Our planet is getting hotter day by day, ice glaciers are melting, plants and animals are getting extinct. All of this is happening because of the harsh man-made activities carried out every day. While usage of plastic and poaching can already cause enough harm to the Earth, it has been found that one of the main reasons behind the poor conditions of our environment is construction and the heavy building materials used while constructing projects. Because housing is the most common area of construction, the least we can do for our environment is keep everything as eco-friendly as possible while building homes.
Not many people are aware of how eco-friendly homes that are sustainable for the environment are built. Therefore in this article, we will highlight some of the best eco-friendly house building materials that can be used to build homes.
Bamboo – Bamboo is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly building materials with excellent tensile strength to exist on this planet. It can be used in walls and for flooring purposes. Bamboo can be used behind the scenes, making it an ideal building material, underneath another type of flooring. Reforestation of bamboo doesn’t take much time and it has extreme levels of durability. The lightweight of bamboo makes it easy to transport, unlike other house building materials.
Newspaper wood – The newspaper wood is a new concept in the construction field. A wood grain structure can be created by compressing newspaper and glue which can be used for various home applications. It is a series of layers a paper that appear like grains of wood or rings from a tree. This process gives life to recyclable waste. Using newspaper wood causes less wastage of paper as well as it extends the life of paper and therefore uses less energy to change its state for new use. This house building material is just a new and innovative way to use paper and shape it to create new textures, forms, furniture, and other products, and not replace wood as a material.
Recycled steel – The popularity of this construction material has grown in recent years because of its ability to utilize steel already in existence for structural use in a home, in beams and girders. Recycling steel reduces consumption, expenses, energy, and time to mine other valuable resources. For every ton of recycled steel, it saves one and a half tons of iron ore, half a ton of coal, and 40 percent of the water normally used in the production process. Additionally, the more steel is recycled, the less space it takes up in landfills, and over time, this means a cleaner environment and fewer health concerns from contaminated soil or groundwater.
Cork – Cork is a fast-growing resource that can be harvested from a living tree that will continue to live, grow and reproduce cork. Cork’s resistance to wear off makes it a commonly used element in floor tiles. Cork reverts to its original shape after sustaining pressure. This building material is flexible and resilient. Cork doesn’t release toxic gases when burned and is naturally fire-resistant when it is left uncoated thus making it a food thermal insulator. It is nearly waterproof so it can’t absorb water or rot, although, after some time, cork does become more brittle.
Bark siding – Bark is another house material for construction that is a sustainable and durable alternative to other wood products. Like bark protects trees from insects, fire, and other elements, it can also protect our home from all of these making it one of the best materials to build home with. Bark sidings connect building to the Earth in a beautiful, natural way. Poplar barks bring unique design integrity to mountain structures. The color of a bark minimizes the visual impact of a building on the land. Bark siding can last for 70 to 100 years without any painting or sealant. The bark is one of the best economical products with the least environmental impact. The installing of bark siding is also very easy.
Sheep’s wool – Sheep’s wool is a natural house construction material that can be grown very quickly and it doesn’t degrade quickly. Sheep’s wool is more commonly used, regenerates faster and can be harvested more easily. Because of the insulation properties of wool, we get to wear warm, soft sweaters and socks. The same insulating features can make sheep wool an energy-efficient insulator in walls, ceilings, and attics.
Precast concrete slabs – Concrete is an eco-friendly house construction material for building homes. It can be recycled and is highly affordable. Concrete slabs are formed at the manufacturer’s site and then shipped in whole sections to construction sites. Precast concrete slabs can hold up well to all kinds of weather, which is why they are commonly used for walls and building facades. Some other types of precast concrete slabs can also be used for floors, flat roofs, and roof decks. Pre-cast concrete is eco-friendlier than concrete poured on-site. Concrete can control the heat within a building plus, pre-cast concrete provides the opportunity to properly cure the material in a controlled environment.
