Holliston LEED House

This is the story of a family who built the first LEED "green" house in Holliston, Massachusetts. We were trying to spend no more than it would take to build an ordinary house,and maybe even succeeded. The dust is still settling.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Lumber and FSC

We took delivery on our materials yesterday, and Paddock's crew has started by bringing it inside. What Flip and I have discovered during this process is that lumber that is sustainably forested is readily available but not easily verified. What we have found is that the "FSC" (Forest Stewardship Council) label, which says that the lumber is responsibly harvested, has become the lumber industry's new "pet rock."

In several incidences, the same lumber (same stamp, same source, same wood, same packaging, same vendor) comes. One has the FSC label, one does not. The FSC labeled product is more expensive than the other. Why the upcharge? Both bundles look like they had the same genesis. Those of us buying the lumber can't tell, and it all goes by the word and certification of some unseen committee. So buyer beware. Unless you can trace it back to the woods where it all started, chances are you'll never know.

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2 Comments:

At March 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM , Blogger NMPacella said...

This is pathetic. I have heard several of the more established sustainable designers and engineers comment on the current 'green washing' and that is becoming more prevalent.

 
At March 13, 2009 at 9:59 AM , Blogger Erin said...

You know, it could be legit. It's just really, really hard to tell.

 

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