AFG-01: American Plywood Association’s standard specification for glued floor systems. It requires that glues applied at the job site be sunlight resistant, strong under many moisture and temperature conditions and able to fill gaps.
ASTM C557: Standard Specification for adhesives for fastening gypsum wallboard to wood framing.
ASTM C 834: Standard Specification for latex sealants (has no more than 30% volume shrinkage
ASTM C 919: Standard practice for use of sealants in acoustical applications (this is where the STC or sound transmission value can be found)
ASTM D 3498: Standard specification for adhesives for field-gluing plywood to lumber framing for floor systems
ASTM E 84: Standard test method for surface burning characteristics of building materials
ASTM E 90: Standard test method for laboratory measurement of airborne sound transmission loss of building partitions and elements
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks: Precast, manufactured building stone made of all-natural raw materials. It is an economical, environmentally friendly, cellular, lightweight, structural material that provides thermal and acoustic insulation as well as fire and termite resistance.
Bio-based products: Commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that use biological, renewable, domestic or agricultural products. For example, soy-based products & biodiesel fuel.
Brownfield: Abandoned, idol or underused industrial or commercial buildings where expansion or development is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
C557-03: See ASTM C557
C919-02: See ASTM C919
CARB (California Air Resources Board): The “clean air agency” for the State of California. Established originally in 1967, it is a governing board made up of eleven members appointed by the State’s Governor, and the chairman is the only full-time member. It is known for setting extremely stringent standards for air quality.
Certified Wood: See FSC Certified Wood
D 3498: See ASTM D 3498
E84-04: See ASTM E 84
E90-04: See ASTM E 90
Energy Star: Introduced in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products to help reduce greenhouse emissions by identifying energy efficient products. Originally designed for computers and monitors, it has now expanded to include office products, major appliances, lighting, home electronics and more.
Engineered Lumber: Generally engineered lumber is construction materials designed to reduce the amount of material needed for framing a building. By designing away from full dimension sawn lumber, less large growth trees need to be cut and smaller dimension lumber can be assembled in various configurations to span long distances with equal or superior strength.
FSC Certified Wood: The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization that certifies various forests around the world exhibiting good sustainability and management practices based on a specific management criteria. The wood from these forests are often quickly renewable, often using hybrid timber and advanced forestry methods. Other forests are simply carefully managed by limiting the impact on both the environment and the people and demonstrating a social benefit in the process.
Green Building: a worldwide movement to promote the use of environmentally friendly products & practices in de-construction, construction, remodeling & repair. The goal is to match materials and activities to building design so that the overall environmental impact is minimized as much as possible.
Green Roof: This is a growing roof system utilizing a specialized undercarriage for the waterproof membrane and excess water removal. Various types of vegetation are set in to a special growing media and help to replace the displaced vegetation in the building footprint as well as greatly reduce the heat island effect of a roof, especially in hot climates. Green roofs can regulate the flow of excessive storm water by metering the release of the water from the roof area.
HBA (Home Building Association): State and local associations of home builders who have organized through the NAHB.
IAQ (Indoor Air Quality): As buildings become tighter, indoor air quality suffers unless specific measures are taken to improve the exchange of fresh air.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs): Forms for poured concrete walls, that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. The forms, made of foam insulation or other insulating material, are either pre-formed interlocking blocks or separate panels connected with plastic ties. The left-in-place forms not only provide a continuous insulation and sound barrier, but also a backing for drywall on the inside, and stucco, lap siding, or brick on the outside.
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design): A rating system developed by the USGBC (US Green Building Council) that measures a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Models the complex interaction between a product and the environment from cradle to grave. It is also known as Life Cycle Analysis or Ecobalance.
MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard): An engineered panel product that can be used for such things such as cabinets and wall panels while other MDF products can be shaped into moldings, ceiling tiles, flooring, interior doors and a variety of other uses. Exterior grade MDF can be made into garage doors, sheds and other outdoor applications.
NAHB (National Association of Home Builders): A Washngton, DC- based trade association that helps promote the policies that make housing a national priority. NAHB has membership over 235,000 of homebuilders and/or remodelers. NAHB also has developed the “NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines” designed as a toolkit for builders and HBAs (Home Building Associations) to engage in green building practices.
Passive Solar: Refers to the use of the sun’s energy for heating and cooling a structure. It takes advantage of natural energy without requiring maintenance or mechanical systems.
Pre-Consumer Recycled Content: Also called post-industrial, refers to the recycling of industrial or manufacturing by-products. For example, using scraps from a lumber mill to make MDF (medium density fiberboard) or OSB (oriented strand board).
Polyurethane: Any of various resins, widely varying in flexibility, used in tough chemical-resistant coatings, adhesives, and foams.
Post-Consumer Recycled Content: Many products can be manufactured using “post-consumer” materials such as plastic, fiber, wood, glass, etc. Recycling these materials saves them from ending up in a landfill where they will take up space.
Solvent: Any substance which is capable of dissolving another without chemically reacting with it. Often accompanied by a strong odor.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): Panels of thick foam (polystyrene or polyurethane) sandwiched between two layers of OSB, plywood, or fiber-cement.
Straw Bale: A building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. Straw is a renewable resource that acts as excellent insulation and is fairly easy to build with.
Tankless Water Heater: Tankless water heaters provide hot water at a preset temperature when needed without storage, thereby reducing or eliminating standby losses.
UL 723 Classified: 0 Rating for Flame Spread and Smoke Developed (tested as applied in two ¼ inch round beads 8 inches on center)
Urethane: See Polyurethane
VOC (Volatile Organic Compound): Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.
Zero Emissions: 100% effective use of all output waste with none being sent to a landfill or incineration.
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