Green Homes Going Mainstream

New NAHB program expected to increase demand for sustainable cabinetry

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – More homes are about to be built green, thanks to a new initiative unveiled by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The recently launched NAHB National Green Building Standard gives builders for the first time an online, points-based certification tool that moves the practice of building sustainable homes into the mainstream. As a result, more builders will be looking for eco-friendly products ranging from energy efficient appliances to low-flow faucets.

Timber Products’ GreenT™ panels can help cabinetmakers and home builders meet the NAHB’s new sustainable guidelines.

That presents an opportunity for suppliers like cabinet manufacturers. While the NAHB’s program is similar to other green building rules when it comes to wood usage, many industry experts think the low-cost certification system will significantly increase the number of builders specifying cabinetry that meets the initiative’s guidelines.

“Awareness and accessibility are significantly improved with the new NAHB program,” said Roger Rutan, Vice President at Timber Products Company, a leading supplier of environmentally friendly hardwood plywood to the kitchen cabinet industry. “Green building is becoming more conventional and easier for builders, so cabinet companies should expect their clients to call with new needs for sustainable products.”

Here’s a closer look at the new NAHB guidelines and how Timber Products can help cabinet manufacturers meet the new standards:

Indoor air quality

Indoor air quality is a major area of emphasis in the NAHB initiative, much as it is in other national and local green building requirements, and is where cabinetmakers can help builders earn the most points toward securing a green designation.

More specifically, National Green Building Standard 5.1.5 states that particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and hardwood plywood must either contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins or be third-party certified for low formaldehyde emissions. That means kitchen and bathroom cabinetry must be built with the industry’s most advanced hardwood plywood panels to qualify as green.

Timber Products is already seeing cabinetmakers getting a jump on the new guidelines and purchasing panels that contribute points in the program’s green scoring system, like the company’s GreenT™ line of environmentally friendly hardwood plywood.

Cabinet companies can meet NAHB indoor air requirements by using GreenT™ for all cabinet components. The plywood is available with a special no added urea formaldehyde resin and is third-party certified to meet Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) standards.

Renewable material

Unlike the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED H program, the NAHB gives builders points for using wood and wood-based materials certified by both the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

“The NAHB program is more open to rewarding builders for using wood from credible certification agencies,” said Rutan. “This will make it easier for cabinet companies to build products that meet the guidelines. SFI wood is more readily available in the U.S. so it is a benefit for everyone.”

To meet section 2.6.2 of the NAHB program, GreenT™ offers several core options produced with recycled wood fibers and can be made from wood certified under both SFI and FSC. Most of Timber Products’ core materials for hardwood plywood are sourced from the company’s 118,000 acres of forestland, which is managed under SFI guidelines.

Spreading the word

With more builders joining the green building movement, Rutan believes the time is right for cabinetmakers to set a strategy to better position themselves in their market area.

“Cabinet manufacturers should determine what their customers are asking for, take the time to learn about the green building programs that meet those needs, and then develop their green plan,” said Rutan. “Using a marketing message such as the KCMA ESP or NAHB Green goes a long way to showing a commitment to green building, and are programs that builders recognize. It doesn’t happen overnight and the time to start is now, because this is an opportunity to differentiate your company.”

Contact: Gary Rubin, CMD, 503-488-4443, grubin@cmdagency.com

About Timber Products Company

Founded in 1918, Timber Products Company offers a wide range of diversified wood products and specializes in hardwood plywood. The company is one of the largest material suppliers to the U.S. kitchen cabinet industry. Timber Products owns nine state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the United States, a major international division, and 118,000 acres of forestland in Northern California managed under the strict standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) program. Timber Products was the world’s first hardwood plywood manufacturer authorized to carry the SFI label and began offering products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council in 2007. The company also operates TP Trucking, a nationwide transportation division.