Apr 11 2005
Green Building Products helps homebuilders and homeowners find environmentally responsible building materials and products.
Recently released by BuildingGreen, Inc., the publisher of Environmental Building News, the new book features more than 1,400 products from the GreenSpec® database of green building products, which the company has maintained since 1998.
"We are thrilled to finally offer a comprehensive directory of residential green building products," said coeditor Alex Wilson. "Whether they are building new or remodeling, this book will play an important role in helping home builders and homeowners green their homes."
Green Building Products saves hundreds of hours of research and helps users know what to look for in a green product. Listings include everything from precast concrete foundation systems to recycled-plastic roofing shingles and top-efficiency heating equipment. Products are organized according to building component (for example, flooring, windows, roofing) and can also be found in the index under manufacturer or product name. Photos are included for about 300 products.
In the foreword to Green Building Products, well-known author and residential architect Sarah Susanka described the book as "a must for anyone--builder, designer, architect or homeowner--who wants to know the unbiased and unembellished truth about what's really 'green.'"
Products are selected for the GreenSpec database based on criteria that Environmental Building News editors have developed over more than ten years. These criteria include recycled content, FSC-certified wood, avoidance of toxic constituents, reduction of construction impacts, energy or water savings, and contributing to a safe, healthy indoor environment. Manufacturers do not pay to have products included in Green Building Products or in the GreenSpec database.
"We base selections on careful in-house review by our editorial staff," said Wilson. "Maintaining an arm's-length relationship with manufacturers allows us to be unbiased when we are evaluating company claims," he said.
Details on the product selection process and the full list of criteria can be found at www.BuildingGreen.com/go/criteria. Green Building Products sells for $34.95 (plus shipping) and is available from BuildingGreen, Inc. (www.BuildingGreen.com or 800-861-0954).