Industry Trends8 min
Why Build With Carbon Negative Building Materials?
At LP Building Solutions, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the best construction materials for your builds. We work with third parties to develop life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) for LP products. These LCAs and EPDs allow us to assess and compare the environmental impact of our products’ life cycles in line with internationally recognized standards. EPDs are a valuable tool for comparing products and providing transparency into the environmental footprint of a product across its full manufacturing value chain, from raw materials to product end-of-life.
In our pursuit of sustainable and environmentally friendly products, we completed five LCAs and EPDs for our LP® Structural Solutions portfolio. Along with LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding, these EPDs demonstrate the carbon negativity of our products. That means that our products store more carbon than is released during their entire life cycle, making us a meaningful part of the climate solution.
What Does Carbon Negative Mean?
Carbon negativity means that a product stores more carbon over its lifetime than is released during raw material sourcing, manufacturing and shipping the product to its final customer. A carbon negative building material will maintain a net negative carbon footprint throughout its life cycle.
This distinction is a step beyond carbon neutral, which means removing the same amount of carbon dioxide that is released by the production of a product.
We create building products that lock in carbon previously stored in trees. These products continue to store carbon for the life of the residential and commercial buildings. The result: less carbon in our atmosphere and continued value for customers, homeowners and shareholders.
Materials Make a Difference
The foundation of a carbon negative structure lies in the selection of materials with carbon-sequestering properties. The LP Structural Solutions portfolio contains everything you need to elevate your build and create a carbon negative building envelope. The products that earned the carbon negative distinction include:
Design with Efficiency in Mind
The LP Structural Solutions line of products is manufactured for peak performance, but it’s just one piece of the bigger picture. To get the most out of your build, it’s important to consider more than just the materials you will use. You can maximize energy efficiency by making intentional design choices.
Examples of intentional design choices include:
Strategic placement of windows for passive solar heating
Effective insulation to minimize energy loss
Smart ventilation systems
By minimizing the need for artificial heating and cooling in homes that rely on coal, natural gas and oil for heating or electricity, your building envelope can further reduce carbon emissions over the life span of your home.
LP Offers Sustainable Solutions
We recently announced our latest achievement: EPDs that determined the carbon negativity for the majority of the products in the LP Structural Solutions portfolio. Simply said, these products are carbon negative. As architects, builders and innovators continue to push the boundaries of energy efficiency in construction, we are proud to play our part in supplying carbon negative materials.
Browse the entire LP Structural Solutions portfolio today.
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Business Solutions
4 minQ&A: How Home Orientation Impacts Continuous Insulation
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to building an energy-efficient home for your clients and the many nuances that change with each build—including its orientation to the sun. We sat down with Neil Freidberg, Building Science Manager at LP, to unpack the impact of home orientation on continuous insulation needs.
Resiliency Solutions
5 minHOW A RADIANT BARRIER CAN IMPROVE BURIED DUCT PERFORMANCE
One of the questions LP® Building Solutions gets from builders often is about burying ducts in attic insulation and whether combining radiant barrier sheathing with blown insulation over ductwork can benefit homeowners. As with most technical situations, the outcome depends on a nuanced approach. Let’s dig in and explore this question.
Sustainability Solutions
8 minHow to Drive Effective Communication and Collaboration on the Jobsite
Every jobsite has a ton of moving parts, from product shipments, supplies, and schedules to subcontractors and homeowners. It’s no wonder that many project teams can struggle to maintain quality jobsite communication and collaboration throughout the building process. And when communication slips, construction companies inevitably deal with costly errors, inefficient workflows, delayed projects, or wasted time, leaving clients and the team frustrated.
Sustainability Solutions
6 minCarbon Negative, Future Positive: LP® Structural Solutions Portfolio Releases Environmental Product Declarations
In an era where environmental responsibility is paramount, we are proud to announce a remarkable achievement: the LP® Structural Solutions portfolio has been officially designated as carbon negative. This milestone is a testament to our unwavering commitment to redefining construction materials for the better with a focus on sustainability, resiliency and groundbreaking advancements.