A list of the best and worst building materials used to protect the planet.

Author: Carol J. Alexander Posted on April 23rd 21

You are finally ready to complete the renovation of the basement, extend the kitchen or add an in-law suite to your home. How exciting! However, the number of decisions involved in home renovation can be incredible. Especially in the selection of materials. You need materials suitable for work, but you also need to provide healthy choices for your family and the planet. 

When purchasing materials with low environmental impact, please pay attention to the following:

Of course, you will not be able to find all these attributes in every product you choose. However, it helps to understand what to look for and evaluate the feasibility of project materials.

This list will help you choose environmentally friendly building materials suitable for your project.

The perennial woody grass and bamboo grow fast enough to make people blink. To be honest, bamboo holds the world record for the fastest growing plant at a rate of 36 inches per day or one inch every 40 minutes. Moreover, because of its rapid regeneration rate, bamboo is used for many wood and paper products, compared with 15-35 years for pine trees to grow long enough to harvest wood. You will see that bamboo is mainly used for floors and carpets. Notes about bamboo:

According to the American Steel Construction Association, structural steel produced in the United States is made of 93% recycled materials. Moreover, after the service life of the building is over, 98% of its steel will be recycled into new steel. Although the production of steel does require a lot of energy compared with wood, 81% of steel products in the United States are recycled. This makes steel:

When you mention household insulation materials, most people think of rolls of pink fiberglass batting. However, according to TheGreenAge, a British energy-saving advice portal, the production of wool insulation materials requires 15% less energy than glass fibers. Moreover, this all-natural alternative to other types of insulating materials has an R value of 3.6-3.8 per inch of product. When you compare wool with other options, you will find:

Since the first Earth Day in 1970 and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in the same year, the slogan of reduce, reuse, and recycle has been the motto of millions of Americans. We sort the trash, use fabric grocery bags, and clean the zipper bags. Why can't we apply the same enthusiasm to our building products?

In addition to recycling steel and wool, other construction products incorporate recycling into their manufacturing processes. Laminate flooring is a mixture of recycled plastic film (such as food bags) and wood. When purchasing new building materials, check the product label to determine if it contains recycled elements. 

When the old materials such as architectural elements, slate tiles, hardwood floors and wooden siding are upgraded and recycled, the real beauty of reusing building materials is that. You can even reuse items such as furniture and old barn wood to create new design elements, such as:

To find the items you want to upgrade to the next renovation project, search for construction salvage sites, such as Black Dog Salvage, the inventory showroom of DIY Network’s famous Salvage Dawgs TV show. These places showcase the items in the demolition project, everything from recycled wood and window frames to stairs and lighting equipment. Other places where you can find reusable construction supplies include: 

When looking for building materials to avoid, it is best not to write off the entire category. For example, traditional vinyl flooring is made of synthetic materials, such as fiberglass and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and you may want to avoid using these materials in your home. However, environmentally conscious engineers have designed vinyl flooring made of all natural materials such as linseed oil, rosin and jute. Marmoleum is such an environmentally friendly vinyl flooring brand.

Therefore, instead of listing the product categories to avoid, let's take a look at some of the basic materials used in the manufacture of household and construction products that you might want to remove from your home.

Volatile organic compounds are released in the form of gases from certain compounds used in the manufacture of certain building materials (such as paints, varnishes, adhesives, carpets, and particleboard). Some volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde, can cause short-term and long-term health problems. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Association, the effects of exposure to VOCs at home range from irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat to damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system to cancer. 

Fortunately, federal regulations have given birth to many VOC-free products, such as Mohawk's Air.o carpet, Benjamin Moore's ben interior paint, and Georgia Pacific's Plytanium plywood. Therefore, in order to reduce exposure to VOC, please look for products that are marked as VOC-free.

If you are single-minded about wood, that's great. It is renewable, biodegradable, and has a low energy level. Moreover, many wood products are made from recycled wood. However, some timber choices come from poor management. Deforestation leads to soil erosion, habitat loss and greenhouse gas increases. Sustainable forest owners grow, harvest, and process wood without disturbing the landscape or local ecosystem. Look for products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC logo on the label assures you that the manufacturer complies with the fair labor and sustainable practice standards of non-profit organizations. 

In addition, some composite wood products contain harmful chemicals, which can be released into your home. When purchasing wood materials, please confirm the following:

According to an article in "YourHome, Australia's Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Housing" in 2013, aluminum sheet and copper have some of the highest implied energy ratings. Moreover, according to the architectural supply database of the architect and Architizer, among other construction material choices, the manufacture of non-recycled aluminum, steel and stainless steel produces the highest amount of carbon dioxide. Always check with the manufacturer or product label to determine whether the metal used in its product is recycled.

Carol J. Alexander writes website copywriting, blog posts and feature articles on home renovation and construction topics at her home in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. In addition to Real Homes, notable clients include This Old House, Family Handyman and Florida Roofing magazines.

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