CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Huber Engineered Woods' flagship products, AdvanTech® flooring and ZIP System® sheathing and tape, are the first premium subflooring and combination wood structural panel and water resistive barrier panel brands to receive environmental product declarations (EPD), respectively.
The company submitted the AdvanTech flooring and ZIP System sheathing & roofing products through a Life Cycle Assessment to document the manufacturing processes in the most rigorous environmental reporting process, a cradle-to-grave EPD in order to demonstrate the products' environmental impacts and benefits.
"Sustainability is one of Huber Engineered Woods' best kept secrets, and the sustainability claims issued in these reports really formalizes what we've known all along," says Michael Lloyd, Director of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability for Huber Engineered Woods. "Our involvement with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, commitment to safe and responsible operations, and product innovation allow us to feel good about these EPDs."
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a comprehensive, internationally-harmonized report that documents how a product is manufactured and how it impacts the environment throughout its life cycle. Similar to the concept of a "nutrition label," an EPD tells the complete sustainability story of a product in a single, written report.
The cradle-to-grave EPD, certified by UL for both ZIP System sheathing & roofing and AdvanTech flooring, considers the environmental impacts throughout the entire lifecycle of a product (raw materials supply, production, transport, use, and end-of-life). Cradle-to-grave is the most rigorous EPD available.
Huber Engineered Woods' environmental benefits, according to its EPD, include the following:
- AdvanTech® Flooring and ZIP System ® Sheathing and Tape manufacturing processes are greater than 99% landfill free. Just 2% of waste is produced, with most of it being recycled.
- Wood, which is 100% biodegradable, is the main component of ZIP System sheathing and AdvanTech flooring, comprising more than 90% of each product. Wood is also a major source of energy at Huber's manufacturing sites.
- Huber Engineered Woods' manufacturing sites are located close to the forests and communities from where the company sources its wood.
- ZIP System R-6 Sheathing requires just 10-16 months of service to make up for its global warming impact, thanks to its built-in continuous foam insulation.
- AdvanTech® sheathing is the first premium wood structural panel with code recognized design values that exceed traditional PS2 panels to release a cradle-to-grave EPD.
- In a 30-day exposure test, AdvanTech® flooring had less water absorption – or less moisture content – on average than the competitive OSB and plywood panels tested. AdvanTech flooring is the only 23/32" OSB product tested that did not drop below the PS-2 industry standard for subfloor stiffness. This stiffness retention could be an indicator of a longer product service life.
"Our manufacturing processes and end products demonstrate Huber Engineered Woods' commitment to the environment," says Lloyd. "Our parent company has a core principle of Environment, Health & Safety and Sustainability which guides us toward world class safety and environmental performance. That is a value which we uphold to a strict degree."
About Huber Engineered Woods
Huber Engineered Woods LLC continually strives to create innovative products that suit their customers' needs. Each one delivers outstanding performance, easy installation and greater strength in single family, multifamily and light commercial projects. Huber's ZIP System® Roof and Wall Sheathing are structural wood panels with built-in protective barriers, eliminating the need for building wrap or felt and providing a continuous rigid moisture and air barrier that optimizes energy efficiency. Additionally, Huber's AdvanTech® Subflooring product is proven to achieve a superior combination of strength and moisture resistance — for subflooring that won't swell, cup, delaminate or bounce even under the toughest conditions. To learn more, visit www.huberwood.com
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SOURCE Huber Engineered Woods
