Lots of ‘green’ countertops to choose from out there these days. Many of those products are incredibly viable, beautiful, and green. When considering among green options, one consideration should be the proximity of the product to the job site. How far did that product have to travel to get on-site?
If you live in the PNW, or more precisely, in South Sound, then Paperstone is the ‘greenest” product around. It’s manufactured right in our back yard, in Hoquiam, WA, about 30 miles outside of Olympia.
Paperstone is made from cellulose fiber (paper) and a non-petroleum phenolic resin derived in part from a natural phenolic oil in the shells of cashews. During manufacturing Paperstone is pressed together into sheets rather than a mold process, the finished sheets have a lot of character in that they are somewhat ‘mottled’ due to the variety of paper used. They also have a good range of colors; the darker colors have less of the mottling and are quite sophisticated in look. The lighter colors develop a beautiful rich patina in the way of aged Doug Fir.
There are three series of paper-based PaperStone products:
- Original: Which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard
- Certified: Certified to FSC standards, is made from 100% post-consumer recycled standard office paper.
- Virgin Series: Made from virgin fiber.
Our kitchen designer, Diane Gassman, called a past client today to inquire about their Paperstone countertops that The Artisans Group installed for them about 3 years ago. The client said they couldn’t be happier with them. “They are durable and still look really great!”. The client said they waxed the countertops twice in the past three years for a bit of lustre, but other than that, they have been maintenance free.
Lastly, the Paperstone can be used as water-proof architectural siding material….
It’s a great choice in the world of green choices!
Posted on April 09, 2010
