Sustainable Building Materials

Sustainable building materials are more than recycled or reused materials and components. In order to be truly sustainable, the material must be examined from the time it is harvested as a raw material to the time it will need to be disposed of.

Price is of course one consideration but more important is the environmental and health impact of the materials. Energy consumption, waste, emissions, and the resources’ ability to renew itself are the most important aspects.

The energy consumption of a material during harvesting, transporting, processing, and use are all considered to decide if a material is truly sustainable. Local materials are usually the most common, used because of the greatly reduced energy needs in transportation. One example of sustainable construction materials is adobe. In the southwest, adobe is used to construct all kinds of buildings. Not only is there almost no energy consumed in transportation, but the material is found everywhere. Many people simply use the adobe found right on the land where they are building.

You will of course need a frame for support, but the adobe mixture is very strong and the home is somewhat naturally insulated because of the thickness of the walls and the density of the adobe itself. Once the home is built, the occupants will find lowered electric bills and less energy consumption than their neighbors who may not have used sustainable building materials.

In general, construction can produce a lot of waste. Sustainable construction materials can be recycled, or reused, often reincorporating the waste and scraps into the building at hand or another building. Materials like the adobe discussed previously, can be remixed, and reused.

Building your home to standard dimensions can also cut back on waste, requiring less trimming of those materials that come in standard sizes. Whatever material you use, for it to be sustainable it must be able to be recycled, reused or possibly easy to decompose when thrown away without contributing toxins to the environment. Sustainable building materials also produce few or no emissions. Many modern homes are filled with highly processed materials or chemicals that let emissions out into the home and the surrounding environment. These chemicals can be toxic to local wildlife, and to your family, sometimes even causing developmental and other problems in children.

Glues, sealants, and paints can all release harmful emissions over time. Low VOC alternatives are healthier and more environmentally friendly.

Sustainable building materials that are not made from recycled sources must be highly renewable. Straw, adobe, hay, bamboo, cork, and clay are all considered sustainable construction materials because of their abilities to renew quickly when harvested, low or no emission rates, and energy conservation qualities. They are all natural materials that can be used to build healthier, more eco-friendly homes. Recycled materials include anything from steel, to granite, to polyurethane.

An environmentally friendly home or office building must start with sustainable building materials. The foundation, walls, insulation, and any other aspect of your building can be made from materials that not only look great but also are healthier for your family and the surrounding environment.