Which Materials are the Best for Having a Green Home?
As we grow progressively conscious of our impact on our floating blue space ball, we have begun to change our approach to many things, especially how we build, what we build with, and how we improve already existing properties. Before now, merely using wood was considered a green move. However, as we have found in recent times, engineered wood flooring is your best shot at a green home. It’s a hybrid containing all the pros of the several natural materials that go into its makeup.
And despite some schools of thought discrediting it as “fake wood,” we know better than to accept that. True, it’s not cut straight out of a tree. But that’s not what the green initiative is about. The idea is to be sustainable: good enough for a long time without depleting a natural resource. And engineered wood flooring excels at this better than the best refinished solid wood flooring.
Green Homes
A green home is a construction made primarily of naturally occurring materials and renewable resources. These structures are aesthetically pleasing, safe, and provide all the design benefits of existing products, if not more.
Furthermore, the types of materials you use will affect your property insurance policy. So, you can expect a 5 to 10% drop in premiums for using sustainable materials in your home. However, the more quirky of them can be challenging to insure in some places.
Here are some materials you can consider for a green home:
Bamboo
The universal consensus is that bamboo is easily one of the most readily available and most sustainable materials worldwide. The plant also has a ridiculous growth rate, with specific species capable of growing to 3ft within a day.
We also can’t forget about its durability, strength-to-weight ratio, and compressive strength, which is concrete or brick. Bamboo is also easy to transport and not as energy intensive as many other materials.
Rammed Earth
Humans have used the earth for construction for millennia. It’s one of the oldest and most durable materials still in use today. Think of the Great Wall of China. More recently, rammed earth has cropped up in luxury buildings globally for its durability and aesthetic appeal, similar to sedimentary rock.
This material is made using a binder and soil, which are combined in layers before compressing into a tough and durable surface.
Recycled Steel
Steel is already present in the structure of many homes. But an even more sustainable version of the material is reclaimed steel. With six junk cars, we can recycle enough steel for a 2,000-square home. This process takes only a quarter of the energy required to make steel afresh and also makes it the most recycled material globally.
Straw Bale
Straw bales are made using a variety of straws, with the commonest being rice straw. They are natural, aesthetically pleasing, easy to obtain, and abundant. Straw bales also make good sound absorbers and thermal insulators. However, they only work well for dry, rodent-free areas and depend on structural support to stay up.
