What Goes Into Your Home Matters Too
A renovation is not only about layout, finishes, and how a home looks when it is completed.
It also about what goes into the home, especially for built in carpentry and other interior
materials that remain in the space for years.
At By Design, we use E0 plywood as our standard carpentry board choice because we care about lower-emission materials and better material standards.
We understand why some homeowners ask about VOCs, formaldehyde, and lower-emission material choices.
We believe these are reasonable questions, and part of responsible renovation planning.
Our approach is straightforward: we prefer to rely on supporting test reports for referenced materials rather than vague claims alone.
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Why Material Choices Matter
Carpentry boards and related materials stay in the home long after the renovation is done.
When people talk about “new renovation smell,” they are often referring to emissions released from certain materials, adhesives, finishes, or coatings during and after installation.
This is one reason some homeowners pay closer attention to what goes into their built-ins, especially for carpentry that remains in the home for years.
For us, this does not mean turning renovation into fear-based marketing.
It simply means material selection should be handled with more awareness and care.
Our Approach to Lower-Emission Material Choices
We do not believe homeowners should have to choose between a well-designed home and more careful material selection.
E0 plywood is our standard carpentry board choice.
We also prefer a more practical and transparent approach when discussing material standards.
That means paying attention to the panel itself, considering the glue or bonding system involved, and looking for supporting information where available.
For homeowners who care about indoor material quality, that approach usually comes down to a few simple things:
- thoughtful material selection
- awareness of VOC and formaldehyde concerns
- supporting test reports where available
- learer conversations instead of vague reassurance
What Our Referenced Test Reports Show
For referenced carpentry materials, we have supporting Intertek test reports for both plywood and glue
GMAX E0 Plywood
According to the Intertek report, the tested sample recorded:
TVOC: 0.064 mg/m³ after 7 days.
Formaldehyde: < 0.005 mg/m³ after 7 days.
View Test Report →
GMAX GE323 Glue
According to the Intertek report, the tested glue sample recorded:
Formaldehyde: < 0.005 mg/m³ after 7 days.
Both reports were conducted with reference to ASTM D5116 small-scale environmental chamber testing.
View Test Report →
A Practical Note After Renovation
Even with better material choices, indoor air quality after renovation depends on more than one item alone.
Indoor air quality can be influenced by the combined presence of panels, adhesives, finishes, paints, ventilation, and the time allowed for the space to air out.
That is why lower-emission material selection should be seen as one important part of a broader responsible approach, not as a simple phrase that solves everything by itself.
FAQ
A few quick answers about our approach to carpentry material choices.
Q: Do you use lower-emission carpentry materials?
A: Yes. E0 plywood is our standard carpentry board choice, and we can discuss the supporting information available for referenced materials used.
Q: Does this mean a home will have no VOCs or no formaldehyde at all?
A: No. Indoor air quality depends on multiple factors, including the combination of materials used, finishes, paints, adhesives, ventilation, and the airing-out period. We do not make unrealistic zero claims.
Q: Can you share supporting reports?
A: Yes. Where relevant, we can share the supporting Intertek reports for the referenced plywood and glue samples.
Q: Why does this matter?
A: Because material choices are part of responsible renovation planning, especially for built-ins and carpentry that remain in the home long after the renovation is completed.
Want to Know More About the Materials We Use?
If lower-emission carpentry materials are important to you, we are happy to discuss them as part of the renovation planning process.
Tell us about your home, your priorities, and what level of information you would like to review before work begins.