If you randomly ask people what materials they use in building, most of them will talk about bricks, wood, or even concrete, among others.
We cut down trees to get wood. We also mine different resources to make cement. This cement is used when bonding bricks, gravel, and sand. Do you think these materials are eco-friendly? Most definitely not!
Well, things are changing. If you want to construct a property today, you can use different materials, not necessarily the ones we have mentioned above. Let us discuss some of the eco-friendly building materials taking the industry today, but before then…
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Why Use Eco-Friendly Building Materials?
If you want to avoid harming the environment, you should be using eco-friendly building materials in your construction projects. There are many materials you can choose from, but some of them might not be as cheap as you might think.
If you do not want to build your property from the ground, consider buying a house constructed using eco-friendly materials. You can use SoFi’s Calculator for Home Affordability to find out how much eco-friendly house you can afford.
Here are some eco-friendly building materials taking over the construction industry.
1. Cork
We have always associated cork with bulletin boards and stoppers. Did you know you can use it as an eco-friendly building material? Chances are that you do not even know about its eco-friendly features!
Well, first of all, cork is obtained from oak trees, also known as cork oak trees. You would be surprised if someone told you that these trees survive for about 200 years. During this time, the tree can produce cork weighing about 100 kilograms.
If that is not renewable, then what is? The cork is obtained from the bark of the tree and then processed into building materials. We are seeing more architects embracing cork due to its eco-friendliness, lightweight, and the fact that it is water resistant and recyclable.
2. Reclaimed or Recycled Wood
You will never regret using wood in your construction project. First, wood goes well with almost every other project and can give you some of the best designs, as long as you use it with the correct aesthetics.
But can wood be considered an eco-friendly building material? Well, you will need proper management for you to consider wood eco-friendly. The first thing you should do is to make sure that you are not using new wood as a building material.
If you want to use eco-friendly building materials, then ensure that you are using reclaimed or recycled wood. This way, you will be contributing immensely to efforts to promote biodiversity and lower deforestation.
3. Hempcrete
Have you ever heard of hempcrete? It is produced using a mixture of lime and fiber. You can get hempcrete in blocks. If you are looking for a carbon-negative building material, then hempcrete is the best bet for you.
Imagine living in a house that absorbs more Carbon IV Oxide from the environment than it even emits! If we had more people using hempcrete when building their houses, then we would be making the world a better place.
The hemp fiber used in producing hempcrete grows very fast, meaning that we can replenish it easily. You can design almost anything you want using the blocks, meaning that you will not be limited in design. Since hempcrete is also an insulator, it will help you reduce energy consumption, making your home eco-friendly.
4. Biocomposite Cement
For this eco-friendly construction material, we have to appreciate advancements in technology. A few years ago, you would not believe it if someone told you that materials obtained from algae would be used to make masonry blocks or algae-based cement.
Today, we have some types of algae that produce materials similar to cement naturally. The biocomposite cement obtained from these algae has low carbon and properties that are similar to the same cement that has been used in construction for years.
5. Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the most common eco-friendly building materials we have today. If you talk to some of the most successful architects, they will tell you they have used bamboo in some of their projects.
But why do we consider bamboo eco-friendly? Well, first of all, it grows very fast. In addition, bamboo is available in plenty. This explains the reason why it is considered sustainable both economically and environmentally.
Did you know that bamboo is one of the world’s fastest-growing plants? In addition, you can shape it easily without any problems.
There are many eco-friendly building materials you can use in your construction projects today. Since we all want to make the world a better place, then we should all be using these materials in our construction projects.
