| If you are looking into buying or building an | | | | wood from managed or certified forests, reclaimed |
| eco-friendly home, you are in for a wide variety of | | | | or salvaged wood and standing dead timbers. |
| options. There are many popular materials used these | | | | River wood is recovered from river bottoms. The |
| days in constructing the most functional green | | | | logs recovered are the ones lost by loggers when |
| homes. Below are a few of the construction | | | | these are brought down to the mills. Old pilings and |
| materials commonly preferred by builders and home | | | | piers are also great sources of such timbers. The |
| owners. | | | | wood from managed forests is cut down with the |
| Rammed earth | | | | consideration of sustainability still. New trees are |
| This material is basically dirt from a local quarry. Even | | | | immediately planted replacing the cut down ones. The |
| the practice of constructing a home with this material | | | | salvaged wood is reclaimed from abandoned and |
| is considered environmental friendly. Since local | | | | dismantled areas like barns, warehouses, houses and |
| materials are used like lumber, quarried stone or brick, | | | | other old buildings. The beams and timbers of this |
| there is no need to import these from long distances. | | | | type are preferred by most eco-friendly home |
| This type of home is suitable for passive solar | | | | builders since no more new trees would be cut down |
| strategies. It would be ideal for an off-the-grid house. | | | | to provide wood. The last option includes still erect |
| The walls are thick and dense enough to take in as | | | | trees that have died due to different causes like fires |
| much heat from the sunlight throughout the day and | | | | and diseases. |
| slowly release the warmth inside the home during | | | | Homes made from any or combinations of these |
| nighttime. Your heating and cooling bills during the | | | | materials are typically the most visually stimulating |
| winter and summer seasons would be massively | | | | abodes. The wood gives out the natural look while |
| lowered. | | | | still providing excellent sheltering performance. |
| Although the materials are accessible, the | | | | Straw bale |
| construction costs may be 5 to 15% higher than | | | | Straw bale homes are one of the most affordable |
| conventional practices due to the labor-intensive | | | | eco-friendly homes available on the market right now. |
| process required in creating the rammed earth forms. | | | | This material could withstand extreme weather |
| Hence, the asking price might be higher too. And the | | | | conditions. Straw bale walls are 18 to 24" thick and |
| construction materials are not flexible enough in | | | | very solid. At the same time, this material could be |
| nature. Hence, rammed earth homes are usually boxy | | | | sculpted into curves. Other major benefits of this |
| looking. | | | | home are the amount of wood to be used is |
| Sustainable wood | | | | reduced, quiet interiors and the heating and cooling |
| This material is usually preferred by home owners | | | | costs are lowered due to high R-value of the walls, |
| who closely supervise the construction. For the home | | | | equivalent to R=50. More and more builders and |
| buyer, this material would also prove to be an | | | | development groups have been specializing on this |
| attractive trait in the house. Sustainable wood is in | | | | type of green home so it is easier for you to find |
| many types. A few of the options are river wood, | | | | one. |