Building Industry Testimonials

William L. Lee, Owner/Manager
Lee's Drywall, Plaster & Stucco, LLC. &
Globalwalls.com
"My favorite green store! As owner and manager of a Stucco & Pastering Company, in today's market, I find it is often hard to find vendors and suppliers that are really customer oriented and educated about the products that they sell; however, that's not the case with Elaine of Sapona Green Building Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. Elaine and her staff are excellent; it's not just about the sell! They provide customer service the way it should be. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable of the products that they offer and always willing to discuss available options or other concerns with me. That's why Sapona Green is my choice for buying American Clay Products and any other green sustainable building products for that matter! I can depend on Sapona Green to provide me with great customer service. I would highly recommend visiting Sapona Green and see for yourself."

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Client Testimonials

Michelle, Joe & Lexi Benedetto, Homeowners & Parents of a Chemically Sensitive Child
"I wanted to let you know how wonderful it is to have a local store where you can buy safe, non-toxic paint and building supplies. As parents of a child that a few years ago was very sick from environmental chemical exposures, we discovered that creating a chemical free home was critical to her recovery and future health. It is important to us to use paints that are no VOC when adding color in our home. Many "Zero VOC" paints only reduce emissions that cause outdoor air pollution, yet still contain many unregulated chemicals and preservatives that are toxic to our indoor air. We love the Safecoat brand paints because they eliminate harmful chemicals that many other "Zero VOC" products don't. Thank you for providing us with the resources and friendly sservice to create a healthy home for our family.”

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Talon Court awarded Outstanding Single Family Home of 2010 by the US Green Building Council at GreenBuild in Chicago.
Click here for more details.

TALON COURT -
completed December 2009
EcoHome Magazine 11 August 2010 Case Study: "NC Remodel Soars Beyond LEED Platinum"
more info: www.ecohomemagazine.com/news

Sapona Green was intimately involved in the green renovation of 3404 Talon Court.

Green Products used:
Walls
I.AFM Safecoat "Transitional Primer" - is a premium quality, waterbased,  universal primer well suited for transitioning from existing oil based painted surfaces to water based coatings.
"Safecoat ZeroVOC paint" is a premium quality, fast curing paint designed for areas in which the health of the occupants is a concern or where people want to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals. Tintable to hundreds of colors with zero VOC colorants.
"AFM Naturals Clear Penetrating Oil"  - is an organic plant-based premium penetrating oil for new and old unfinished woods. Excellent on wood fencing, timberwork, furniture, decking, paneling and trim, it rejuvenates, weatherproofs and enhances the innate beauty of wood surfaces. Reduces peeling, blistering, cracking and improves dimensional stability.nnaojodq
All are SCS CERTIFIED and LEED QUALIFIED
II. Kirei biofiber plywood is made from the sorghum plant.  After the edible part is harvested, the stalks are bound together using a non-toxic formaldehyde free adhesive.  Normally the stalks would be burned or discarded. Kirei can be used for cabinets, counters, furniture, wall and more. LEED QULAIFIED

Flooring – Teragren Synergy Floating “Wheat” Teragren Synergy™ bamboo is woven and 154 percent harder than red oak and 126 percent harder than North American maple. The wide-plank style is a glueless, self-locking system. Its finish is water-based and solvent-free, and its adhesives emit substantially less formaldehyde http://www.teragren.com/products_why_glossary.html#formaldehyde than is present in ambient air.

Countertops
Kitchen bar – TORZO SEETA “Onyx” is made from a pressed sunflower seed hull board material that has been infused with a polymer. Seeta is highly sustainable because it is composed of over 70% sunflower seed hulls, and considered a rapidly renewable resource material. The remaining 30% consists of an inert non-hazardous acrylic polymer and formaldahyde free.  LEED QUALIFIED

Bathrooms – Icestone “White Pearl”  is made with recycled glass and oyster shells.  IceStone surface are very durable made of 100% recycled glass in a cement matrix. Each slab is VOC-free, made in Brooklyn, NY.  Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification and LEED QUALIFIED.    
Tile - Kitchen & Bath -  Crossville Echo-BLOX, mosaics and ceramics made with recycled glass
Office
Desk – Paperstone® “Leather” is a sustainable composite material made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and bound with their proprietary PetroFree™ phenolic resins and natural pigments. FSC FSC certified and LEED QUALIFIED

Bamboo Plywood – Purebond® by Columbia Forest Products is a decorative hardwood plywood bound with a soy-based glue. (also used for cabinets in kitchen and baths) FSC certified and LEED QUALIFIED
Kirei biofiber sorghum plywood.
Photovoltaic System
Solar energy system.

BUENA SPACE -
27 N. Front Street, Ste. 200
Wilmington, NC 28401
www.buena.com

Sapona Green was proud to contribute the interior finishes to Buena Space. All of the materials that wee provided are sustainable in one or more ways - recycled, reclaimed or non-toxic. Since Buena Space is an office and community space, ensuring a safe environment for the occupants is important.  Good indoor air quality is one of the most critical elements to create in a building because the majority of people spend nearly 90% of their time indoors, either at home, work or school.   The air quality of a space can be easily polluted by many of the chemicals used in the building materials and furnishings, such as formaldehyde.  Truly green building products are manufactured with coatings, adhesives, and sealers that do not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Green Products used:
Wall Paint – Safecoat Naturals plant oil based paint
Organic plant based finished that are sourced entirely from natural earth based plant and mineral components
Desks & Buena Logo – ABET Laminati
High-pressure laminate, mounted using non-toxic glues, some styles are made from 100% recycled laminate. 
Maple Plywood – Purebond® by Columbia Forest Products
Decorative hardwood plywood bound with a  soy-based glue
Break-area countertop – Icestone® Sky Pearl
                Recycled glass and oyster shell countertop
Toilets – Vortens Dual Flush “Vienna”
                High efficiency dual flush (1.1 (half) / 1.6 (full) gallons per flush)

Brunswick Forest -
American Clay & Earth Paint

Sapona Green provided the specialty wall coverings for two rooms in the green model home in the Walden Park neighborhood in Brunswick Forest located in Leland, NC www.brunswickforest.com/walden.htm
The builder is Anchorage Building Corporation, www.anchoragebuildingcorp.com, who specializes in designing and building custom green homes. American Clay Natural Earth Plasters, www.americanclay.com, were applied in the master bedroom and stairwell. EarthPaint "Rainforest Wood and Masonry Sealer" was used to seal the mahogany ceiling beams both on the interior and exterior.

Application - Master Bedroom
step 1: SANDED PRIMER ELITE™ no-VOC primer with aggregate
step 2: LOMA™ base coat
step 3: LOMA™ top coat applied using the skip trowel method
Application - Stairwell: American Clay Natural Earth Plaster
step 1: STANDARD PRIMER ELITE™ no-VOC primer with aggregate
step 2: LOMA™ base coat
step 3: PORCELINA™ applied for a smooth finish

Bathroom Floor - MARMOLEUM®
The homeowners wanted the look of tile but with a warmer feel for their bathroom. They selected Dual tile pattern "Calico" with #3077 welding rod. The welding rods assure a sealed surface.

Talon Court

Buena Space

Applying American Clay Plaster

Marmoleum Flooring w/welding rods in bathroom