Going green is a great idea, but in practice it is a far harder than it seems. Compared to the life you are used to, an eco-friendly life is nowhere near as efficient effective. Yes, it saves the planet, but it takes more time and energy.
Take building your own eco-friendly home as an example. They say ‘going green’ starts at home, and that is certainly the case when you build it from scratch. However, you cannot just pick up any old material and let your construction team go wild.
Nope, you need to source green materials so every part of your home is green. I mean, what is the point of cutting your energy output for the sake of the planet if the foundations are made from radioactive waste? Okay, maybe that is an over exaggeration, but the principle is on the money.
So, does that mean you stop helping the environment because it is hard work? Of course, it doesn’t. What it does mean is you need to source some green materials to make your home as eco-friendly as possible. Here are a couple of the contenders.
Wood
Wood is a great building material because it is sturdy, and it is renewable. When you use stone and concrete, you add a lot of fumes and vapors into the atmosphere because it is a mix of harmful chemicals. However, when you use wood, it is usually chopped down and replaced by planting a few seeds.
All you need to do when you go to the timber merchants is ask a few simple questions like, where did you source the wood or do you replace the trees you cut down afterwards? If they say yes, you have an almost unlimited source of material is that is durable and looks great.
Wood & Plastic Lumbar
We already know how good wood can be in construction, as well as how easily it can be replaced for the good of the environment. But, there is only so much that wood can do, so you are going to need a couple of alternatives.
Wood is strong and durable, but only to a certain extent. If you put too much pressure onto wood, it will start to crumble under the pressure. With houses, there are plenty of heavy duty materials that literally way a ton. What you need is a wood and plastic composite that combines the durability and rigidity of wood and plastic. As a result, it is much stronger and can take more weight.
Now, I know what you are thinking because I thought the same thing. Plastic is not environmentally friendly, everyone knows that. For the most part, that is true and plastic is not a material is that conducive to saving the planet. But, when the plastic has been recycled and added to another product, that all changes. Plastic bags and different plastic materials are harmless to the Earth when they are not in their conventional form.
Concrete Forms
Concrete forms are great because they have insulating factors that keep the energy from your home inside your home. In fact, insulating concrete forms are one of the oldest and most popular materials when it comes to constructing environmentally friendly homes. They can save you up to twenty percent on your energy bills and that is a massive price drop.
When it comes to eco-friendly materials, insulating concrete forms are one of the most effective, next to wood. Considering that wood grows in the ground and is as organic as materials come, concrete forms are a great alternative.
Windows That Are Low-E
Low-E stands for low emissions, and low emissions are what building an environmentally friendly house is all about. If your house does not cut down on the emissions of a normal home, there is no point in going through this process in the first place. Now, low emissivity is not an easy thing to come across in construction and it only applies to a couple of things, mainly the windows. Windows are a where a lot of heat escape a house, so you want to tackle that problem at the source.
Your first tip is to buy double glazing glass for the windows. Double glazing has a bubble of air in between two sheets of glass, one sheet on the inside and one sheet on the outside. In basic terms, that vacuum stops air from moving in and out of the house. Also, you can cover the frame with a metallic oxide coating. During the winter, the oxide covering keeps the heat in and reflects the rays in the summer so you can easily regulate the temperature.
Stone
You can find stone everywhere, and normally they are big and strong enough to use in your home. That means you don’t need to create materials that are full of chemicals and pollutants that damage the environment. So, when you cut them in half nothing is dispersed into the air and that is a great thing.
Plus, the Earth will naturally form new stone, although it may take a couple of years for it to happen. Stone is incredibly strong and it looks incredibly rustic and warm as long as you cover it with something to take the edge off. Stone tends to be cold.
Soil, Clay & Sand
As three separate entities, sand, clay and soil are too clever when it comes to constructing a house. But, when you mix them together, they are the perfect way to coat the walls and the floor.
Again, conventional plaster is full of pollutants, as is paint. So, unless you buy chemical-free paint and plaster solution, your home will be high in chemicals that damage the planet. A mix of soil, clay and sand is from the ground so it is organic. Plus, it looks great on the walls, so you don’t even need any paint to decorate. Just go for the au naturale look!
Building an eco-friendly house does not have to be hard. All you need to do is find a couple of materials that make the process easier.