Over the years, people have become increasingly more eco-conscious. This is great news, but it also requires significant work to ensure your tile is installed in an eco-friendly manner. Along with buying eco-friendly bathroom tiles in Hollywood, Florida, you want to make sure you understand the full lifecycle of the product and how it’s installed.
Today, we would like to feature three major green building programs and discuss how you can ensure your project matches their standards. We’ll also discuss why porcelain is a great choice for eco-conscious homebuilders.
Green Building Programs
LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system designed to help make building projects more eco-friendly while being flexible to what’s possible in any given situation.
It offers credit in six different areas, and to qualify, you need to get at least 40 points. To qualify for LEED Platinum, you need to get 80 points. The maximum possible number of points is 110.
The six areas are:
- Integrative Processes
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Sustainable Sites
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Innovation
Green Squared
The Green Squared Certification program was designed by TCNA to allow people to understand whether the tile they’re using is eco-friendly. This assessment goes beyond just the product itself, looking into where the tile is made, as well as the company that made the tile.
There are five different categories that products are evaluated on:
- End of Product Life Management
- Innovation
- Manufacturing and Raw Material Extraction
- Product Characteristics
- Progressive Corporate Governance
If a product is certified, it receives a Green Squared® Certified mark, which simplifies the process for designers, builders, and homeowners looking to be eco-friendly.
The Living Building Challenge
The Living Building Challenge is likely the most difficult standard to meet on this list. Only 250+ buildings currently meet the standard.
There are seven different rubrics used to judge buildings looking to get certified. These are referred to as “petals”:
- Place
- Water
- Energy
- Health + Happiness
- Materials
- Equity
- Beauty
Our friends at Tile Letter recently discussed the work that goes into qualifying for Living Building Challenge certification, especially if you want to qualify for LEED Platinum certification.
Why Porcelain Is a Great Choice for Eco-Friendly Homes
If you’re looking for an eco-friendly material, porcelain's a great choice.
When compared to other flooring materials, porcelain is:
- Less harmful to extract.
- Longer lasting, which means that you don’t have to replace it as often.
- Easier to recycle.
Vinyl tile, for instance, has 2-3x the global warming potential that ceramic has, while rigid core board’s global warming potential is 3-5x higher than ceramic.
If you’re curious to learn more, it’s worth taking a look at the TCNA’s Environmental Product Declaration, which goes into greater detail regarding the environmental impact of tile produced in North America.
Are You Looking for Eco-Friendly Bathroom Tiles in Hollywood, Florida?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. At D&B Tile, we take pride in working with the very best suppliers. We’re committed to helping both homeowners and contractors get the tile that’s suited to their project.
Do you have any questions about what we can do for you? Would you like to speak with tile experts who can help you find high-quality tile? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re excited to speak with you!