Reusing Recycled Building Materials Germantown MD

Source: residential architect Magazine
Publication date: March 1, 2008

By Nigel F. Maynard and Shelley D. Hutchins

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program encourages architects and builders to specify salvaged and reused building materials wherever possible. Short of that, the group sanctions products made with recycled content. Fortunately, manufacturers have rushed to fill this niche with a bevy of green goods, including flooring, insulation, and countertop surfacing. Bio Glass is one such product. Distributed by Miami-based Coverings Etc, the distinctive surfacing material is made from 70 percent to 100 percent recycled glass, depending on the color, and is nonporous and easy to clean. Cooler still, its textured, multidimensional appearance changes with the light. Available in four colors with polished or natural finishes. Coverings Etc, 305.757.6000; www.coveringsetc.com.

Cali Bamboo's marbled, fossilized bamboo flooring offers funky durability through an innovative process of compressing and intertwining the material's fibers. The San Diego-based company says the scratch-resistant planks that result have “twice the density and strength of almost any other flooring,” making them appropriate for use with radiant heating systems and in high-traffic areas. Cali Bamboo, 888.788.2254; www.calibamboo.com.