It's not easy building green

That "being green" thing? Turns out it's still easier said than done, according to those who monitor the ever-widening world of home-improvement and construction products that claim to have positive effects on the environment.

Many sustainably produced goods are not readily available, these observers say, and any number of items trumpeted as being "green" are not. Even some materials that are environmentally friendly don't quite measure up.

Take cork and bamboo flooring, heralded as greener options than petroleum-based vinyl or slower-growing hardwoods. Tests by ShopSmart magazine, published by Consumer Reports, showed that these floors may not wear or retain their colors well. That could mean replacing a floor more often, resulting in more waste in a landfill. Not to mention more energy used in manufacturing and transporting the replacement flooring.

"For a natural, resilient and least-pricey green-flooring option, choose sunlight- and dent-resistant linoleum, which starts around $4 per square foot," said ShopSmart editor Lisa Lee Freeman.

Carpets have similar issues. Most are made from petroleum-based materials like nylon, so those using natural fibers or recycled synthetic materials are touted as "eco-friendlier," Freeman said. But when natural-fiber rugs are used in entryways and other high-traffic areas, dirt and moisture make them susceptible to deterioration.

Low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints are both environmentally friendly and readily available at paint stores and home centers. But some of these paints aren't as durable as paints containing organic compounds, volatile or otherwise, Freeman said.

Deborah Zimmer, paint and color expert with Rohm & Haas' Paint Quality Institute in Spring House, Montgomery County, said a typical paint can contain 10 to 20 different organic or inorganic ingredients.

"Some of the ingredients containing VOCs . . . have historically improved performance both in the can and on the wall," Zimmer acknowledged. But she added that low-VOC paints are being "reformulated to provide a long-lasting and durable finish," and that developing technology has led to these improvements.