The cornerstone of Interstyle’s product development process has always been to find innovative uses for reclaimed and waste stream materials.  As a local (Burnaby) manufacturer of ceramic tiles in the early 80s, Interstyle salvaged containers of broken glass which were turned into glazes and some of the first glass tiles.

As production of glass tile increased, a growing quantity of their post-industrial waste was rerouted to produce new products.  Making use of cut-offs and mismatched die lots became an integral part of the production of some of Interstyle’s most popular mosaic tile product lines, while other salvaged glass was crushed and cast in moulds by product designers to create some of the most unique tile products – made entirely from recycled glass.

Further, each stage of the manufacturing and materials handling has been reviewed to ensure that waste is minimized; any reusable materials are recycled and; energy conservation measures are in place.  These include: recycling water from glazing production in a closed loop water system, using heat from kiln exhaust for drying of bisque and coatings, using packing materials that contain a high percentage of recycled materials, and reusing incoming packing materials.

The use of these products may assist in reducing the environmental impact of a construction project and support the project in earning LEED points.

We love Interstyle’s products because it is recycled and beautiful.  Please visit Interstyle.ca for more information & to locate dealers (they do not sell directly to consumers).  We hope you will find inspiration for your new shower surround or kitchen backsplash with these lines of recycled glass:

River Crystals

Aquarius

Agates

Aquarius: coloured glass gems suspended in a clear glass tile.  Aquarius glass tiles offer a unique blend of colour & texture within a glossy finish glass tile.  Available in 20 colours & 3 sizes: 2″x2″; 4″x4″; and 1-1/4″x8″.

Agates: lustrous glass pebbles with hand blended colours that give the cabochons subtle colour variations.  Available in 20 translucent colours and meshed sets of 4″x4″; 6″x6″; 3″x12″; 4″x12″; 6″x12″; and 12″x12″.

River Crystals: random shaped translucent glass pieces that have the appearance of smooth tumbled rocks.  The colours are randomly distributed within each piece to give the visual effect of depth.  Available in 10 colours and meshed sets of 4″x4″; 4″x12″; and 12″x12″.

The product is called RainStone and it is manufactured using 100% recycled post-consumer waste paper.  The paper is bonded together under pressure with a water-based, non-petroleum phenolic resin system which is also VOC-free.  Pigments are mixed into the bio-resin system to ensure maximum colour uniformity and UV resistance.  For additional weather proofing a waterborne acrylic outer coating is applied.  This will also ensure that the product is practically maintenance free.

It is certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.  It is the kind of innovation that we at Klondike Contracting like to support and encourage.  Being durable, eco-friendly, safe against fire, attactractive, and more importantly weatherproof, we find it difficult to give reasons against using it.  But as with any new product, this is open to discussion and we would love to hear about your experience with RainStone.  For further information please visit paperstoneproducts.com

Have you ever had to wait to take a bath because your dishwasher is running? Have you been blasted with scalding water when someone else in the house flushes the toilet while you were in the shower? Are you concerned about running of clean, fresh water? Do you want to do your part in reducing water consumption? Klondike certainly does!

If your water heater is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it before it starts leaking water due to corrosion and causing further damage to your home.

Tankless water heaters are great for new & older homes. It only heats water when needed, using a device that is activated by the flow of water when a hot water valve is opened. By delivering a constant supply of hot water, tankless water heaters can meet all your household hot water needs. It can also be used for supplementary heat, such as a booster to a solar hot water system.

Tankless water heaters are much more compact in size so it will save you some space. The size of course depends on the number of bathrooms in your house & how much hot water you will require at peak hours. However, the most important benefit is that it can shave ten to twenty percent off your heating bill by eliminating energy lost from warmed water sitting in a tank. Not only are you conserving water but energy as well. Further, they produce as little as half the greenhouse gas emissions of less efficient storage tank heaters. An interesting thought: if we all used tankless water heaters, we could keep 91 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year.

Lets do our part to keep our planet clean & green!

The FSC is an international non-profi organization founded in 1993 as a voluntary and market-based mechanism for ensuring that the world’s forests are managed in an environmentally responsible, socially acceptable and economically viable manner.

FSC certified companies are independently audited to meet the FSC’s strict forest management standards.  Beyond the forest, all producers along the supply chain must be chain of custody certified.  At every stage of manufacturing or distribution, the fibre going into a product is tracked and identified.  The FSC system not only makes certain that virgin fibre used in a product is from a sustainable source, but it ensures that claims regarding the recycled content of products are verifiable.  In an unbroken chain of commitment from forest to consumer, the FSC label carries the promise that a product comes from a forest friendly source.

Why should you choose an FSC product?

1. FSC prohibits the conversion of natural forests to plantations, except under extremely limited circumstances.
2. FSC requires forest managers to protect threatened High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF).
3. FSC requires that Aboriginal Peoples right are respected.
4. FSC prohibits the use of Genetically Modified trees.
5. 100% of the fibre in FSC-certified products comes from an FSC approved and independently verified source.
6. FSC sets a common level of performance that companies must meet in order to be certified.
7. FSC is the only forest certification system supported by major international, national and local Aboriginal, Environmental, and Social groups
8. FSC has strict requirements for tracking and labelling products from FSC approved sources.
9. FSC is an international standar for forest certification that accredits regional standards developed by local stakeholders to reflect the environmental and social realities of those regions.
10. FSC standards, certification processes and governance require equal, balanced and extensive participation from representatives of Economic, Environmental and Social interests.
11. The North American and global marketplace recognizes FSC as the most credible and effective forest certification system.
12. FSC is a transparent and independent verification of the source of forest products.

Ames has branded certain lines of tiles “EcoTiles” to make it easier for consumers to identify products that have been produced by environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.  These processes include:

• 90-100% of water used during manufacturing is recycled & reused; no dirty water is flushed into the sewage system.
• Factories are equipped with dust control vacuum systems to avoid health hazards as well as reduce emissions into the environment.
• Dust captured is recycled back into the manufacturing process.
• Kilns are equipped with dust control and filter systems to reduce toxic emissions.  In some factories the excess hot air from the kilns is then recycled and used to heat common work areas.
• 90-100% of soft & hard waste (pre & post firing) is recycled back into the manufacturing process to create other tiles.
• Tile surface glazes are free of toxins such as lead, cadmium and selenium, reducing air emissions from kiln firing.

With today’s technological advancements, there are a plethora of opportunities to make environmentally-friendly choices for your renovation.  Thus, excuses not to be environmentally conscious are harder to come by.  Whether it is building products, appliances, or fixtures, many of today’s products deliver better performance with less environmental impact.  With this in mind, consider the follow 3 steps when planning your renovation:

1. Increase the energy & water efficiency of your home,
2. Ensure clean indoor air, and
3. Choose resource-smart materials & products.