FEATURES HUMANS & HEALTH
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new car. A new carpet. That pressed wood dresser in your urban loft. They smell so fresh and so clean. And they are—sort of. But that characteristic scent they emit derives from something less physiologically pleasing: volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate quickly at room temperature and contribute to poor indoor air quality and smog. Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other researchers have found that VOCs are common in indoor environments and that their levels may be two to 1,000 times higher than outdoors. Add up the hours people spend indoors: sleeping, eating,
working in offices or at school—about 90%, according to 1989 EPA report to Congress—and VOC exposure becomes a genuine cause for concern, among not just environmental advocacy groups and health agencies, but also building contractors, architects, and manufacturers. “Indoor air quality is always going to be at the forefront of what we do,” says Amy Woodard, product steward and regulatory compliance officer at Tremco, a Cleveland-based supplier of roofing, sealant, weatherproofing, and passive fire control materials for commercial and residential construction and industrial applications. “It is important to protect the health of the occupants of any building being built.”
Founded in 1928 and employing more than 2,000 people, Tremco specializes in products that reduce air flow in and out of buildings: urethane and silicone sealants, deck coatings, waterproofing membranes, window glazings, and other specialty coating systems. Minimizing thermal loss is good for the environment and reduces energy bills. A win-win, as they say. Yet, when it comes to minimizing indoor air pollution, sealants pose particular challenges. While chemical emissions from VOCs may come from all manner of things—building products, furnishings and furniture, flooring, cabinetry, paint, and textiles—sealants, which are typically solvent-based, are among the worst culprits.
UL Environment in the Field Sustainable Solutions Tremco builds bridges between adjacent but often unconnected building elements—a both logical and necessary set of offerings
FOR WHEN YOU NEED A ONE-STOP-SHOP … PRODUCT: Proglaze ETA FUNCTION: Proglaze ETA is a transition assembly composed of pre-engineered, finished aluminum and silicone materials that comes in handy when builders are looking at irregular window geometries or when inspectors need to see through the gasket to verify that a project has the proper amount of sealant (thanks to its translucent silicone material). It renders Tremco a convenient, one-stop-stop for designers and builders.
By Amanda Koellner IN PRACTICE: The design and construction teams working on the Naval Hospital
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march–april 2015
Replacement Project at Camp Pendleton needed assurance that the construction process could not only meet government speculations but also demonstrate performance throughout required warranties and beyond, which Proglaze ETA provided. “While it’s our desire to use small business in our subcontractor selection, it’s a great benefit for a complete product assembly to be provided by a sole source,” says Craig Winters, CQ Superintendent on the Clark/McCarthy Joint Venture on the project. “If you provide more scope to a manufacturer and have a problem or a question, you only have to go to one source for assistance. There’s less confusion, less ambiguity, and you avoid overlap of products or solutions.”
gbdmagazine.com