By Stacy Hunt
Interior finishes are the icing on the cake in new homes, and they can cause homeowners great "wows" or "ows," depending on the skill of the contractors and products used. In addition to being the first thing homeowners see during the final walkthrough, elaborate interior finishes can be costly to the builder and homeowner. They also can cause indoor air quality and durability issues if not properly selected and applied.
When providing interior finish options for homebuyers, why not offer them options that showcase function, instead of just fashion? Advances in interior finish technology have created new products that are low in emissions, have increased durability, and install in a flash. These allow homeowners to breathe easy and rest assured that their kids won't ruin their new paint job — and that costly finish carpentry won't break their budget.
The PATH Concept Home in Omaha, Nebraska showcases some of these nifty new technologies:
- Environmentally friendly plasters by American Clay offer an alternative to traditional (cement, gypsum, acrylic, and lime) plasters. The plasters use recycled and/or reclaimed aggregate materials and natural pigments. The plasters can be troweled or sprayed on and qualify the builder to claim credits in the LEED for Homes Program for improved indoor air quality, packaging, recycled/reclaimed material and mileage to jobsite. As an added perk, used plaster can be broken up into bits, rehydrated and remixed — no waste! Finishing doesn't get much greener.
- Durable paints designed for spray application by Behr Paints provide not only a quick paint job, but once dry, they offer a protective film that resists mildew, peeling and fading.
- Renewable flooring materials made from renewable and nontoxic materials, such as Forbo's Marmoleum and Shaw Carpet's Green Edge product line, provide beauty and environmental responsibility. Marmoleum is made from linseed oil, wood flour, pine rosin, jute and limestone, all produced from renewable resources and environmentally responsible pigments. Marmoleum is also antistatic and bacteriostatic, lending to a healthier indoor environment. Shaw Carpets recycles nylon in a "true cradle to cradle" fashion, using the recycled material over and over again to provide high-performance carpet.
- Modular flooring materials, including Forbo's Marmoleum, along with several products by Flor, provide flexibility because of their modularity. Tiles can be added, moved or removed easily to allow the homeowners to reconfigure their living space or simply change décor. Marmoleum Click is installed without adhesives, eliminating concerns about adhesive off-gassing and providing ease and speed of installation.
- Low-emission materials. Caulk, adhesives and sealants are one of the biggest culprits in the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in homes during and shortly after construction. Companies such as DAP now offer low-VOC varieties of these products that comply with LEED and Model Green Home guidelines.
- Paperless drywall from Georgia-Pacific combines glass mats, rather than paper interior facing, with a moisture-resistant core to provide superior mold and moisture resistance.
- Low-waste molding and board provided by WindsorOne provides beauty and durability because of finishing processes and aggressive quality control that reduce construction waste.
- Preassembled window and door trim cuts the process of trimming in both areas significantly. Ordinarily one window takes 45 minutes to trim in; during construction of the PATH house, three were done in less than five minutes using QuikCase and DoorCase systems provided by Trim Dynamics. Factory fabrication also eliminates the need to bring trim materials to the jobsite, thereby reducing construction waste.
Offering such interior finish products can provide homebuyers with long lasting, durable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective options. In addition, builders can cut installation time, room for error and construction waste, and add one more weapon in their arsenal of market differentiation by showcasing the environmental and energy benefits of these new interior finish technologies.
Stacy Hunt is a freelance writer and consultant on building technologies. She is the former business manager for BuildIQ.
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