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| Greenbuilding Archive for November 2000 |
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| 241 messages, last added Tue Nov 26 17:24:47 2002 |
[Date Index][Thread Index]
GBlist: Shed some air and light on your fears of aging if not your hardwood floors.
> This type of 'used' appearance is foreign to our grammar so we apply a
> veneer or finish to seal the surface to protect it from use and to give it
a
> lustre. What is it that we are relying on this veneer to do? Its job is to
> protect us from the material underneath so in essence we are not using a
> stone counter we are using a veneer on a substrate.
Good points you make. Grammer however only scratches the surface here.
Beneath the grammer of a culture is a psychology and philosophy. The reason
a 'used' appearance becomes foreign is for many reasons. One of which may be
that some of us are 'bored' with the banality or staleness that surrounds us
consciously or uncousciously. For some reason the sens of wonder has
flickered and died within us. I blame the lack of parenting/love during the
formative years. Anyways the reasons can be argued ad infinitum but the
effects are still present and i think the main purpose of todays healings
and the green builders lists is to stop the effects from occuring no matter
what the causes. We don't like 'used' because life is no longer 'new' to us.
We need a shine in our homes because the shine on this mantle of earth is
looking dull and ugly. Why is it that we want protection from the materials
we build with? Why do we want to separate ourselves from it in the hopes it
will shine and last an eternity. Why this immortal desire in our buildings.
The materials have become ugly that is one reason. I would never want to
distance myself with a toxic plastic from a marble counter or a hard maple
counter. The maple counters at the restaurant i serve at are gorgeously
'used'. The maple bowls i make caesar salads in are wonderfully 'worn'.
>
> Its a complicated relationship - made even more complex as we begin to use
> cleaning and scouring products on that veneer and wear it down requiring
its
> renewal.
Sorry. There is no relationship here. Whoever uses veneers has chosen to
seal off the relationship only to look at it through a plastic coating. It
reminds me of some parents in my neighborhood who had plastic over their
sofas and plastic runners down the halls and up the stairs only to look
through to what they loved so much that it should never be 'used'.
> I would happily recommend the use of no finishes but have yet to come
across
> anyone that would be comfortable in such an environment.
You must live in a suburb or somewhere like Houston Texas. A broad sweeping
ingnorant statement i am sorry but i am trying to make a quick point. There
is a big difference between no finishes and finishes that are subtle and
non-toxic such as the oils from the foods that cover a maple counter top in
the kitchen and slowly bring out a deep yellow-orange look of a stain anyone
would be proud of. The oils from garlic and onions especially season the
wood nicely and bring strong antibacterial properties. If anyone is ever
paranoid of wood and bacteria, take a $.50 bulb of garlic and peel and cut
each clove in halves. Rub the garlic into the wood where you feel there may
be harmful bacteria. The oils from salted anchovies that are minced for
caesar salad also get wiped into the counter top. When the counters are
cleaned with a light biodegradeable soap and bleach solution the oils,
salts, soap and bleach all strike a fair harmony in the preservation and
beauty of the unveneered maple countertops that have provided service for 40
years!
Surfaces become
> seemingly dull with the affects of air and light and distracting with all
> the evidence of use. It is a much more subtle environment.
>
This statement makes me scratch my head in disbelief. To me surfaces become
beautifully worn with the affects of air and light. From grandmas face to
grandpas old wooden boat to the 100 year old Victorian houses and fences
that contain them to the old hard wood floors in our house that show the
years of families and children and dances that tell stories and contain
memories; this dullness is what relaxes me after travelling through suburbs
of aluminum siding.
'Distracting with al the evidence of use'? Is this a healthy way to look at
the world. If most people were to think this as an acceptable way to live
then every surface would need the look of new in order not to distract.
Forgive me if i am mistaken at your statement. If i am not then may i
suggest looking deeper than the 'surface' of your emotions for the reasons
of such fear of aging.
Please forginve any ignorances i may have presented.
I am trying to speak in hopes of a more sustainable future for our children
(holistically and communally) and my children (selfishly and sustainably)
Regards,
Yaya Balinci
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