Eco-friendly home building materials have a reduced effect on the environment when compared to competing products, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Not only should the material come from a recycled or renewable source, the technique for manufacturing and applying the product to the construction process must also be eco-friendly.
Resource Conservation Challenge
The Resource Conservation Challenge is a U.S. Federal Government program designed to promote the application of green building standards. The Green Building Rating System measures these standards conceived by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This initiative spurs the development of eco-friendly construction and retro-fitting, along with the market for materials needed to complete these processes.
Materials
Many eco-friendly building materials are available on the market today for consumers to choose from. These products replace previous building materials used for interior and exterior wall finishes, the foundation, flooring, insulation, roofing, countertops, plumbing and wood. Conventional eco-friendly building materials include adobe bricks, bamboo products, clay roofing tiles, cement paint and gypsum wall panels.
Assessment
Perform an evaluation assessing which eco-friendly materials are good for your family's home before you buy. Cal Recycle suggests reading the label of the building materials, talking to your builder and researching purported facts and comparable products when selecting eco-friendly building materials. Identify the manufacturing process and chemical contents. Look for third-party certifications. Labels should reveal the product's recycled content.
Pressure Treated Lumber
Pressure treated lumber is now more environmentally friendly according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The old treatment used the chemical wood preservative chromated copper arsenate. This chemical prevents damage to the wood incurred by insects and microbes. Used since the 1940s, it is no longer manufactured in the United States because arsenic leaches from the lumber into the soil and waterways when wet. Newer, more environmentally friendly products use alkaline copper quaternary or copper azole and require different hardware than their predecessor. Look for the codes ACQ-C, ACQ-D, CBA-A or CA-B marked on the package.
Straw Bale Construction
Use straw bale construction to create eco-friendly insulated walls. Straw is a renewable resource best used as "infill in a post-and-beam structure," according to information provided by Texas A&M University. After installation, builders commonly plaster it with mud, a mixture of lime and sand or cement plaster. TAMU explains this eco-friendly building material offers consumers a fast construction process and excellent thermal insulating properties. The bales are light and easy to work with and have a fire rating of up to two hours.
References
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Chromated Copper Arsenate
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Designing More Sustainable Buildings and Products
- Texas A&M University: Alternative Construction Systems for Residential Construction
- The Constructor: Eco-Friendly Building Materials
- Cal Recycle: Environmental Assessment and Specification of Green Building Materials
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