SPACE

Creating a Home with a Focus on Health

Sustainable and clean living is important in all aspects of life. One of the ways you can create a home that is healthy for you and for the environment is to start from the ground up with green and clean building materials. There has been great advancement made in this industry and there are now beautiful, safe, and effective products you can use to create a better home when you build or remodel.

However, there are scams out there. Capitalizing on the public’s enthusiasm for “green” building materials, many of the products labeled green can be questionable at best when it comes to environmental friendliness. Buying products for a green home build or remodel can be a challenge as you try to distinguish genuinely eco-friendly building materials from all the questionable marketing claims out there. To be safe, choose products made from natural, renewable materials as well as products with recycled content.

Paint

Go with low-VOC paints. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds which refers to chemicals like formaldehyde, which can seep into the air. VOCs are what give oil-based paints their unpleasant smell. Low-VOC paints have a smaller amount of these organic compounds making them a better option. There are also Zero VOC paint. They can be expensive but may be the best choice for people with high sensitivity to VOCs.

Another great option is natural or organic paints that use only natural earth materials and are biodegradable. A real natural paint is totally free of petrochemicals, which are present even in most zero-VOC latex paints. Look for non-toxic stains and sealers These products are made without VOCs and combustible materials.

Cork is a renewable material harvested from Mediterranean cork oak trees. The bark renews itself rather quickly after it is stripped from the trunks of the trees. Cork is an important export for some Mediterranean nations and is both eco-friendly and economy-friendly. FSC wood plants are another great option. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a non-profit organization that seeks to make sure timber is harvested in an environmentally sustainable way that is also socially beneficial. When you buy flooring products labeled as FSC certified, you can be assured that it has been harvested with the best interests of both forests and citizens in mind.

Flooring

Bamboo flooring is made from fast-growing, giant bamboo grass, harvested under cultivated conditions specifically for the purpose of making flooring and other home items. Bamboo grows to harvestable maturity in only about five years, making it a very eco-friendly building material.

Old wood planks salvaged from demolition jobs can make great material for floors, lending them an antique charm. Salvage yards and architectural antique stores may stock large quantities of salvaged solid wood flooring and other wood planks.

Many carpet products contain synthetic fibers made from chemicals, but there are natural-fiber carpets available, including wool, seagrass, coir, jute, and sisal. Salvage companies may also carry moderately worn carpeting from demolition jobs.

There is a great variety of flooring materials fabricated from recycled rubber products, like old tires. Rubber flooring tiles or rubber sheet flooring can be a great choice for recreation or workshop spaces. Recycle rubber underlayment padding is also available for use under carpeting. Used ceramic tile may be available from salvage companies and architectural antique stores. The styles are often very unique.

Manufactured from linseed oil resins mixed with wood and cork particles, linoleum is a more eco-friendly choice.

WALLS & CEILINGS

Drywall panels such as EcoRock are made with as much as 80 percent recycled materials.

For structural framing work, you can opt for lumber that carries the FSC certification.

Salvage yards very often will have large quantities of 2X framing lumber. If you are willing to pick through their supply lumber for good pieces, you can save a considerable amount of money while ensuring that no trees have been killed to remodel your house.

Special Finishes

A variety of countertop materials and wall and floor tiles are available that make use of pulverized and recycled glass. Most wallpaper is vinyl-based, but there is a range of beautiful grasscloth wallpapers on the market that use renewable grasses.

CAULKS & ADHESIVES

Most caulk use chemical acrylics, but for an eco-friendly alternative, buy soy-based sealants.

As with paints, low-VOC adhesives have lower ratios of VOCs such as formaldehyde and petrochemicals.

Insulation

Instead of fiberglass batt insulation, spray insulation made of soybean foam can offer the same insulating value as more chemical filled options.

Shredded and treated with fire retardants, newspaper, and other cellulose materials makes for excellent pour-in insulation for attic joist cavities.

Shredded blue jeans and other cloth materials also make great insulation options for attic spaces.

Yet another good pour-in insulation is made from pellets of recycled plastics, such as milk cartons.

As an alternative to fiberglass batts, rolls of sheep’s wool insulation can be used to insulate wall cavities and ceiling cavities. Sheep’s wool is more expensive but has excellent R-value.

WOOD & MILLWORK

Salvage yards and architectural antique stores often carry a substantial inventory of wood trim and millwork, often in styles that are hard to find from curret manufacturers.

If buying new wood trim and millwork, look for products carrying the FSC certification.

Roofing

Look for metal roofing panels made from recycled aluminum, steel, copper, or alloys that combine different metals. Slate and other stone roofing products contain natural earth ores and are chemical-free.

Roof tiles made from clay consist of natural earth ores that are baked and they contain little to no petrochemicals. As an alternative to asphalt shingles, fiber cement is also totally free of petrochemicals.

If you are set on natural wood shakes for your roof, make sure to look for products that carry the FSC certification, which ensure that the lumber has been harvested in an environmentally friendly way.

As a coming trend, green roofs integrate living plant material into the roofing surface. Green roofs have been popular in parts of Europe for decades, but are now becoming very popular all across the world. They have extremely good insulating properties.