All water-based paint contains V.O.C's (Volatile Organic Compounds). These compounds are found in many products. They give off a vapor that has a nasty smell and can be harmful to our breathing, our eyes, cause nausea, headaches and in severe cases liver and kidney problems. According to the European standards, an environmentally friendly paint should contain less than 5% V.O.C's. Harlequin Paints is one of a few companies in South Africa who conform to these standards in their paint range and certain products in their varnish range.

Fighting the Green War from the Top

The Green War is being waged on numerous fronts and roofing is also seeing some action. The recent introduction of a unique roof tile manufactured from recycled waste plastic is a South African first and Gary Reilly, Sales and Marketing Director of Resin Roof Tile, is very excited about the product.

Keeping up with all the new building materials on the market can make anyone’s head spin. Every day new products are being introduced that claim to be better for the environment. Some are, and some aren’t. Here are a few things to look out for:

Introduction

Of all the construction materials that shape our world, concrete is the most versatile, economical and widely used. It has long been an indispensable component of the economic and social growth of developed and developing countries alike.

In some applications, concrete performs its task unseen below ground, or clad and covered by other materials. In others, like civil engineering works, hard landscaping, architectural cladding and masonry, it is highly visible.

Countertops are often showpieces in kitchens and bathrooms. They speak to the style and environmental sensibilities of the homeowner. And because we assemble our meals on them and use them every day in the bathroom, their environmental and health effects are intimately linked with our daily lives.

While light weight steel frame building has been used elsewhere in the world for decades, it has only recently been introduced to the Southern African market. The Southern African Light Steel Frame Building Association (SASFA) has now published the SASFA Code for Light Steel Frame Building, and are currently introducing it to the market through a series of 1 ½ day training courses in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

Sustainable Forestry:

Sustainable forestry refers to a system where forest management ensures that the amount of production from a forest, balances out with the forest's natural production without degradation of the soil, watershed features or seed source for the future. It is an attempt to be nuetral and not deminish or degrade the forest  for human needs.

Scott T. Shepherd, PATH Partners -- 10/1/2007

Your clients may not see insulation, but they sure feel it. In this age of energy efficiency, more customers are demanding better insulated homes.

Heating and cooling costs comprise more than 50 percent of the energy consumed in a single-family home. Adding the recommended levels of insulation will save energy, reduce utility costs and improve comfort.

Your choice of flooring material will affect everyone in your home for decades and have substantial impacts on the environment at large.

Floors usually account for more surface area than anything else in a house except the walls, so they have an outsized effect on indoor air quality. Adults, children and pets will walk on them, play on them, sit on them, wear them down and breathe anything they emit for many years.

South Africa is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce depletion of the ozone layer by 20%. The building industry is considering legislation that all buildings greater than 300 m2 in size must have a U-value of 3,6 W/m2 °C, necessitating the use of sealed insulated glass units (SIGUs).