Teragren Intros Adhesive Alternative
Teragren’s bamboo flooring, panels and veneer can now be specially manufactured with an adhesive that is formaldehyde-free, allowing all of the company’s products to now qualify for two credits through the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design® (LEED) Green Building Rating System™, the national benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
Teragren’s standard bamboo products are already virtually formaldehyde-free and contribute to LEED MR Credit 6 for rapidly renewable materials. To qualify for LEED IEQ 4.4 for low-emitting materials, Teragren’s bamboo products can now be specially manufactured with an alternative adhesive which doesn’t even have a trace amount of formaldehyde.
“As green buildings play a crucial role in combating climate change, we’re proud to offer enhanced bamboo flooring, panels and veneer that meet additional LEED qualifications,” said Teragren President and CEO, David Knight. “Our company is fully committed to product innovation and environmentally friendly bamboo products.”
All of Teragren’s products are well below the stringent emissions maximums of OSHA, German E-1 and California standards. At this time, Teragren bamboo products created with the alternative adhesive must be special-ordered because of the associated adhesive costs. The exception is Teragren’s Synergy Strand Bamboo flooring, which already qualifies for two LEED credits. The company aims to introduce new adhesives in all of its standard products in the near future.
Environmental Protection Agency…
As a testament to the environmental friendliness and quality of the company’s products, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently special ordered Teragren’s formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring and panels for the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
The award-winning EPA Headquarters anticipates LEED-Gold Certification from the USGBC, the second highest level of certification under the Green Building Rating System.
“Teragren’s bamboo flooring and panels are a critical component as we submit for LEED-Gold status,” said JR Reynolds, Director of Construction at Opus Northwest, the building’s developer and architect. “We were impressed by the beauty of the bamboo and Teragren’s commitment to quality and customer service. We couldn’t find a similar product from any other bamboo manufacturer that allowed us two LEED credits.”
Even More Environmentally Friendly
Teragren bamboo flooring, panels and veneer are growing in popularity as they reduce dependence upon dwindling timber resources. Teragren’s Optimum 5.5 Moso™ bamboo is harvested sustainably between 5.5 to 6 years, leaving behind a thriving plant and new shoots, unlike hardwood trees which take more than 60 years to mature.
Teragren bamboo products also relieve pressure on degraded forests and contribute to efforts to reduce global warming: bamboo releases 35 percent more oxygen than a comparable cluster of trees. Those benefits extend to commercial and residential settings, where Teragren’s bamboo products can last for many generations and “lock up” carbon over the life of the products.
Teragren’s introduction of its new alternative adhesive is well-timed as the USGBC prepares to publicly launch LEED for Homes, a green home rating system designed to ensure that homes are built to be energy and resource efficient and healthy for occupants, in June 2007.
Commitment to Product Innovation
In the past year, Teragren has continued to demonstrate its commitment to product innovation. In October, Teragren expanded its product line of beautiful, durable and renewable bamboo to include two new products: Teragren Bamboo Parquet Butcher Block and Teragren Bamboo Casing.
Available in natural and caramelized colors, the Butcher Block is perfect for counters or tabletops. The Bamboo Casing is also available in natural and caramelized colors and is great for interior doors, windows and architectural moldings and trims.
In addition to the Teragren Bamboo Parquet Butcher Block and Teragren Bamboo Casing, the company also manufactures complete lines of traditional bamboo flooring for residential and commercial installations, including Signature Naturals (Natural & Caramelized), Signature Colors (Espresso, Walnut, Cherry & Charcoal) Solid Strip Bamboo Flooring, Studio Wide Plank Floating Floor with TeraLoc, Craftsman Bamboo Wide Plank Flooring and Synergy Strand Bamboo Flooring, as well as coordinating Bamboo Stair Components and Flooring Accessories.
The company is showcasing select products this month at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference in Las Vegas, NV on May 8—10, 2007 (Booth #S10515).