It goes without saying that the environmental protection of various decorative materials such as paint, ceramic tiles, wooden floors, and sanitary ware is directly related to the health and safety of the home environment. In an environment where the environmental awareness of the whole society is increasing, consumers are becoming more and more demanding on the environmental protection of home interior decoration materials. However, while blindly pursuing green and environmentally friendly building materials, many consumers also have misunderstandings and confusions.
Recently, reporters visited Yujia building materials supermarkets and building materials markets, and they sold 10 major categories such as waterproof coatings, adhesives, artificial boards, wooden floors, toilets, faucets, latex paints, and wood paints. We conducted inquiries and understanding of interior decoration products in order to provide consumers with the most complete suggestions for purchasing green building materials.
Toilet installation process and key points
Check the water seal depth of the toilet
The quality shadow of the toilet has not yet dissipated. The quality test of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau has It is full of haze. The reporter learned from the inspection results of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau that in this inspection, the quality problem of the toilet was mainly due to insufficient water seal depth.
Experts said that insufficient water seal depth will reduce the anti-odor ability of the toilet. This is because waste gas in the waterway will escape through the unqualified water seal, which can easily cause environmental pollution and be harmful to human health. Experts told reporters that the water seal of the toilet should be above 50mm. In addition, the reporter reminded consumers to look for the word "Jie" when buying a toilet, as this saves money and water resources.
Essential guide to using latex paint
Check comparison ratio of latex paint
When buying latex paint, consumers know that they should pay attention to its environmental performance, but they may ignore it. Contrast ratio. As everyone knows, the contrast ratio is directly related to the hiding ability of latex paint, and the covering ability is directly linked to the beautification of the wall. It is understood that among the samples inspected this time, the safety performance is basically qualified, but the comparison ratio is poor.
Experts say that the contrast ratio of latex paint should be no less than 0.90, otherwise, its painting function will be greatly reduced. In addition, good quality latex paint can also delay the aging of the wall, such as minor cracks and mildew spots that appear due to changes in the wall. Experts explain that generally speaking, the resistance of latex paint to brushing should reach 10,000 times. However, some tests did not reach 20 times. The reporter learned in the market that few consumers pay attention to the scrubbing resistance of latex paint. In fact, when purchasing latex paint, you should pay attention to the environmental performance while also paying attention to the contrast ratio and scrub resistance index of the latex paint.
How to choose a faucet
Check the water-saving performance of the faucet
The faucet is most closely related to people's lives. Everyone likes to say, "Water is the source of life." However, substandard faucets often cause the waste of "the source of life." In the inspection by the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, 38 samples were found to be unqualified. The traffic was too large, causing consumers to spend a lot of money.
Miss Zeng, a leading salesperson, told reporters that according to industry standards, when the dynamic pressure is 0.1 MPa, the flow rate of water from the faucet should not be greater than 0.15L/s. Experts also told reporters that since the flow rate of the faucet is difficult to see with the naked eye, it is very necessary to require a quality inspection report when purchasing. In addition, the reporter saw a new type of water-saving faucet on the market that adopts vertical sealing and automatic closing technology. The faucet has functions such as automatic shut-off in 20 seconds, anti-drip and other functions, and the water saving rate is as high as 20% to 50%. At present, this kind of faucet is sold in major building materials cities and building materials supermarkets.
Five key points for purchasing paint
Check for harmful substances in wood paint
Wood paint is one of the "invisible killers" of the indoor environment. Excessive amounts of benzene and lead are often found in paint. Benzene has been identified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization; lead may affect the human body's nervous, hematopoietic, digestive and other systems. The standard value of soluble lead in wood paint should not exceed 90 mg/kg, and the benzene content should not exceed 0.5%. Here, experts remind consumers that many off-brand paints on the market fake Chinese environmental protection labels, which often confuses consumers. Therefore, when purchasing, be sure to look for big brands and go to large building materials markets to buy.
The toughness of waterproof materials
Waterproof materials are often used in hidden decoration projects, and it is often difficult for consumers to visually see their quality problems. Because of this, waterproof materials are often a hidden danger in decoration. Experts say that when purchasing waterproof materials, you should comprehensively examine them from aspects such as tensile strength, elongation at break, and water impermeability.
For waterproof membranes, due to the close connection with the base layer in application, the expansion, contraction, cracking, and deformation of the base layer directly affect or limit the use of the membrane. Therefore, waterproofing membranes must have strong adaptability to the base layer. Experts point out that when purchasing PVC waterproof membrane, consumers can gently pull it with their hands and feel that the higher the toughness of the membrane, the higher its tensile strength, the greater its elongation, and the better its adaptability to the base layer. .
In addition, the reporter reminds consumers that if you buy waterproof coating, you must pay attention to its environmental protection performance. Waterproof coatings often add adhesives and colorants during production. The reporter saw in the market that many building materials cities have water-based building waterproof coatings, which have good environmental performance. Consumers may wish to give them a try.
Adhesives are environmentally friendly
Adhesives are a necessary building material for home decoration. Many building materials themselves also contain adhesives, such as boards, paints, coatings, etc. The quality of adhesives is directly related to the health of the living environment. However, in this inspection by the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, 5 types of adhesives failed to meet the standards. The quality problems were mainly due to excessive free formaldehyde and benzene.
The reporter learned from the National Building Materials Testing Center that the content of free formaldehyde in adhesives should be less than or equal to 1g/kg, and the benzene content should be less than or equal to 5g/kg. In a recent inspection by the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, a 2kg barrel of Centennial Adhesive produced by Beijing Centennial Xinyuan Trading Co., Ltd. had a benzene content of 75g/kg, far exceeding the standard value.
Here, the reporter reminds consumers that they can use the "sniffing" method when purchasing adhesives. If the adhesive exudes a strong pungent smell, then it is likely that the content of harmful substances exceeds the standard.
Look at the amount of formaldehyde released from artificial boards
The harmful substances in boards are mainly formaldehyde. Exceeding the standard of formaldehyde in boards may cause abnormal smell, lung function, liver function and immune function in the human body. etc., long-term exposure to low-dose formaldehyde is also extremely harmful to human health. In this inspection, the quality problems of artificial boards all stemmed from excessive formaldehyde.
"GB18580-2001 Formaldehyde Release Limits in Interior Decoration Materials Artificial Panels and Their Products" clearly stipulates that products "should be marked with a product formaldehyde release limit mark." The standard stipulates that those with limited edition marks "E0" and "E1" can be used directly indoors; those marked with "E2" must be decorated before being allowed to be used indoors.
Laminated flooring is more wear-resistant and more durable
Laminated flooring is becoming more and more popular among home owners. However, consumers may not know that when purchasing laminate flooring, in addition to whether its formaldehyde emission exceeds the standard, it is more important to look at its wear-resistance.
It is understood that according to the national quality standards for wooden flooring, the surface wear-resistance of qualified laminate flooring household products should be above 6,000 revolutions. However, the surface wear-resistance of many products is very low. The wear-resistance of the golden walnut flooring named "Oetai" is only 140 revolutions, which seriously affects the service life of the floor.
Industry insiders said that the main reason why some brands of laminate floors are not wear-resistant enough is because manufacturers use inferior impregnated paper in the production process in order to pursue low cost.
5 steps to skillfully choose environmentally friendly paint
From oil-based paint to water-based paint, from wood paint to children's paint, the window segmentation of paint products is becoming increasingly obvious, and people's preference for paint products Environmental protection requirements are also getting higher and higher. There are so many paints on the market that it’s hard to know where to start. The following five steps will teach you how to choose environmentally friendly and healthy paint.
Step 1: Look at the label on the paint outer packaging
These labels should include the product name, implementation standard number, production location, model, specifications, instructions for use, etc. If it is a well-known brand, it is usually accompanied by a national inspection exemption certificate, a famous brand certificate and a Chinese well-known trademark logo.
Step 2: Check whether it meets the standard GB18581-2001
Wood paint must comply with GB18581-2001 "Limits of Hazardous Substances in Interior Decoration Materials and Solvent-based Wood Coatings". When purchasing, you can ask the seller to provide a qualified environmental testing report issued by a qualified unit.
Step 3: Buy the one with the heaviest packaging
Lift the paint bucket and shake it. If there is a clattering sound, it means the paint is not packed enough, the weight is short, and the viscosity is too low. , genuine materials from regular big manufacturers, almost no sound can be heard when shaking.
Step 4: Buy the one that consumes the least amount of paint
Consult the seller with the number of coats of paint and the painting area, calculate the amount and material cost per square meter, do not be confused by each Deceived by the unit price of the group (bucket).
Step 5: Buy products that are professional and well-matched
Good-quality products tend to be more professional and provide technical guidance and after-sales service based on different boards. Adhesives are used a lot in home decoration, but choosing them incorrectly will be the biggest source of pollution. Good glue will have environmental label product certification. It is also easy to identify fake and inferior adhesives. Their main characteristics are: the colloid is turbid, delamination occurs after being stored for a long time, and there is a pungent smell when the container is opened.
Currently popular environmentally friendly decorative materials
1 Environmentally friendly floor materials:
Grass pavement tiles are one of various porous paving products. They are made of recycled high-density polyethylene. Made of vinyl. It can reduce stormwater runoff, reduce surface water pollution, and drain away surface water. Mostly used in public facilities.
2 Environmentally friendly wall materials:
A newly developed aerated concrete brick, which can be cut and shaped with carpentry tools, built with a thin layer of mortar, and special roughened slurry powder is used on the surface. Surface, with thermal resistance and energy storage effect.
3 Environmentally friendly wall decorations:
Products such as straw wallpaper, linen wallpaper, gauze wall coverings, etc., have multiple functions such as moisturizing, repelling insects, and health care. Mildew-proof wallpaper has been chemically treated to eliminate mold, foaming, mold breeding and other phenomena that may occur when the air is humid or the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is large. The surface is soft and has good air permeability.
4 Environmentally friendly pipes:
Plastic metal composite pipe is a high-tech product that replaces metal pipes. Its inner and outer layers are made of high-density polyethylene material, with aluminum in the middle. Excellent performance of plastic and metal, and no rust, no pollution.
5 Environmentally friendly paint:
Biological latex paint, in addition to easy construction, comes in a variety of colors, which can bring colorful colors to the home. After painting, it will emit bursts of fragrance. It can also be repainted or treated with detergent, which can inhibit mold in the wall.