Green building materials are important in the construction industry and can save water, energy, and natural resources. Environmentally friendly options include fly ash concrete, cellulose insulation, cool roofs, and FSC certified reclaimed wood.
In the construction industry, building materials that are energy efficient, sustainable, reusable and that help and do not harm the planet are very important. Green building materials do one or more of the following: save water or energy, conserve natural resources, be recycled, reclaimed, reused, or reclaimed from other sources. These building materials are all designed and manufactured to be environmentally friendly and to use fewer natural resources. There are a large number of environmentally friendly building materials available on the market, and choosing the best green building materials can be quite a challenge.
It starts with a house’s foundation, which is typically made of concrete that uses cement as a binder. The cement-making process involves extremely high temperatures of about 2,700 degrees F (1,482 degrees C), which send large amounts of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere. A more environmentally friendly cement manufacturing process uses fly ash from industrial waste, decreasing the amount of cement needed and making the concrete stronger and less permeable. While this green concrete takes a little longer to set and costs no less, the long-term effects on the environment may be worth the trade-off. Other environmentally friendly building materials used in the foundation are modular precast concrete panels, insulated concrete modules and bricks composed of up to 40% fly ash.
Green building materials also include the many different types and forms of insulation, such as batting, material that is blown between walls, and slab foams. The greenest of these materials include cellulose, recycled glass, blue jeans, or newsprint. There are even flame retardant, non-toxic, and mildew-resistant varieties of high R-value insulation that work well in any home or commercial application. About one-third of all heat escapes through a building’s windows. The most energy-efficient windows combine coated glass, glazing techniques, and gas- or air-filled spaces.
Other types of green building materials include different types of roofing materials. For particularly hot regions of the country, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends something called a cool roof, which is made of reflective tile or coated materials that prevent heat absorption, cutting the energy needed for air conditioning. Due to its reflective properties and 50-year life span, roofing made of galvanized steel or similar alloy is also a good choice for environmentally friendly building materials. Traditional shingles provide less insulation and typically only last 15 to 20 years.
Granite, marble or slate countertops may seem like a good choice for green building, but the processes used to quarry, cut, grind, polish and transport these heavy slabs can consume valuable natural resources. Wood is a renewable resource, but it can also consume other resources in crafting. The green alternative to new wood is Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified reclaimed or recycled wood products made from barns and old wooden structures, such as demolished factories and warehouses, or from forests that practice environmentally and economically responsible forestry methods . The processes used to create the new type of FSC certified wood provide a greener alternative to new growth wood.
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