20 Sustainable Building Materials to Build a Perfect Eco-friendly House

Sustainable Building Materials

Since the evolution of mankind, society and civilisation, homes, buildings and construction has come a long way through. What began with caves, went on to calculations, designs and constructions. Way back in 5000 BC also known as Copper Age and prehistoric times, construction materials were chosen in basis of their durability, life span and their adaptability with environment.

In such prehistoric era, axes were employed on bones, hides, stones, wood, grass, metal, bamboo, clay and animal fibers to realize shelters or homes. In Neolithic buildings, saw the arrangement of large stones and mud bricks in different shapes that existed as tombs and temples.

With advent of wheel in Bronze Age, loads were transported and Egyptians initiated the post and lintel construction (where vertically arranged building materials or pillars supported horizontally arranged building materials or floors) which was followed by Greece.

Eco friendly house was a priority and inevitable before the advent of industrialisation and industrial revolution which rose in Europe. Before advent of machines, sustainable building materials had no other options.

3500 BC saw advent of fired bricks used to make homes and roads. Interestingly in Indus civilisation ages, architects were smart enough to use 3:2:1 ratio for brick’s length, depth and height respectively which accounted to the longevity of buildings. Whatever the size of the brick or stone was used, it definitely had this proportion. Stones were the only options for grand buildings.

Egyptians brought inside ramps, ovens, papers, windows, doors, glass, plaster of paris, geometry, measurement system, method to drill, saw, drawings, enamel, veneer, plywood and rope truss in the construction concept. China used wood and stones while sun dried bricks were main building materials to build a eco friendly house in UAE.

From this point, let’s comfortably make a big leap to the current sustainable building materials employed across the globe.

The ten main construction materials used across the world include steel, concrete, glass, brick, wood, stone, plastic, bamboo, fabrics and straw which vary with geographical locations.

However, building materials to build a eco friendly house slightly varies by omitting some items of the list mentioned above and few additions. Such sustainable building materials include bamboo, precast concrete slabs, cork, straw bales, reclaimed wood and steel (brought from earlier constructions), plant based polyurethane rigid foam to name a few.

Henceforth, let’s have a slightly detailed view of twenty building materials to build a eco friendly

1. Bamboo: Bamboo has an incredible attribute to grow up to 3 feet in 24 hours and the perennial grass grows in any continent excluding Europe and Antarctica. Though bamboo is fire resistant with good elasticity, it needs treatment since it is vulnerable to insects, fungus and could crack after absorbing water. Owing to the presence of fiber, bamboo has double the compressive strength of steel and has more shear strength than wood. Bamboo species from Guadua, Dendrocalamus and Phyllostachys genus are compatible to build a eco-friendly house.
2. Precast concrete slab: Precast concrete slabs accommodate hollow air spaces which as walls, hold the buildings in all types of weather. They are sustainable building materials since they could be produced and assembled with less energy. They avoid cracks and faults and protect the buildings in even worst weather. Besides controlling heat and avoiding cracks, precast concrete is affordable and is more sustainable than traditional concrete.
3. Cork: Cork is obtained from cork tree, without chopping the tree and hence is considered one of the sustainable building materials. The cork is easily recycled with no toxic byproducts and hence is employed in construction of eco friendly house. Cork is used as a rain screen, besides being strong and durable and providing thermal insulation and resistance to fire and moisture.
4. Straw bales: Straw bales are used for insulation and are obtained from wheat, rice, rye and oats. Besides being eco friendly, they are affordable and easily sourced. With low fire hazard attributes, straw bales are easily customised. Though they are biodegradable, the plaster with which they are constructed needs regular maintenance.
5. Rammed Earth: Rammed Earth is one of the oldest and sustainable building materials that civilisation saw. They are made by compaction of certain types of soils and making blocks that are layered in buildings. Their compression strength is determined by particle size distribution, moisture content and stabiliser used. They absorb sunlight in the day time and release the heat during cool evenings. Rammed Earth has 70:30 sand and clay proportion and 10 per cent water is added to it. Depending upon the construction site, Ram Earth is capable of sustaining for 1000 years.
6. Steel: Steel is totally recyclable and gives minimal waste. It can be recycled numerous times and still retain quality. Besides being insulated easily it is economic and uses less energy making it more environment-friendly. Steel is extremely durable, leaves low carbon footprint and endures extreme climate such as snowfall and floods. Steel is also compatible with solar panels.
7. Slate: Slate or metamorphic rock exists as building material since the Roman era. Besides durability, it is water and fire resistant. Slates are available in a plethora of shades and designs and are used as both floorings and roofing besides wall cladding. Slates need low maintenance and are environment friendly. Slates however are sawed from large blocks extracted from mines and quarries and shaped, finished and beveled before they reach construction sites. Slate gives zero chemical emissions and is recyclable.
8. Stone: Speaking about stones for construction of eco friendly house, one could count limestone, sandstone, marble, granite, travertine and slate, which also appeal for interior design and landscaping besides construction. Stone is natural, durable, with minimum maintenance and is free of chemicals and toxins. It is durable for 100 years or more. Though expensive, stone is worth the cost since it has little chances of repair and replacement. Stone is also recyclable.
9. Thatch: Traditional roofing employs dry flora such as straw, reeds and palm leaves to name a few, to provide eco friendly roofs. They are weather resistant and have air pockets which insulate both warm and cold climates. However thatch roofs pose leaking problems and are expensive and require tough maintenance.
10. Natural fibre: Owing to the environmental damage caused by synthetic building materials, more research has brought natural fibers into light as compatible building materials. These natural fibers are easily available, economic, renewable and biodegradable. Natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen and silk sourced from plants and animals are highly appealing for their low weight, recycling and green attributes. Natural fibers are used in construction as strengthening of composites which provide tensile strength and energy absorption attributes to the building.
11. Fibreglass: Fibreglass (made from silica sand, limestone and soda ash, calcinated alumina, borax, feldspar, magnesite and kaolin clay), is used in construction. Owing to its strong and light weight attributes which resists corrosion, fiberglass reinforced polymer or FRP, is an excellent building material. Fibreglass is considered as green or eco friendly material because it uses less energy to keep the building warm or cool and lesser emissions of fossil fuel.
12. Cellulose: Produced with 85 per cent recycled content such as newspapers, employing minimal energy, cellulose is one of the effectual building materials to build a eco friendly house. Cellulose insulation is economic, eco friendly and sustainable. It also reduces the building’s carbon footprint.
13. Natural clay: Natural clay allows fresh indoor air with zero pollutants and allergens and contributes to the health of the residents in the building. Since it does not have volatile organic compounds, it does not harm or influence the air. Clay reads a list of advantages to its credit of which few are energy efficiency, low cost, thermal advantages, durability, renewability, safety and good structural element.
14. Non voc paints: VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. Non VOC does not have such elements. Such paints enable reduction of pollution in the construction process of a building.
15. Polyurethane: Polyurethane, which is known for its eco friendly attributes, is used as cream coloured foam sprayed between wooden planks. Thereby the buildings are insulated and air sealed. By mitigating air leakage, greenhouse emissions are reduced and building withstands heavy winds in course of time.
16. Polysterene isocyanurate: Polystyrene insulation is eco friendly and is made from 98 per cent air with no toxic substances and is completely recyclable. Its attributes including insulation, moisture resistance, performance and affordability, makes Polystyrene chosen construction material.
17. Fiber cement: Fiber cement, which is composed of recycled wood, cement, sand and cellulose is one of the sustainable building materials used to build a eco friendly house. Fiber cement is water resistant and does not rot.
18. Fiber floor: Besides cork and bamboo which were mentioned earlier, fiber floor options include linoleum, glass tiles, wool carpets, rubber, leather and reclaimed hardwood. Not only are they eco friendly but also durable and aesthetic.
19. Recycled plastic: Recycled plastics are used in constructions to save energy and reduce cost, without compromising on quality and performance. Rather than sourcing and mining for components, builders now opt for recycled plastics and other trash as building materials which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
20. Reclaimed wood: Reclaimed wood contributes to environmental protection and is eco friendly because it reduces felling of trees. Such wood is procured from excavation sites, remodeling companies, shipping crates to name a few. Being light weight, it is a good option for cabinets and flooring. However, it is assessed for susceptibility to insects and degradation.

Conclusion:

There are a myriad of eco friendly construction materials apart from those mentioned above. In a fast moving world, where we are running out of sustainability, such measures saves time and money besides many other attributes.