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comment Masonite Offers Straw-Core Door With No Added Urea-Formaldehyde
The Emerald line of Safe ‘N Sound solid-core interior passage doors from Masonite offers a greener alternative—at a price premium of 20%–25%—to the company’s other offerings. Although all Safe ‘N Sound doors have wheat-straw cores, the Emerald doors contain no added urea-formaldehyde and use wood certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
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After purchasing Primeboard, Inc., in 2005, Masonite began using Primeboard’s engineered wheat straw panels, named DorCor, as cores for all of its doors. The company says DorCor costs a little more than particleboard, but this cost is mitigated by Masonite’s ownership of the manufacturer and offset by the light weight of the material, which reduces the cost and energy involved in shipping the doors.
All Safe ‘N Sound doors meet the formaldehyde emissions limit of 0.3 ppm set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Emerald doors have no added urea-formaldehyde. The adhesives used in both door lines emit only low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The doors do not yet meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirement that each component be third-party certified, but the company says Safe ‘N Sound doors exceed CARB standards and that the certification requirement will be met by the beginning of 2009.
The skins of all Safe ’N Sound doors are made from a composite wood material, with stiles and rails made of solid wood. The wood used in Emerald doors is certified to the FSC “Mixed Source” standard, which signifies that it is FSC-certified virgin wood, post-consumer recycled material, or “controlled wood” that meets a set of minimum standards.
John Stahl, Masonite’s product manager for interior doors, says that customers have been expressing strong interest in green products, particularly those that contribute to a project’s certification through various rating systems. This has influenced the company’s marketing, prompting it to highlight the green attributes of the standard Safe ‘N Sound door as well as the Emerald line, even though the standard door has used the straw-panel core for several years. Stahl says Masonite plans to expand the Emerald label as it develops a broader line of environmentally responsible products.
The doors are made at nine plants in the U.S. and Canada, and are available throughout those countries. Doors now available are 1 3/8" thick, with molded or flush surfaces. They are intended for residential and office uses, and for less intensively used areas in industrial, hotel, and retail settings. Stahl said Masonite plans to come out with a 1 3/8" Emerald door for applications where a 20-minute fire rating is required.
This article was produced by BuildingGreen, LLC.- www.buildinggreen.com
