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Browse Glossary :
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Frequently Searched Terms
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Definition of Particleboard
ParticleboardYou might know it best as that bookshelf that arrived in 109 pieces, with "some assembly required." This dense, heavy, inexpensive substitute for wood or plywood consists of wood chips or sawdust that is compressed along with a synthetic resin or other binder. Because urea formaldehyde (UF) is the resin most commonly used, particleboard is a major source of formaldehyde offgassing in homes; products made with low- or zero-formaldehyde resins are available and a safer alternative. For some purposes-such as cabinetry-formaldehyde-free medium density fiberboard (MDF) or wheatboard can be used in its place.
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I-P
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| Indoor air quality |
| Pollution is not only outside. Indoor air quality refers to the condition of the air inside a... more |
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| Industrial waste |
| The manufacture of nearly everything produces waste, some of it hazardous waste, and some of it... more |
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| Ingeo |
| So what can't be made from corn these days? Automobile fuel, bioplastic, and now clothing, too?... more |
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| Instantaneous water heater |
| Also called tankless water heater or demand water heater. Hot water when you need it, without... more |
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| Insulated concrete form (ICF) |
| Have you ever thought of living in a concrete house? It may be more welcoming than it sounds. These... more |
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| Insulation |
| Like the down on a goose, it's a protective layer against the elements. Technically, insulation is... more |
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| Integrated building design |
| This is teamwork at its best: A holistic approach to building, through which multiple disciplines... more |
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| Joist |
| If building or remodeling a home, you'll almost certainly hear about these. Part of the framing of... more |
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| Kelvin (K) |
| Ever wonder what "white-hot" really means? Kelvin has the answer. It is the scale for the color... more |
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| Kilowatt |
| This is a unit of energy used to measure electrical power. One kW equals 1000 watts-or the... more |
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| Kilowatt hour (kWh) |
| This common measurement of electrical energy consumption is equal to the use of 1000 watts of power... more |
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| Kyoto Protocol |
| A global problem requires a global solution. That was the thinking behind this agreement, reached... more |
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| Laminate |
| This term refers to thin layers of material that are bonded together to create a strong, durable... more |
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| Latex |
| It's in rubber gloves, elastic bands, and even birthday-party balloons. This natural resin, which... more |
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| Leaching |
| Not related to bloodsucking leeches, but arguably as objectionable, this term refers to the drawing... more |
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| Lead |
| You definitely want to get the lead out. Although it has been widely used for centuries-in products... more |
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| Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) |
| For green builders, this is both a benchmark and a support system. The U.S. Green Building Council... more |
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| Life cycle |
| Everything has a lifespan, whether it's a person, a planet, or a house. This term, in green design... more |
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| Linoleum |
| Poor Linoleum. This flooring material hung out with some questionable characters back in the... more |
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| Low flush toilet |
| A water-saving toilet that still gets the job done. Low-flush toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons... more |
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| Low impact dye |
| Ever had a red sock turn all your white shirts pink in the wash? That's one of the troubles of... more |
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| Low-emissivity (Low-E) window |
| Want to let the light in but keep the heat out? A low-E window can do just that. It has been coated... more |
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| Mastic |
| What good is a powerful heating and cooling system if air can leak in and out around the ducts?... more |
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| Medium density fiberboard (MDF) |
| This sturdy, inexpensive substitute for wood is common in homes, though it's often hidden behind an... more |
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| Megawatt (MW) |
| A unit of electrical power, equal to a million watts or one thousand kilowatts. It is typically... more |
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| Methane (CH4) |
| Can we lay a little blame for global warming on anyone else? Like cows, maybe? Actually, yes. By... more |
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| Multiple chemical sensitivity |
| Ever feel as if perfectly ordinary things in your environment are making you sick? This is how some... more |
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| National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) |
| Planning a little window shopping? Before you go, you'll want to know about this group. It has... more |
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| Native vegetation |
| These plants are born to be wild. Native vegetation refers to grasses, wildflowers, and other plant... more |
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| Natural cooling |
| In the days before mechanical air-conditioning, this was how people beat the heat, and it can work... more |
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| Natural dye |
| Colorful dyes have been used to gussy up fabric for thousands of years, and for most of that time... more |
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| Natural ventilation |
| You feel this effect every time you throw open a few windows in the house: Natural ventilation... more |
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| New urbanism |
| For decades, the car has been the quintessential symbol of individual freedom. Proponents of new... more |
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| Nonrenewable resource |
| We're using them up faster than they are made. These natural resources-including forests, coal, and... more |
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| Offgassing |
| Does that unmistakable "new rug smell" or "new car smell" make you woozy? That's because the smell... more |
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| Old-growth tree |
| This is a tree that has lived hundreds, even thousands of years. Such trees are usually found in... more |
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| Organic |
| In the widest sense, this is anything of, or relating to, living organisms. It is also a term used... more |
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| Organic gardening |
| It's the most Earth-friendly method of gardening, and the healthiest, too. Organic gardening... more |
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| Orientation |
| When a real estate ad says that a home has a "southern exposure," this is what it means. It is the... more |
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| Ozone |
| This chemical molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms, has something of a dual personality: On... more |
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| Particleboard |
| You might know it best as that bookshelf that arrived in 109 pieces, with "some assembly required."... more |
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| Particulates |
| These are tiny bits of matter; they come from soot, dust, or other polluting sources, and can... more |
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| Passive cooling |
| In the days before mechanical air-conditioning, this was how people beat the heat, and it can work... more |
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| Passive solar design |
| Here's a passive way to be aggressive about helping the planet. This age-old approach to design... more |
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| Peak oil |
| When will the world's oil run out? It's a hotly debated question among energy experts, geologists,... more |
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| Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) |
| These man-made compounds show up in a host of items we associate with making our lives a little... more |
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| Permaculture |
| This concept, which comes from the words permanent, agriculture, and culture, means a lot of... more |
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| Pesticide |
| These potent chemicals a major reason we wash our vegetables well before eating them-and an... more |
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| Petrochemical |
| The source of many of the highly useful but unsustainable and potentially damaging products in our... more |
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| Petroleum-based |
| From the gasoline in your car, to your car's dashboard, to the lip balm in your pocket (and maybe... more |
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| Phantom load |
| Your house is probably haunted…by a phantom load. This is the small but not insignificant... more |
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| Phenol formaldehyde (PF) |
| In layman's terms, this is a glue. It's one of two synthetic, formaldehyde-based polymer resins... more |
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| Photocell |
| Would you like to have your front-porch light come on when dusk falls, whether you're home or not?... more |
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| Photovoltaic (PV) cell |
| This is the technology that makes solar power happen. A panel of semiconductor material (typically... more |
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| Phthalates |
| Nearly impossible to pronounce and nearly impossible to avoid, phthalates are a group of chemicals... more |
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| Plastic |
| In the 1967 movie The Graduate, the word plastics represents a certain kind of bright, golden... more |
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| Plywood |
| This tough, inexpensive pressed-wood product is commonplace in homes-in furniture, flooring, and... more |
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| Pollution credit |
| How much is one company allowed to pollute? That might depend on how many credits it has. The... more |
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| Polyester |
| Not just the fiber that makes leisure suits and gauchos possible, polyester has long outlasted... more |
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| Polyethylene |
| This lightweight, translucent, and flexible plastic is used for grocery bags, food containers,... more |
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| Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) |
| This is the stuff that holds your soda, your peanut butter, and possibly your bathroom cleaner.... more |
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| Polymer |
| This is a chain of small molecules, called monomers, that is joined to create a material with a... more |
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| Polyurethane |
| It's used as foam insulation, upholstery stuffing, shiny wood-floor sealant, and more. This... more |
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| Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) |
| This durable plastic can be found just about anywhere: in your shower curtain, raincoat, or baby's... more |
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| Post-consumer |
| A term that refers to something used and discarded by a consumer. With recyclables, purchasing... more |
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| Post-consumer recycled (PCR) content |
| This is any material that was used by a consumer and then recycled for use in a new product. A... more |
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| Potable water |
| Water that is free enough of chemicals, particulate matter, and biological nasties (such as... more |
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| Prefab |
| A house in a box? In construction, prefabrication means creating the pieces of a building-complete... more |
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| Pressure-treated wood |
| This is wood that is used mostly for outdoor construction-in decks, for example. Pressure-treated... more |
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