Allstate Floors & Construction, Inc.

Green

Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle. From siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction, there are ways to make new or existing construction green.

This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or high performance building.

Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
Reducing waste, pollution, and environmental degradation

For example, green buildings may incorporate sustainable materials in their construction (e.g., reused, recycled-content, or made from renewable resources); create healthy indoor environments with minimal pollutants (e.g., reduced product emissions); and/or feature landscaping that reduces water usage (e.g., by using native plants that survive without extra watering).

Green Building Benefits

Incorporating Green Building Principles into a new or existing commercial building can provide an owner/occupant with compelling environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Allstate Floors can incorporate Green Building Principles into every service aspect of the flooring life-cycle. The benefits of the services we provide include the following:

Environmental

Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Improve air and water quality
Reduce waste streams
Conserve and restore natural resources

Economic

Reduce operating costs
Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services
Improve occupant productivity
Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Social Benefits

Enhance occupant comfort and health
Heighten aesthetic qualities
Minimize strain on local infrastructure
Improve overall quality of life

By working with Allstate Floors to apply these Green Building Principles in to your flooring project, you can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Green construction methods can be integrated into buildings at any stage, from design and construction, to renovation and deconstruction.

Reclamation

Allstate Floors promotes sustainable business practices throughout its organization by taking a holistic approach to the environment and our goal of sustainability.

Methods to reduce and eliminate waste and other non-value added processes that impact our environment are considered throughout all projects. First, by selecting products from responsible manufacturers who create sustainable products and mandate environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. Second, partnering with key manufacturers allows us the ability to offer the widest range of environmentally responsible products. These relationships allow us to participate in the product design process and evaluate the environmental impact of products beyond manufacturing.

Sustainability Extends Beyond Products

When selecting products for a project, in addition to recycled content, we consider manufacturers that use innovative energy practices and processes that reduce or recycle manufacturing waste material.

Once a product is selected, through the use of computerized estimating, project management and installation, projects can be managed to correctly estimated materials needed reducing waste.

Reduce Waste with Technology and Project Management

Computer estimating allows us to automate the estimation process improving accuracy and turnaround time, while minimizing material waste and non-value added cost before the order is ever placed. Floor plans are transmitted electronically, thus eliminating paper plans and emissions generated while transporting project plans to and from customer facilities.

Reduce premature replacement of your flooring products. By properly specifying and then maintaining your flooring you not only extend the life of your investment, but reduce the need for premature replacement and the consumption of raw materials to produce new products.

LEED

The LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based standard to support and certify successful green building design, construction and operations.

LEED is transforming the marketplace by providing a nationally recognized certification system to promote integrated, whole-building design practices in the building industry. The system is based on achieving a certain amount of point, which are allocated for deign choices defined with the standard. Flooring products and installation materials can contribute to earning points in two of the five LEED categories. The experts at Allstate Floors will help you to find the right flooring products and services that will help give your building the LEED score you are looking for.

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials all use LEED to help transform the built environment to sustainability. State and local governments across the country are adopting LEED for public-owned and public-funded buildings; there are LEED initiatives in federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and State; and LEED projects are in progress in 41 different countries, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India.

Visit our FAQ page for more answers about LEED.