming popular in the U.S. Homes with flat roofs are a natural for green roof installations, whether built in place or modular, such as the GreenGrid DIY Kit. GreenGrid modules arrive at the jobsite planted and ready for installation. 312-424-3319. www.greengridroofs.com.

Renewed Materials

Alkemi Solid Surfacing

Renewed Materials. Made from fine flake aluminum milling scrap and polymeric resins, Alkemi solid surfacing can be used for countertops and other surface applications. Alkemi can be cut, seamed, and machined like other solid-surfacing materials. Twelve colors are available in honed or textured finishes. 301-320-0042. www.alkemi.com.

Textured Coatings of America

Tex-Cote Super-Cote

Textured Coatings of America. The Tex-Cote Super-Cote Cool Wall system is a heat-reflective exterior coating that can reduce exterior wall temperatures by up to 40 degrees F, lowering a home's interior temperatures. The finish, which is 10 times thicker than paint, is applied in a multi-step process that virtually eliminates the need for scraping, sanding, painting, and repainting, the manufacturer says. 800-454-0340. www.texcotehomes.com.

Columbia Forest Products

Woodstalk Agrifiber-Core Panel

Columbia Forest Products. Utilizing a soy-based adhesive resin, the manufacturer's veneer-core plywood and Woodstalk agrifiber-core panel products are formaldehyde-free. The maker claims that its products are comparable in cost to products that use formaldehyde and that they offer better water resistance. 800-237-2428. www.columbiaforestproducts.com.