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While the demand for green construction continues to grow, in both the commercial and residential construction sectors, the availability of earth-friendly surface protection products is low. For example, a green building may contain sustainable materials in all installed finishes, but be protected by a self-adhesive film made from overseas and petroleum-based plastics. The newly installed bamboo floor can be covered with a simple wooden floor protection made entirely of artificial materials.
Surface protection and dust containment are the two primary methods to protect against costly structural damage on site and to control indoor air quality. The development of new protective products using recycled materials and products intended for reuse is now gaining momentum. Building customers ask suppliers about the environmental impact of the products they choose to buy. Fortunately, there are now suppliers focused on helping customers choose surface protection products that are manufactured with the least impact on the environment. These products are typically made of; paper, cotton scraps and recycled plastics.
Surface protection made from recycled compressed paper or recycled corrugated cardboard has several common uses, including the protection of floors, doors and countertops. Ram Board® is the best known brand of rolled fibreboard and is widely used to protect floors and countertops. It is made of 100% recycled paper, 90% of which is post-consumer. Although it is sold as reusable, most users say that Ram Board® is not durable enough to be reused. DoorGuard ™, the first and most renowned door protector on the market, is made of 99% recycled cardboard. DoorGuard ™ is commonly used over and over again in a construction project and is attached with natural rubber. As construction progresses, it is often moved from the lower floors of the skyscraper under construction to the upper floors. Both DoorGuard ™ and Ram Board® can be processed into new products.
Recycled cotton fabrics are used in several types of roll-up, reusable floor protectors, providing a soft adsorbent layer that does not scratch floors. These products are of two types; A breathable roll product designed to allow the release of adhesive fumes from newly installed floors, and a plastic lined product that provides waterproof protection. Both the breathable, unlined cotton protection and the airtight plastic lining are reusable. Unfortunately, plastic protection cannot be recycled without first removing the liner. Currently, these products are manufactured and imported from Europe, however, similar products will soon be available from the US manufacturer.
Temporary adhesive films are the most popular types of temporary surface protection and the least environmentally friendly. These films are commonly produced in Asia from 100% virgin plastic and then imported into the USA. While these films are low cost per square meter, the recommended lifetime is 30 to 180 days and is by no means reusable. One of the bright points in the protection of plastics, however, is the recycling of the plastics used in plastic cardboard sheets. These sheets protect floors, walls, exterior windows and more on large commercial construction projects. Plastic sheets containing up to 30% of pre-consumer plastic waste have appeared in the United States in the past few months. The manufacturer will take the used sheets back for processing into new sheets.
The choice of a surface protection application is in itself a positive step towards sustainability. Protecting bathtubs, floors, doors and other finishes reduces the likelihood that they will need to be repaired with toxic compounds or, worse, that they cannot be salvaged and end up in a landfill. This unfavorable outcome damages both the environment and builders’ profits. We hope that the trend towards sustainable surface protection will continue to advance rapidly in the future as the choice and popularity of green finishes grows.
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Source by Patricia Mullen