OSMO Floor Finish

One of the Best Hardwood Floor Finishes

 Osmo Polyx-Oil (Hardwax Oil) 3054 Satin

Do not confuse this with traditional oil finishes.  OSMO Hardwax Oil is an engineered finish made with sunflower, soybean and thistle oil plus two hard natural waxes—carnauba and candelilla.  Includes just enough highly refined mineral spirits to allow easy application. A Brazilian palm tree, Copernica cerifera, produces the carnauba in its leaves, berries and stalks. Villagers cut down fronds, dry them for several days, and then beat off the wax. The candelilla comes from the outer coating on a desert shrub, Euphorbia antisyphiliti, that grows in northern Mexico. Farmers boil the leaves and stems with water and acid to release the wax. This remarkable finish offers excellent durability and renewability with a unique lustrous finish. It will never crack, blister or flake off. Instead of forming a plastic film, like polyurethane does, OSMO Hardwax Oil has open pores that "breathe." This allows any moisture that does get through to get back out again without pushing off the finish.

Because it is microporous, Hardwax Oil works well in rooms with high humidity, such as kitchens. It meets German standards for resistance to stains from wine, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juice and, of course, beer.

Spot repairs are easy. There's no need to strip the whole floor or even to remove old Hardwax Oil. For minor repairs, just scuff the damaged area with fine steel wool, coat with OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner and buff lightly when the cleaner is dry. If a more extensive fix is needed, use Hardwax Oil. Make repairs regularly, and the finish will last indefinitely.

While this product provides no protection against ultraviolet rays from the sun, it is not suitable for outdoor use. OSMO makes many other wood finish products some which are intended for outdoor use. 

This is an oil-based product. Like most finishes—even water-based ones—it needs a solvent to perform properly. OSMO uses the safest one that works with oil-based finishes: benzene-free, low-odor mineral spirits. This is an aliphatic petroleum distillate, which means it is a petroleum product that has its carbon atoms arranged in open chains instead of rings. The more toxic, aromatic or ring hydrocarbons have been removed, resulting in a milder odor. 

OSMO Polyx 3054 and all OSMO products can be seen at:  OSMO Polyx Oil

The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

Sin of the Hidden Trade-OFF
A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

Sin of No Proof
An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

Sin of Vagueness
A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

Sin of Worshiping False Labels
A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

Sin of Irrelevance
An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

Sin of Lesser of Two Evils
A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

Sin of Fibbing
Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

27 Things to demand on your next building project

1. Every project should be a Passive Solar design, orient to the sun and use passive cooling.
2. Double the minimum amount of insulation required.
3. Use No-VOC and Formaldehyde-Free Paint. Use Solvent-Free Adhesives.
4. Use Low VOC, Water-Based Wood Finishes.
5. Use certified wood or finger-jointed wood for all finish trim.
6. If you must use drywall, use recycled content drywall. Try other natural wall finishes.
7.. Replace up to 35% of the Portland Cement in the concrete with Fly Ash.
8. Avoid vinyl products. Alternatives include rubber, linoleum, Cork, etc.
9. Specify a light color roof in warm regions.
10. Avoid particle board cabinets and use formaldehyde-free medium density fiberboard, plywood or wheat board for cabinet boxes.
11. Consider bamboo, reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood, and wheatboard for cabinet doors
and drawers, and sealed with a no- or low-volatile organic compound clear finish.
12. On-demand hot water system rather than a whole house re-circulating hot water loop.
13. Any new toilets should be dual flush type.
14. Recycle Job Site Construction and Demolition Waste. Change your general demolition notes to salvage all removed doors and windows for possible salvage or reuse.
15. Use thermally  modified wood that does not contain Chromium, CCA or Arsenic for decking and sill plates.
16. Landscaping uses drip irrigation system to save water and indigenous plants.
17. Incorporate permeable paving at all driveways and exterior surfaces.
18. Reuse concrete form boards, or reusable slip forms.
19. Insulate foundation before backfill.
20. Substitute solid sawn lumber with engineered lumber.
21. Install a whole house water filter.
22. Provide conduit for future solar addition.
23. Provide dimmers on all light switches.
24. South and west facing walls to have a high thermal mass material.
25. All appliances to be high level EnergyStar models.
26. Include solar water heating.
27. On demand, tankless water heaters

A must see movie about our Earth.

I have attached a link to a movie that is an extreme good watch.  Whether or not you believe in global warming - its worth watching.  Don't watch it now - wait until you get home, pour yourself a glass of wine and if you can set it up to view on you large TV,  do it - it's an hour and a half long and well worth it.  Enjoy

Home - A movie by Yann Arthus

Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency

This event is held every two years and I have been to three.  Please do not attend - The lines to get into each house have gotten longer each year.

http://www.solardecathlon.gov/

American Clay Plaster Sale Starts Tomorrow

Sale on American Clay Plaster starts tomorrow. 

A natural, environmentally friendly way to finish any interior
American Clay Earth Plasters are non-toxic and made in the USA.  These plasters are an alternative to cement, acrylic and lime plasters, offering superior color, richness, texture and depth that is not found with other finishes. See what the different styles have to offer: Loma bestows a charming, rustic feel with matte colors and organic surfaces; Porcelina's smooth surface and complex colors mimic the highly polished, opulent marble of the Old World; Marittimo's soft colors and speckled sheen shimmer like the ocean; and Enjarre offers a rugged, earthen look in a single-coat plaster.

https://American Clay Plaster Sale

When Zero doesn't really mean Zero

The EPA has determined that the off-gassing from architectural coatings is estimated to account for about 9% of the VOC emissions from all consumer and commercial products. It is important to understand that the EPA’s test method for VOC’s, any paint with VOC’s  5 g/l or less can be called zero VOC so even paint labeled zero VOC may not actually be truly zero VOC.

 Now I know that 5 g/l is very low in the big picture and I may be nitpicking but I was always taught that 0=0,  not 0=5 or less