Ask Sir Walter: Environmentally-Friendly Building Materials

Q: I want my next home to be environmentally friendly. What do I look for to make sure that I work with an environmentally sensitive builder? - Interested in Protecting the Environment

A: Dear Interested in Protecting the Environment:
Saving the environment can be accomplished in each phase of your dream home project. Two key building factors are the materials you choose and the way your new home is sited on your lot.

First, the materials you pick to build with factor into saving energy and our environment. Trees improve the environment as they supply oxygen and help control groundwater. Of course, trees make a great building material—and can quickly be replenished by planting new green trees.

It is the layperson's perception that the best timber comes from the biggest and highest quality old growth timber available. Actually, wood fiber from a second growth pulp log is exactly the same as the wood fiber from the finest tree in an old growth forest. Moreover, the second growth timbers have improved knot quality due to the small diameter and are likely to be intact. One of the reasons that I choose to work with cedar is that it grows quickly and is relatively straight.

In an effort to set uniform standards, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was born in 1993. We have been involved in this council from the start and our staff has been working on this council to develop standards for certification. We are proud that our quality timbers are harvested from the first ISO 14001 certified forest in British Columbia. These Western red cedar timbers are cut and kiln-dried in our factory, and in that way we can easily maintain our high quality standards.

We also believe in replenishing the forest. For more than five years we have been a major contributor to the American Forests Global Releaf program. As a thank you to new Lindal homeowners, Lindal sponsors their membership as a "Forest Protector," which includes 25 trees being planted in their name.

Another area that Lindal focuses on is training our dealer network. Each dealer is knowledgeable in siting your new home to protect the ecosystem on your lot, as well as in designing your dream home to use the surrounding environment to capture the sun's energy and resist the extreme weather patterns making your home energy-efficient.

As environmental issues continue to evolve, rest-assured that Lindal will continue to procure and develop appropriate products.

Best regards,
Sir Walter Lindal

If you have further environment-related or other new home building questions, email us to get a personal response from Sir Walter.