TOP ECO-FRIENDLY BUILDING MATERIALS

Eco-friendly materials are designed to cause the least possible damage to the environment and preserve human health when compared to common products.

Eco-friendly materials are durable and have a longer life span. These materials foster energy efficiency in buildings, and stem from renewable sources, meaning they should be locally available and can be recycled.

Due to the irreversible environmental impact of building constructions, eco-friendly building materials are the best way to combine growth in the construction industry and preserving the Earth’s resources. 

Many materials can be used for building but we will focus on the top eco-friendly building materials by category:
Flooring

• Bamboo, cork, reclaimed wood, stone tile, green linoleum, FSC wood planks, recycled wood planks, natural or recycled carpets, recycled rubber, recycled tile

Roofing

• Recycled metal, slate tile, clay tile, fiber cement, FSC wood shakes, green roof, sustainable wood, recycled rubber tiles

Exterior cladding

• FSC wood siding, reclaimed wood siding, green-certified framing materials, concrete sourced from local suppliers

Walls and ceilings

• Recycled-content drywall, FSC wood framing, salvaged structural members, recycled plastic boards, reclaimed wood. Others include green gypsum board, green plywood, clay/lime plaster, bamboo, cork, palm wood.

Insulation

• Use panels made from sustainable and non-toxic sources, loose fillings from newspaper and fibers treated with fire retardant, batted cavity insulation of treated fibers to replace fiberglass. Other materials include: recycled newspaper, recycled blue jeans, recycled plastic, wool, spray foam.

Paint

• Use paint with low or no VOC, natural paint, non-toxic stain. Use natural or recycled fiber paper for backing and non-toxic inks for wall coverings, dyes for print patterns or paints.

Do you know any other eco-friendly building materials? Have you used any of the materials mentioned above? we would love to hear your about your experience, do share with us using the comment boxes below.