Windsor Plywood is a proud sponsor of this year’s Transition Salt Spring Eco Living and Home Tour. Here are just some of the ways Windsor supports green building on the island, by offering expertise and sourcing local, green, and renewable products for sustainable living.
Insulation – Windsor is the only shop on the island offering Johns Manville insulation. This is a quality fibreglass installation that uses recycled glass, with no formaldehydes or dyes. Part of its effectiveness is that it doesn’t slump: lower quality bats can slump up to 6 inches for 2-3 years after installation, resulting in a 12” band of un-insulated space at the top of walls that allows warm air to leak out and cold air to creep in.
Another Windsor offering is Roxul. A by-product of the mining industry, Roxul reduces waste by reusing industrial waste to insulate your house. The product is also more resistant to moisture than fibreglass and will not require replacement if it comes in contact with water.
Doors and Windows – Mike Stefansiuk, Windsor’s co-owner, says “We have all sorts of lines on energy efficient doors and windows, and we are happy to source anything to your speficiations featuring high energy efficiency in the door and frame. A good seal is a good deal!”
Water storage – Water storage containers are a big part of Windsor’s business. Says co-owner Ken Marr, “We sell huge tanks daily and have a tank farm on our lot, representing 4 different manufacturers. So much water falls on this island and we don’t use it properly. Bottom line? It rains at least 8 months a year. It’s not that we have a water shortage: it’s about managing that resource better so we don’t face droughts and dry spells.”
Local Sourcing – “There’s something to be said about FSC certified products, in the way they are sourced and harvested but if i have to go all the way to Oregon to get a lift of plywood, the environmental benefit is gone by the time all of that fossil fuel is burned,” says Ken Marr.
The lumberyard is stocked with local wood, that comes mostly from Vancouver, the BC Interior and Vancouver Island. Most of the cabinetry for sale in the kitchen section comes from Kelowna. “Over 95% of our lumber comes from British Columbia,” says Marr. “ I was just perusing the yard, I saw 6 lifts from the US out of hundreds and hundreds.”