GREEN LIVING: Sustainable Materials - How They Are Selected and the Benefits of Using Them

By Katrina Marie Santes

Green buildings are one of the must-have homes of the century. If you have seen them, you will probably say, "They're expensive". Yes, they may cost slightly more compared to average homes but certainly, they are not a rip-off.

Owners of green buildings have enjoyed great benefits. For one, they have become more energy and water efficient. Second, they have maintained a healthy lifestyle. Third, they can enjoy a safer environment. Fourth, they have saved a lot of money from maintaining the quality of their lifestyle, as well as from maintaining their homes. Lastly, they can perform their activities of daily living without hurting Mother Nature in the process.

You are probably wondering what makes green buildings beneficial. The main reason lies on various sustainable materials.

What are sustainable materials?

Every building has its own materials used for construction. When put together, they bring life to a plan that was once just a blueprint. It also has an effect on the quality and the overall look of the building. However, materials vary and not all of them can make an efficient building. Some of them may be toxic and impractical. Hence, they can have tremendous negative effects (both financial and health related) on its occupants.

Sustainable materials eliminate the many risks that other materials can bring. They all come from renewable resources, which means they come from plants and trees. They are also non-toxic and recyclable.

Basis for selection

If you want to own a green building as a home, you have to know certain criteria to ensure that whatever materials used in that property is sustainable. Or perhaps, if you plan to have your home constructed in the near future, knowing these criteria will assist you in picking out the right materials to be used.

Here are some of them:

1. It should come from resources that are bountiful and rapidly growing.
2. They should be available within your locality.
3. They should not contain any forms of carcinogens or emit toxic chemicals that could compromise Indoor Air quality.
4. They should be durable and recyclable even after they are fully depreciated
5. They should be certified by their manufacturers to prove sustainability.

As the owner, you should also take time to research about the material and understand their possible effects to human living. This way a more educated decision and selection can take place. Doing this gives homeowners the opportunity to rip the maximum benefit that a sustainable material can give when made into a green building.

Issues regarding affordability

Every homeowner's concern in home buying is about the affordability. This goes the same in using sustainable materials. As mentioned above, it may be expensive for other people. However, if you create a cost-benefit analysis, you can really say that it is affordable.

There are various tools on the internet can guide contractors and homeowners in doing the analysis. They consist of information about the life cycle, economic performance, environmental impact and cost-effectiveness of various sustainable materials. They may also have possible recommendations as to how they should be integrated to the design. Therefore, do some researching to ascertain the cost-efficiency of the materials.

You can learn more about green homes and greal real estate properties in Ellicott City Homes for Sale and Howard County real estate.

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