materials / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...materials that can be singled out as causing more harm than good, many have pros and cons that need to be weighed, and there isn't always one 'right' product than stands above the others. As a wise frog once said, it's not easy being green. New and recycled building materials: Cost:  First of all you need to determine...

...materials. Find more about low carbon green home building in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these related pages :  Learn all about green building design basics here Tips for how to stay on budget while building and renovating How deconstruction helps recycle materials from old homes Choosing building mate...

...materials at the end of its life Cons: Installation is time consuming, hail can cause splitting of shingles, they aren’t permitted in all regions due to higher than average fire hazard and may need to be stained every 5 to 15 years depending on the type of finish. Lifespan and cost: They will generally last over 30 y...

...materials that could be used again, but when buyers can’t find sellers, otherwise usable materials are being sent to a land fill. There is a growing amount of used building materials that can be found at online classified websites such as Craigslist and Kijiji, but finding what you are looking for can be very hit and m...

...materials not only reduces the risk of exposure to VOCs in the home, it amounts to a reduction in the manufacturing of toxic synthetic materials, thus protecting global air quality and waterways.  Applications for hemp construction board  Hemp Coreboard is meant to be a sustainable replacement for particle board and ot...

...Materials that are not needed or wanted on a project can be sold, or at worst donated. You can buy and sell new and used building materials online in most regions, so either you may earn a few bucks, or at worst save the tipping fee at the landfill if someone takes your stuff away. There is a market for used building m...

...materials, this includes: The emissions involved in sourcing raw materials and manufacturing The energy required to transport and install the materials Its performance in terms of energy savings over time How easily a material can be recycled or disposed of at the end of its life When it comes to insulation, selectin...

...materials (PCMs) and how they can be incorporated into buildings to improve energy-efficiency by harnessing a naturally-occurring physical reality, 'the melting point'.   When looking for commercially available phase change drywall and other building materials, we first came across Thermal Core, a drywall product said ...

...materials found on Craigslist and salvaged from the landfill, Jenine Alexander built herself a super affordable Tiny House. Since first building this sweet little home on wheels, she has actually completed two more. If you're interested in DIY Tiny House projects, be sure to check out her blog where she writes about sm...

...materials are straight and consistent - compare this to a 2x8" or 2x10" which in any given pile may have discrepancies of 3/8" or more from the largest to the smallest. In order to build a straight floor for example, some pieces will need to be shimmed and others will need to be shaved, and that takes a lot of time. If...

...Materials BREEAM encourages the use of materials with a low environmental impact. This includes sourcing materials responsibly (e.g., FSC-certified timber) and using products with low embodied carbon. For comparison, you can see how the  LEED for Homes rating system also prioritizes material selection. Water This secti...