5 Alternative Building Materials That Can Make Your Home Greener


Are you getting tired of bricks? Does the thought of concrete make you claustrophobic? Do you want to experiment with something new? Well, why not make your home or business more environmentally-friendly, unique, and affordable with alternative building materials?

Publications, contractors, and green enthusiasts have come across a wide array of eco-friendly building materials that can substitute the more traditional materials you’ve become accustomed to. It’s only a matter of having the initiative, will, and bravery to do it.

Want to save money, the planet, and resources? Think about alternative building materials!

Here are five alternative building materials that can make your home greener:

1. HempCrete – Yes, It Is What It Sounds

Hempcrete is similar to concrete except the material is produced from the inner fibers of the hemp plant. The hemp fibers are integrated with lime to establish concrete-like shapes that are both strong and light.

Since Hempcrete blocks are lightweight, it doesn’t require too much energy to transport. In fact, according to industry experts, the hemp product is starting to become a ubiquitous renewable energy source all over the world.

2. Bamboo is a Resilient Material

Bamboo has been a far for interior decoration for quite some time now. Despite bamboo being a trend for homeowners worldwide, it is really a building material that has been around for hundreds of years. But why is it prevalent and popular?

It’s simple: it is strong, light, cheap, and renewable.

For the most part, bamboo is generally used for building frames, but it can be used for a wide panoply of other uses for construction shelter. Many non-profit organizations and companies take advantage of bamboo for rebuilding in areas recovering from a disaster.

3. AshCrete – You Can Use Recyclable Material

If you really want to go green but you want the dependability of conventional concrete, then you need to consider ashcrete.

Ashcrete is an alternative building material that uses fly ash rather than traditional cement. Fly ash is a by-product of burning coal, and most of the traditional elements found inside of concrete can easily be substituted with recycled material.

Simply put: you have the best of both worlds – eco-friendly and reliability.

4. There’s Nothing Wrong with Good Old-Fashioned Wood

Have you thought about wood? You may be hesitant incorporation wood into your home construction plans. But there is nothing wrong with good old-fashioned wood.

Many industry experts often say that wood consists of numerous advantages that other industrial building materials, such as steel or concrete, maintain. In addition to having a great deal of strength, trees consume CO2, require fewer energy methods for construction, are renewable, and can provide you with a biodiverse scenario.

Indeed, wood should always be mulled over as a serious alternative building material.

5. Why Not Experiment with a Hybrid Build?

Are you intrigued by these alternative building materials? Have you learned of other alternative building materials like rammed earth, grasscrete, and strawbales?

Well, there is nothing wrong with experimenting with a hybrid build. Or, put in other words, you can mix and match with a diverse array of materials that offer their own set of benefits.

For instance, you may be interested in coalescing cob and straw bale, which provide you with insulation, thermal mass, and affordability. Speak with your contractor and perhaps he can shoot around some ideas with you. Remember, a home contractor always enjoys a good challenge!

Everybody is itching to be more environmentally-friendly. Of course, with energy costs surging across the province of Ontario, homeowners also want to find any way they can to slash their hydro costs. It’s tough to afford a home or operate a business because of hydro prices. That said, if you decide to implement or mix these alternative building material concepts, then you could very well see some more money in your pocket as you aim to save the planet.


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