Episode Five: Doors & Windows

Using Wood Wisely

"Today we're talking about wood. It seems simple, right? Cut down a bunch of trees and make them useful. But there's more to it than that. We have to make sure that that wood is grown and harvested properly, that it's safe for us, and that we only use as much as we need to. On our straw bale house, we will use less wood than is thrown away on most jobs."

- Building Green Host Kevin Contreras

The most responsible way to build using wood, a dwindling natural resource, is to not use too much of it. Fortunately, because Kevin is building a straw bale home and has chosen to use a steel post and beam structure, he won't need to use much wood. Where he will need to use wood—for windows, doors, roof decking, garage walls, eaves and second floor subfloor—Kevin wants to be sure to use safe, good quality wood that has come from managed forests or recycled sources, without breaking the bank.

Extracting finished materials and wood products from a demolition site and then reusing them is a very green practice. Kevin visits a nearby demolition site and salvages some kitchen cabinets and a jacuzzi bathtub.

Kevin wants to design his dream home's doors and windows using repurposed wood, so he visits the Green Materials Showcase and speaks with EcoTimber's director of architectural sales and marketing, Daniel Harrington. Kevin is particularly interested in jarrah, a type of eucalyptus that Daniel explains EcoTimber has salvaged from wool barns in Australia. Daniel also points out EcoTimber's "tobacco barn oak," which has been salvaged from tobacco barns in Kentucky, and an old growth white oak that comes from Chicago meat packing plants. Daniel explains that the jarrah and the other salvaged woods can be a bit more expensive because of the labor involved in salvaging them, but that the price of wood coming from certified forests is coming down because there are so many more of them now.

Kevin decides he would like to use the reclaimed jarrah for his windows and doors, so he visits his favorite window maker, Ron Dorian. Ron shows Kevin how he can make the reclaimed jarrah wood go even farther by using engineered wood. He shows Kevin a piece of wood that has fir filler and explains that 70 percent of the wood can be saved by using this process—the result is long straight planks that use less of the good wood.

Forestry Stewardship Council and Other Certified Woods

When building green, you want to get wood that is sustainably harvested and certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council. The FSC is a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way. For a company that sells timber or other forest products to get the FSC stamp of approval, forest operations must meet 57 criteria, including protection of local wildlife, minimal use of chemical pesticides, even the guarantee that loggers can unionize. If a forest makes the grade, its wood products get branded with the FSC logo and a chain of custody number, which allows them to be traced back to their source. Michael Washburn, vice president of brand management for the FSC of the United States, explains that the council is a global organization that has members in 65 countries. The FSC follows wood from the forest to the retailer to assure that what is presented in the marketplace is an environmentally and socially responsible product. There are currently 135 million FSC-approved acres of forest covering the globe.

Healthy Wood

Environmental health expert Alyssa Alvord explains that the plywood, particleboard and OSB (oriented strandboard) commonly used in home construction usually contains a high level of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used in the adhesives that glue the pieces of wood together and it outgases into the environment causing such health concerns as migraines, sinus trouble, depression and anxiety. Today, there are many alternatives to choose from, like formaldehyde-free plywood and other substitutes, not to mention sealers, which seal in the outgasing.

Kevin talks to green building expert Dennis Allen about engineered wood panels, specifically OSB because that is what he will be using in his home. Dennis explains that OSB is made out of little pieces of wood from small fast-growing trees (usually from a tree farm) so that there is no destruction of big, older trees. Dennis also explains that urea formaldehyde is what continually outgases, causing health problems, but that just by using phenol formaldehyde those problems can be eliminated.

Saving Green on Green Wood

Kevin explains that because he's not using any gadgets or excessive hardware on his windows, it's actually going to cost him less than if he'd gotten the windows from a big manufacturer. The FSC approved wood will cost a bit more, but the reduced environmental impact is well worth it.

An easy step that Kevin recommends is to do a little dumpster diving. It's always easier for a contractor to buy new wood than remove nails and salvage old pieces. Kevin needs a few 2x8s, and after noticing some in a neighbors dumpster, asks their permission and salvages them.

Final Touches

Kevin checks in on the progress being made with his windows and doors. Kevin is using dual-pane windows because they are best for insulation and sound abatement. Dual pane windows are manufactured with two sheets of glass separated by a layer of inert gas; this design reduces energy costs, condensation and color fading due to sunlight After the windows are intalled, Kevin rubs the wood down with orange oil, a nontoxic, easy-on-the-senses way to bring out the beautiful natural color of the wood. Although this will need to be done every six months or so, it's better than using other toxic wood-finishing products that will outgas into the house.

The FSC certified wood for the eaves arrives. Next, the non-toxic OSB is installed for the roof decking and used for the exterior garage walls. On the second floor, Kevin uses 3/4" nontoxic OSB and glues it to the steel floor joists using a glue with a low VOC (volatile organic compound) content. VOCs accumulate over time and can make you sick.

Next week on Building Green: Exterior siding (plaster) and window sills