Each issue, this section highlights sustainability-related information from a different GBI Supporter

At Masonite, Green Extends to the Roots

New Interior Doors Contribute toward Green Building Certification

When designing, building or buying a home, an increasing number of Masonite customers now seek interior and exterior doors that qualify as green products—because they’re ENERGY STAR® approved, come from resources that are renewable and sustainable, include recycled content and/or contribute toward green building certification. And, while the company offers a variety of products that meet these requirements, its environmental stewardship began long before the trend of building green.
                                        
It’s been there since the beginning, more than 80 years ago, when the company’s founder, William H. Mason, discovered that post-industrial wood chips could be reconstituted and used to create building materials. It continues today—as evidenced most recently by the release of two new solid core interior doors, featuring a low density core made from rapidly renewable wheat straw as well as post-industrial recycled content and low-emitting formaldehyde using ASTM test methods.

"It's apparent by the volume of requests we receive that the market has a desire for green products," said John Stahl, Product Manager – Interior Molded and Flush Doors and Chairman of the Masonite Green Council. "Our goal with the new interior doors was to provide environmentally sensitive products that meet the same high standards of quality our customers are used to. They have the same heft and feel of our solid wood doors, as well as ease of installation, reduction of sound transmission and architectural beauty.”

The new doors also help Masonite customers meet the requirements of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) national green building program as well as other certification systems. But they aren’t the only Masonite products with green attributes.

The company regularly uses renewable materials such as wood and wheat straw, and strives to purchase wood products that are identified with third party certification for sustainable forest management. Its steel and fiberglass doors can be assembled to qualify for the ENERGY STAR program. And many of its products include recycled materials, such as its interior molded door facings, which contain post-industrial wood chips, and its wheatcore, particleboard and fiber products.

Masonite is a leading manufacturer of interior doors and entry door systems. For more information on its products or environmental policies, please visit www.masonite.com or call 1-800-663-DOOR.