May 4 2007
In today's construction market, architects and builders are continuing to select building materials that support better indoor air quality for their school projects. In February 2007, DensArmor Plus(R) paperless interior drywall from Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC earned both GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Children & Schools(sm) Certification for products that have low chemical emissions. Per a recent agreement between GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), products that meet the stringent criteria of the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Program, such as DensArmor Plus, automatically qualify for credits in the CHPS program by meeting the State of California's Department of Health Services Standard Practice (CA Section 01350) for testing chemical emissions from building products used in schools.
"Building high performance schools can positively impact a child's education," said Leo Bissonnette, general manager for Georgia-Pacific Gypsum. "By designing and building with construction materials, such as the moisture- and mold-resistant DensArmor Plus interior drywall, that also meet indoor air quality standards set by GREENGUARD and CHPS, builders can deliver high performance schools for our children."
Based in California, CHPS is a national, non-profit organization that strives to facilitate the design of high performance schools by providing guidelines for school districts and design teams to construct learning environments that are healthy, efficient and comfortable. Throughout the country, the CHPS program has been regionally adapted to meet the needs of the varying climates and local conditions in states such as, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington.
To earn the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification, DensArmor Plus drywall underwent additional emissions testing beyond that required for GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification. Developed in 2005, the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Program tests additional chemicals and requires lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in order to identify low- emitting products that can be used to provide school children with reduced exposure to indoor pollutants.