Laticrete SuperCap Meeting

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Laticrete-SuperCap Discussions

Yesterday a group of Laticrete-Supercap people from the USA & Canada met to discuss this leading edge technology and exchange sales, marketing & technical ideas.

What is Laticrete-SuperCap ?
The system is a time-saving, cost-effective method of finishing new concrete or capping existing slabs. This proven lean tool provides benefits right from the start of concrete placement in division 3 and flows through to division 9. It's what gives Laticrete SuperCap the confidence to say, "We Own The Floor℠".
The Laticrete Supercap System combines a LEED contributing, GREENGUARD certified, low alkali, self leveling cement-based technology with a computer controlled mobile blending unit - the pump truck.
This revolutionary system benefits the entire project from design to completion by providing predicable results that save time, money, and improve overall quality. We call it .... The Next Generation Slab®.

There’s Nothing Like it in the Industry.

Click here for more information and to watch the video.

LEED

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Laticrete & Green

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Click here for more information on Laticrete and Green

Architectural Binder Goes Green

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Click here for more info ....

Some SERIOUS stuff about Green

Some rather interesting information from KIRBY DAVIS CSI, CCTS, CDT, LEED AP who is a Laticrete Senior Architectural Specialist:

"A new Green Building Product Coalition is forming between the Construction Specifiers Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency and GREENBLUE. By bringing together building product manufacturers, the coalition hopes to help optimize materials, products and supply chains to be better utilize raw materials, maximize renewable energy use, and reduce waste in the manufacturing process and packaging. The focus of the coalition will be to encourage the use of building systems that support an overall goal of sustainability versus the use of individual green products. This approach to identifying green will open the door for architects to identify systems with long life cycles versus products with a single environmental attribute.

I am coming across more and more of these types of directives focused on true environmental responsibility at the manufacturing level – everything from packaging sustainability to reducing the CO2 footprint through energy use and even a huge focus on environmental product declarations (EPD’s) as classed by ISO. A lot of these musings seem to be nebulous and without a lot of weight to support the findings. The GBP Coalition however, is composed of enough diversified groups to truly be able to offer a transparent platform for the building community to work together towards sustainable systems growth.

GREENBLUE
GreenBlue was founded in 2002 and was originally a nexus of projects at McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) http://www.mbdc.com/ , the private sustainable product and process design consultancy co-founded by American architect William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart in 1995. They are also responsible for the Cradle to Cradle program.
A little more about Greenblue - They are involved with a lot of big name corporations through their project called the Sustainable Package Coalition http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/current_members.asp"

GreenFormat

Yes, We're listed: http://www.greenformat.com/search/laticrete

We are listed in the CSI Green Format Database …!

This is a database to help Architects / Specifiers find green products by CSI category. The program was launched at the 2008 Greenbuild, and is heavily marketed by CSI to the spec writers.

Many specifiers have good awareness of this valuable tool and are impressed that we have our products in there for project selection.

http://www.greenformat.com/search/Laticrete

The information required to enter a product into this GreenFormat database is very extensive.

The information is loaded in a 3 part spec format and follows the sequencing that a spec writer would need to access the information to incorporate our products into a full set of LEED specifications.

The data required to be in this database is for more extensive than the normal LEED information. Items such as Toxicity, Life Cycle Analysis, Sustainable Manufacturing Process and Environmental Product Declarations or EPD are required.

CSI’s goal is to make the database a single source of information for green product data - applicable for all of the green certification programs, not just LEED.

As we make presentations to Owners, Architects, Designers & Specifiers we need to be sure to mention that Laticrete is in the GreenFormat database.

LATICRETE products Certified by GREENGUARD for Children & Schools Program

The entire range of Laticrete GREENGUARD certified products have passed the most stringent emissions criteria to date and are now certified under GREENGUARD for Children and Schools. These products meet the product emissions criteria developed by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute for low-emitting building materials used in daycare, K-12, and healthcare facilities. In developing these new standards, the chemical sensitivities of children and the unique building characteristics of schools were evaluated. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has approved GREENGUARD Children and Schools Certification as an acceptable compliance path for all low-emitting flooring credits in LEED® Rating Systems. Printable LATICRETE product certificates are available here or at at www.greenguard.org for easy submission in the LEED process.

GREENGUARD for Children & Schools certification helps architects, builders, designers and specifiers identify products and materials that have undergone rigorous testing and meet stringent standards for chemical emission. LATICRETE products certified under the GREENGUARD Children and Schools program are specified in the USGBC’s LEED Rating System, CHPS Best Practices Manual and the Green Guide for Healthcare for low-emitting materials. GREENGUARD Children and Schools follows the State of California’s Department of Health Services Standard Practice for testing chemical emissions from building products used in schools and office buildings.

Too Much Green ...?

At least this one is clad in mosaics

We like to work with Tile Factories .... and Distributors & Contractors to Educate ....

The Crossville Tile people in Alabama do regular emailings to Architects, Owners & Contractors. Their recent emailing was about LEED. And what Laticrete does to make LEED "paperwork" quick & easy for the contractor.

Take a look at it here.

We are showing up on Green - LEED oriented websites

LATICRETE Offers Online LEED Project Certification Assistant

LATICRETE has made specifying tile and stone installation materials for projects seeking LEED certification faster and easier than ever before with the launch of the LATICRETE LEED Project Certification Assistant, an innovative online tool that automatically generates all of the information required for LATICRETE products on a specific LEED project. Read More here or Be Green - Click Here

Green - There are companies that are actually doing something

UNITED TILE

· 2009 – Selected by Oregon Business Magazine as one of Oregon’s 100 Best Green Companies to work for

· Named by the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development as a “Blueworks” company, recognizing our compliance with recommended environmental practices.

· United Tile’s Renton office has been recognized for its practices in a program developed by the City of Renton’s Business Recycling Program.

· We have committed to renewable power programs in every location. We pay a premium for this energy, but are assured 100% of it comes from renewable power sources. These Earth-friendly energy programs reduce the average environmental impact by 20% per month and help support the development of wind farms. These programs are offered through the following utilities:

o Portland – PGE Clean Wind Program

o Bend – PP&L Blue Sky Business Partner Program

o Renton – Puget Sound Energy Green Power Program

o Snohomish County PUD Planet Power Program

· The company is committed to assist regional architects with products and information that helps them earn LEED recognition for projects they are developing.

· All employees are provided with training that alerts them to the importance of following environmentally sensitive practices and encourages them to do so in their personal lives.

· United Tile and Crossville ceramics held “greenwashing” seminars for members of the architectural and design community in Portland and Seattle. These programs drew attention to the growing problem of false or unsubstantiated claims regarding the environmental merits of products in our industry.

· United Tile actively seeks to represent manufacturers whose products are produced in an environmentally responsible manner. Suppliers under consideration must provide specific details regarding any environmental claims to ensure we are not contributing to the “greenwashing” problem.

The New Buzzword ... "Green"

Everyone's talking about "Green."
There's a lot of "Greenwashing" going on in the construction industry (a fancy way of saying a lot of BS is coming from vendors)*

OK, so here are my comments:

We were GREEN before the term was even coined …!

We were focused on safe products when our competitors were producing flammable adhesives.We were focused on safer, water cleanable epoxies when our competitors were selling epoxies that required flammable, dangerous solvents for cleanup.

And here's our company's official stance:

LATICRETE was the first manufacturer of tile and stone installation materials to earn and offer the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s (GEI) certification.

And our Green info on our website:

www.laticrete.com/green

*Greenwash is a term used to describe the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly, such as by presenting cost cuts as reductions in use of resources. It is a deceptive use of green PR or green marketing.
Text above from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash

Expedite your LEED project certification

Expedite your LEED project certification process with the new Laticrete LEED Project Certification Assistant!

Take a look at the LATICRETE LEED Project Certification Assistant:

http://www.laticrete.com/architects/green_leed/leed_project_certification_assistant.aspx

Using this online tool a LEED documentation package in PDF format will be generated which includes our Laticrete LEED Technical Datasheet, certification letters for each product, associated GreenGuard certificates and a map showing Laticrete manufacturing locations within 500 miles of your project location.

Then ...

Email or print this LEED documentation package ....!

YES… Laticrete, Green and Residential go together …!

The April 27, 2009, launch of the new version of LEED included an upgrade to the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems. The LEED for Homes Rating System and reference guide were not affected by the launch of LEED v3.

As part of the Laticrete team we have a Laticrete Architectural Specialist who focuses on the subject of Green / LEED & Residential and how we can work with you to pursue LEED certification on your Residential, and Commercial, projects.

USGBC: LEED for Homes

The LEED for Homes Rating System was originally designed for single family and low rise multi-family residential development. Want more info ...? Click here.

Another Green Item

Some very interesting Green construction is being Planned or Built

The Zero Energy Idea House in Bellevue, WA is designed to show that smart choices can result in a home that minimizes energy use while maximizing comfort and style. The 1,630-square-foot home aims to combine energy generation and conservation techniques to result in total energy bills of less than $40/month!

Take a look at this - click here

Green Is In

Green Is In ... and a range of Laticrete products are GreenGuard Certified

See the specific products and read more here