Roofing

Roofing materials may be used to protect metal, tiled or asphalt, and are often required to resist weathering, repel dirt and provide durability.  Plastics are also used as roofing materials - see the building plastics page for more information on this product type.

Some roofing and coatings and membranes available contain highly persistent PFAS chemicals.  Some polymer-based membranes have been found to contain halogenated flame retardants, which are persistent, bioaccumulative and/or toxic.

 

 

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Chemicals in products

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Chemicals in building products

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4 resources found

Report

Building a better world. Eliminating Unnecessary PFAS in Building Materials

May 2023
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that are useful in many building materials and consumer products but have a large potential for harm.   The goal of this report is to inform and inspire building owners, architects, designers, building product manufacturers, and government decision makers to eliminate unnecessary uses of PFAS and to promote the design and use of safer non-PFAS alternatives.

Emerging Policy Issues: Chemicals in products
homefree
Manuals and toolkits

HomeFree: Product Guidance

December 2022
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Database containing information on chemical hazards and risks of selected groups of building products and providing guidance for making informed product selection. Resources also include drop-in specification language, manufacturer information request templates, guidance for decoding product-specific literature, case studies and online courses specific for the featured product groups.

HBN's Product Guidance uses a red-to-green ranking system to compare different types of products based on their hazardous content. It is informed by our comprehensive research into the hazards associated with building products that may impact building occupants as well as fenceline communities and workers throughout the product's life cycle.

Emerging Policy Issues: Chemicals in products
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