| Contact Our Grant Program |  | Call for Proposal goes out Jenny Bruss Assistant Program Manager University of Northern IowaCEEE 113
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0184
Phone: 319-273-3689 E-mail:
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Sustainable Building |  | | A deck built utilizing recycled building materials |
| | Using recycled content building materials can be beneficial for the environment, homeowner, and building contractor. Below are testimonies, news, and websites for further information. | A quality Cedar Falls contractor discovers a new, quality product | | Alternative building materials are an excellent way to re-model your deck or patio as City Builders of Cedar Falls, Iowa recently found out. The company’s first time using such materials has left them impressed with the quality and simplicity of construction. The building material, made from recycled plastic, was easily cut like wood and the finished product comes out looking natural and every bit the same as wood decking. Although many suppliers do not carry the alternative material in stock, if one is willing to wait 10 days to 2 weeks for ordering, the advantages will be numerous. The homeowner will soon find that there is little to no maintenance required for this decking as the material will not warp, split, crack, or need staining. | | "With so many benefits, this is one material that City Builders would definitely use again and homeowners would be smart to consider." | | Dan Davy, City Builders | Jeff Rose-Material Scientist | Diverting waste from landfills is an important issue and through the use of recycled alternative building materials steps have been taken in waste reduction. | There are two approaches to using recycled building material. The first way is by simply reusing materials already in existence. This can be done by going into an old home, tearing out the old hard wood floor, and refinishing it for a new home. This cuts down on waste in landfills and prevents new trees from being harvested. | Secondly, composite materials can be used. Such materials are often used for laminate oak flooring, landscaping bricks, or decking purposes. Through recycled plastic, waste wood chips, or wood flour these composite materials can be made. Ground up tires have also been used for such purposes. On the subject of composite decking materials, the advantages are many. This material will never need finishing, will not pop nails or rot, and can help divert waste from filling landfills. | | "All of these advantages make recycled plastic decking a good alternative to traditional wood building materials." | | Jeff Rose, Materials Innovation Service Program Coordinator | EPA announces a transition away from wood treated with arsenic | The Environmental Protection Agency has also realized the benefits of alternative building materials. A wood treatment know as, chromated copper arsenate (CCA), is used in a variety of play-structures, patios, and boardwalks. By December 31, 2003, the EPA hopes to have made a consumer and industry transition from pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic to wood materials that have not been treated with CCA. By making the shift to alternative materials, people’s exposure to arsenic will be minimized in residential areas. The EPA has not come to the full conclusion that CCA-treated wood presents an unreasonable risk to the public and does not recommend that existing structures be removed or replaced. This move to non-CCA treated wood is only a safety step for the future, any reduction in the levels of arsenic exposure are desirable. CCA was originally intended to protect wood from dry rot, fungi, mold, termites, and other pest that threaten wood. However, since arsenic is a known human carcinogen the move away from such treatments needs to be made to protect society. This is yet another excellent reason to consider using recycled alternative building materials. | EPA Newsroom, “Whitman Announces Transition for Consumer Use of Treated Wood Containing Arsenic,” February 12, 2002, http://www.epa.gov// | | For more information on sustainable building and alternative building materials visit these websites: | | Build Smarter with Alternative Construction Materials | | Green Construction | | Green Building Materials | | Green Tree | | Path to Freedom-Sustainable Living | | Plastics Recycling of Iowa Falls | | Sustainable Building Sourcebook | | |
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