A very important environmental benefit of cabinet refacing has to do with indoor air quality. The off-gassing of urea-formaldehyde resins found in plywood and particleboard cabinetry is a serious issue. People with chemical sensitivities can experience respiratory problems and nausea in the presence of formaldehyde gas.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (www.kbbgreen.com), "In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed-wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde resins. Pressed-wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and MDF (used for drawer fronts, cabinets and furniture tops)." The release of formaldehyde tends to occur more rapidly at first but then decreases over time. It's probably safe to say that 15-year-old cabinet boxes are no longer emitting much, if any, formaldehyde. With this in mind, it doesn't seem to make much sense to discard the older, inert boxes and replace them with new boxes constructed of fresh, urea-formaldehyde-based adhesive.

All of the composite wood products we use are in compliance with the Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding formaldehyde emissions. http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/compwood.htm

If the ultimate goals of green design and building are to reduce the amount of material that ends up in the waste stream and use products that are made of sustainable materials and avoid introducing harmful chemicals into the indoor environment, then quality cabinet refacing by Granite Transformations may very well be the latest and greatest development in green building!