Selecting
green materials to include in a home or office can be quite a
challenge. Green building materials are materials that serve our
needs in the present without jeopardizing the ability of future
generations to meet their needs.
In
recent years, large and small companies alike are producing and
marketing numerous new green products and materials. Very few
of these products and materials fall under any regulatory guidelines
as to which onces are the most green. In some instances, like
with paint, there are applicable thresholds, which can be used.
Low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints are preferable because
they are healthier for humans and the environment. With appliances,
energy consumption offers another easily applicable threshold.
Appliances that use the least energy would usually be considered
“green.”
Green
building materials and products can be broken into three general
categories:
- Those
that are environmental due to their make-up;
- Those
that are environmental because they are the best alternative
to conventional building materials; and
- Materials
and products that do not create unhealthy indoor air-quality.
Products
considered green due to their make-up
Green building materials and products made from salvaged materials
or that have a high post-consumer or post-industrial recycled
content save resources, energy and landfill space. Sustainably
harvested wood, minimally processed materials, and products made
from agricultural byproducts (e.g. strawbale construction) are
other examples of “green.” products.
Green
Alternative
Many building products are considered green simply because they
are the best alternative available to products that are toxic,
volatile, ozone depleting, or otherwise harmful to human or environmental
health. Examples of such products include: biodegradable cleaning
products or compact florescent lightbulbs.
Products
that improve environmental or health impacts of the building (inside
or out)
This includes products such as low- or no- V.O.C. emitting
paints, adhesives and finishes, wood products that do not off-gas
formaldehyde, products and systems that improve indoor air quality
or indoor light. Environmental impact- high performance windows
and glazing, solar panels, insulation, equipment that saves energy,
equipment that saves water, products that prevent pollution or
waste and products that improve the outdoor environment around
a building site.
Material
Categories
Acoustical
Panel Ceilings
Concrete
Doors & Windows
Fasteners &
Adhesives
Finishes
Flooring
Masonry
Metals
Paints & Finishes
Roofing & Siding
Sealants,
Caulking & Seals
Site & Street
Thermal & Moisture
Protection
Wood & Plaster
Wood Treatment
