The word “organic” has taken on a new meaning today as more and more people say goodbye to anything that is not recycled or environmentally friendly. Citizens, businesses and organizations around the world are increasingly realizing the importance of health and a healthy environment in our lives. Also in the use of ecological building materials, an increase in their popularity is observed. This leads to the conclusion that humanity overestimates the environment in which we live and what we leave behind.
However, although the use of environmentally friendly building materials is becoming increasingly popular, their use is hampered by higher prices and insufficient information about their benefits.
“Very often people lack objective information about the advantages of ecological building materials over synthetic materials. This contributes to the emergence of a misconception as to why people underestimate the benefits of different materials, ” says our specialist, Intars Rozmans.
How to distinguish which building materials are ecological?
There is no one universal or precise definition. Ecological building materials can be called those that are:
- recyclable;
- does not cause harmful effects on the environment;
- are produced from renewable resources;
- their use improves the indoor microclimate;
- they reduce the adverse effects on the environment resulting from their extraction and treatment, recycling and disposal;
- they do not adversely affect human health.
As with other building materials, ecological building materials have advantages and disadvantages. These shortcomings include:
- higher prices;
- a more complicated process of obtaining and material production.
It is difficult for producers of ecological building materials to fight with large groups, because there are smaller production volumes, as well as opportunities to fight equally in the advertising market. Therefore, it is very important to provide people with information about the properties, advantages and also disadvantages of ecological building materials, so that the client can evaluate with which materials he wants to build his home.
Is it possible to build a house only from ecological building materials?
With regard to the building materials used in the construction of the building, it will always be possible to find a material made from natural raw materials. The choice is very large, all expressed in cost.
Housing can also be built only from ecological building materials. If we want to give preference to natural materials in the construction of our house, then when choosing paints, we must choose paints based on water emulsion or linseed oil. Clay is a natural material that has come from the depths of the earth and is used as a raw material in the production of building blocks, so there is no reason to believe that blocks are an unnatural building material. However, these materials should not be mixed with synthetic building materials.
From a wide range of thermal insulation materials, you can choose eco-wool or wood-fiber wool. Everything is decided by the suitability of each material in a particular case. Stone and glass wool are also not “unnatural”. Insulation can also be done with hemp wool, sheep’s wool, peat or shavings, but you should understand the properties and uses of each material before purchasing it.
Nor should we forget the various restrictions on the choice of materials, which are determined by the nature of the materials themselves, namely the purposes for which the materials are used:
- technical properties (fire safety, sound insulation, steam insulation, etc.);
- sequence of material application;
- use of materials;
These regulations apply to artificially produced building materials and ecological, as it is possible to build incorrectly with both ecological and other materials. For example, wooden structures will have restrictions in terms of building height and fire safety, so no matter how good and ecological a material is, it will not be suitable everywhere. All these requirements can be found in the Latvian Construction Standard.
The choice of materials is left to everyone, however, no matter what material you choose, we recommend consulting with industry specialists. Vides Tehnika Ltd. offers its customers free consultations and will be happy to help you choose the right material for you to achieve the best results.
Our specialists: https://videstehnika.lv/en/contacts/
