While ‘environmentally friendly construction’ has become a buzzword these days, there are some tangible benefits of using eco-friendly materials in your building projects. Eco-friendly materials are time and cost-saving; they can also keep you in good health while lowering your environmental impact. Building your property in an environmentally sustainable way is a symbol of sustainable living and resource-friendliness. It can naturally purify the air in your home and combat global warming.
Few examples of eco-friendly building materials you can use in your home upgrade or improvement include bamboo, recycled wood and cork.
Benefits of using eco-friendly building materials
Here are some of the benefits of using eco-friendly building materials:
Reduce negative impacts on the environment
You can reduce your environmental footprint by utilising recycled, sustainable, eco-friendly or energy-efficient materials in your building or construction project.
Time-saving
You can save time during construction through the correct use of environmentally friendly building material. When you use building materials that are available within your locality, you help in the growth of small businesses, invest in the local economy while lowering the carbon footprint of your entire household by reducing the amount of fuel and carbon used in distribution and transportation. This also ensures a faster and more reliable arrival of building material.
Cost-saving
You can save money by utilising recycled materials and equipment in your building projects. For instance, composite deck boards, an eco-friendly decking option, is durable and requires minimal upkeep. This can be cost-saving as they are more cost-effective in the long term than their plastic and wood counterparts. Durable building products save you from spending excessively on maintenance and upgrades while also preventing tons of waste from being dumped in landfills.
Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle
Many homes built with traditional building materials are hazardous to the health of those who reside in them. Plastics, paints and other building materials are known to be allergens, carcinogens, toxic and irritants. One of the problems of these building materials is the risk of moisture build-up, which may contribute to the growth of toxic mildew and black mould. Using eco-friendly and moisture-resistant building products will protect your environment and keep your health in good condition.
Best Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Here are some of our favourite eco-friendly materials you can use in your building projects:
Recycled composite wood
Recycled garden decking boards are primarily made of recycled plastic, wood fibres and other materials. It is a very cost-effective and sustainable option. Recycled composite wood can be used for decking and fences.
Some benefits of recycled composite wood include:
- Faster and easier means of installation
- Excellent resilience and strength
- Adequate fire resistance
- Durability
- Excellent moisture resistance
It also has remarkable environmental benefits. According to a recent study, the use of recycled wood can lower global carbon emissions up to 31%.
Bamboo
For centuries, bamboo has been used for building projects. It has the characteristics of durability, strength and lightweight. Bamboo is among the fastest-growing plants as it self-regenerates immediately after harvesting. When it comes to building, bamboo has more compressive strength than concrete or brick, making it suitable to support heavyweight and withstand extreme conditions.
Recycled Steel
The use of recycled steel roofs is becoming increasingly common in many building projects. The recycled steel roofing sheet is a popular choice. This is because of its strength, durability and lightweight. It is environmentally friendly because it is processed from steel scraps, old automobiles, amongst other recycled materials. Recycled steel is just as strong and long-lasting as new steel manufactured from iron ore.
Cork
Cork flooring has gained popularity in recent years. It is manufactured from tree bark and is considered environmentally friendly. Harvesting of cork does not in any way harm or damage a tree. Cork is regarded as green and long-lasting natural resource. When used as a flooring product, it is both acoustically and thermally efficient. It is aesthetically pleasing, tender to touch and light. Clock flooring also has moisture, fire and insect-resistant properties.
