Using Green Materials and Methods for Construction

By and large, the construction industry has moved towards greener materials, but it is our continued push for greener products that will keep our homes increasingly more environmentally friendly. How we do that is by recognizing things that aren’t green and the potential better choices available out there.

It should come as no great surprise that much of the way we built and designed in the 20^th century was detrimental to the planet. We were energy-intensive in the materials we utilized, destructive in the resources we mined from the planet, and wasteful in the ways we put homes together (and took them apart).

In the last decade or more, the drive to improve some of this has become apparent. Lots of recycled materials are now utilized in construction products. Harmful chemicals have been banned from being used in other products. Efficient homes are now a thing we think about.

If we want to keep things moving in the right direction, we have to understand what exactly that means and what we might want to avoid in pursuit of it.

Source: Our Changing Climate/YouTube

What Isn’t green?

Many un-green things are still prominent in the construction industry. There are always good alternatives to these things, but in all honesty, building codes are often skewed towards less eco-friendly materials and methods. Nevertheless, we need to know…

• concrete is bad for the environment, and we use it a lot in construction. The process of creating cement is very energy-intensive, carbon-intensive, and water-intensive. It causes a huge amount of Pollution and heats the planet.
• virgin wood is still a big issue, even if many of us are playing with reclaimed wood for small, home projects. The fact is that reclaimed wood isn’t accepted in structural building, so we have to do our best. We have to find sustainable sources of wood.
• petroleum-based products, like paints, sealants, and PVC, are riddled with carcinogens and toxins we don’t want in our homes. It’s best practice to find natural alternatives or, at the very least, do your best to find safer choices.
• shipping materials, even wood, from around the world is still common practice, even when a country, like the U.S., produces a lot of lumber right here in states throughout the country.
• designs for houses have become much more energy-efficient. However, they are often relying on new (or newly packaged) products rather than designing to fit harmoniously within the environment, such as utilizing passive solar heating or repurposing graywater.

Source: The Economist/YouTube

What Are Green Options?

Now, the rub with new green construction is that likely the greenest method of getting a new home is utilizing one that already exists. Repairing an old home or simply buying a secondhand home requires fewer resources than building one from the ground up. Nevertheless, we still need to know our greener options, such as…

• alternatives for concrete, such as AshCrete and Green Concrete, are possibilities. And, concrete debris from demolition sites can be useful as well. Hempcrete relies on sustainably produced fibers, and Ferrock utilizes “steel dust”, a byproduct.
• framing wood can be sourced from salvage yards, reclaimed wood is great for decorative parts of the home, and there are lots of other sustainable things like adobe bricks, stone, and natural plasters that can be used to build walls.
• eco-paints are widely available now though they do remain more expensive, and many wood preservers, like linseed oil, come from natural sources. Many alternatives to PVC—copper, cast iron, PEX—exist for piping, but they aren’t used as often. Replace plastics with natural stuff like wood, stone, and metals.
• locally-sourced materials, as with food, should become a go-to for building materials. All of the materials we need to build homes suitable for our area are there. Adobe in the desert. Wood in the forest. Stone. We don’t need to import from overseas or even across the country.
• orientation and window placement are massive parts of efficient home designs, but they are often ignored so that houses all lineup and face the street. However, if we point our homes towards the sun, we can get free passive solar heating, solar electricity, and well-located vegetable gardens in our front yards.

Source: Undecided with Matt Ferrell/YouTube

Taking the Time and Having the Inclination

The biggest obstacle that stands in our way in terms of green construction is that, at the moment, it requires a little more time and a little more effort. Standard materials and practices are much easier than seeking the alternative. It’s on us, as consumers, to push for something different. Where better to start than literally at home?

Planet B Not Found Tee by Tiny Rescue: Climate Collection

Related Content:

• Green Cement Is Now A Thing, Enter Brimstone
• The High Hopes of Hemp in Sustainable Construction
• Ex-Presidential Candidate Tom Steyer’s Green Real Estate Revolution
• California Startup Transforms Non-Recyclable Plastic Into Construction Blocks
• House Passes $1.5 Trillion Green Infrastructure Bill to Combat Climate Change

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