Ecological building materials. Eco-friendly house - what materials to choose? More reliable products of well-known companies
Security is not only bars on the windows, a steel door and an angry dog guarding your peace. It is also a healthy comfortable microclimate of your home, the reward for which will be your good health.
In the explanatory dictionary, the word "safe" is interpreted as "non-threatening, protecting." In relation to the house, this means - protecting from bad weather, unwanted guests, and at the same time creating a healthy comfortable microclimate in the house.
From the point of view of the ecology of building a house, there is a set of requirements. It includes the chemical composition of water, air, the level of noise, radiation, vibration, electromagnetic fields, microclimate parameters, the quality of finishing and building materials, and the purity of the soil.
Site ecology
If the house claims to be "environmentally safe", it must be located outside the zone of radiation or chemical contamination. High-voltage power lines located near the site are undesirable - sources of a strong electromagnetic field. It is bad if the future building is located in a geopathogenic zone - this is the name of areas that have a negative impact on humans, animals and plants. The geopathogenicity of the site can be provoked by anomalous zones, faults in the earth's crust, underground lakes, crossings of water flows, ore deposits, etc. The house is also not characterized as safe by its proximity to cemeteries, mines, landfills, etc.
Project and geological studies
The right place for the house is half the success. The project, firstly, must be. Second, it must be completed by a licensed design architect. And, thirdly, the house should be built only by a construction organization that has the appropriate license. Project construction is not just a building code requirement. The project allows both avoiding mistakes during construction and rational use of materials.
A modern project of a private house should include not only the appearance of the building, its layout, color scheme and lighting, but also its safety in terms of ecology, electrical wiring, fire and criminals.
As for the geological study, it should be carried out even before the project. Because the subsequent stages of housework, even perfectly executed, can lose all meaning. Soil conditions will show: is it possible to build a house at all on this particular site. And if possible, how.Otherwise, there may be cracks in the supporting structures, and deformations of the foundation, and flooding of the basements.
Environmentally friendly materials
The house must be environmentally friendly. It is impossible that building materials contain lead, heavy metals and emit harmful substances. If it is not possible to use natural materials, then it is necessary to choose those that will bring minimal harm to humans and nature.
Modern building materials can be divided into two types: absolutely eco-friendly and conditionally eco-friendly.
Eco-friendly materials are materials of natural origin. These include wood, stone, cork, natural leather, natural drying oil, straw, bamboo, slate, etc. Such materials have been used by man for the construction and arrangement of houses since ancient times. But, speaking about their application, one must remember: if they are environmentally friendly in themselves, then in combination with some other materials that do not have a natural origin, they can partially, and sometimes completely, lose their environmentally friendly properties.
For example, handmade wooden house, built by the "old-fashioned method", does not raise doubts about its environmental friendliness. It is warm, an optimal microclimate is maintained and a unique wonderful aroma always hovers. But everyone knows that a tree is most susceptible to burning, decay and the action of biological pests, such as wood borer, bark beetle, mold, fungus, moss, blue stain, algae, bacteria. It is undesirable to use a tree without protection against biological destruction. At the same time, wood treated with antiseptics is already becoming conditionally environmentally friendly. And if the remedy is also chosen incorrectly, then it can even harm people living in a wooden house.
A rock durable and reliable. But in nature it is able to accumulate radiation harmful to the human body. Therefore, before using a stone, experts recommend checking it for the presence of background radiation.
Among roofing materials, absolutely safe from an environmental point of view, including due to its natural origin, is considered slate. This is a natural stone with a parallel (layered) arrangement of the minerals that make up its composition. Slate is able to split into separate plates, so the ancient Greeks began to use it as a roofing material. The material is environmentally friendly, beautiful and is rightfully considered the most elite (and expensive!) among roofing materials. But in order for it to serve on the roof of the house for a long time and protect it from the weather, it must be properly laid.
Conditionally eco-friendly materials are made from natural materials. They do not harm either people or the environment, and at the same time they have high technical performance.
Of the conditionally ecological wall building materials, brick, ceramic blocks and cellular concrete are in the first place. Brick and ceramic blocks made from natural material - clay - without the use of chemical additives and dyes. Finished products are fired in a kiln at high temperature. The walls of these materials are strong, durable, resistant to harmful environmental influences, "breathe". In winter, inside houses made of ceramics are warm, in summer it is cool.
aerated concrete block- a type of cellular concrete. It is an artificial cement stone with evenly distributed pores. The material is light, durable, good "sound insulator". In terms of fire resistance it is not inferior to ceramics, it is odorless, it is resistant to chemical and atmospheric factors, as well as fungi, insects and rodents.
Among roofing materials, natural tiles are in the first place in terms of conditionally environmental safety.
natural tile durable (passed the test of time - it has been used in construction for hundreds of years), environmentally friendly (baked clay without polymer impurities), aesthetically perfect: its beauty is undeniable. But this is also an expensive roofing material, and the heaviest, which affects the complexity of the preparatory work for its installation and roof construction (rafters).
Harmful building materials
Environmentally unsafe materials for building a house have firmly entered our lives, as they allowed us to create a delightful interior for little money. Basically, these are inexpensive materials, for the production of which synthetic raw materials are used, which adversely affect the environment both during production and during operation. The list of low-eco-friendly materials is quite large, but this does not mean that they should be completely excluded from the construction site. In fact, harmful building materials should simply be used for their intended purpose, in the right combination with others. In addition, attention should be paid to the compatibility of materials. For example, paper wallpapers are environmentally friendly, but together with low-quality glue, they will harm the environment and home owners.
Plastic windows, vinyl wallpaper and linoleum are widely available and easy to maintain, which explains their popularity. Similar attributes of modern interiors for little money allow you to create a clean and tidy ... plastic box! It is easy to wash, but it is difficult to breathe in it. Synthetic materials that have come to our homes to replace natural ones are increasingly becoming the cause of "diseases of technogenic civilization." The heavy metals they release, carbon dioxide, phenols, formaldehydes, hydrogen chloride, hydrochloride and a long list of harmful and life-threatening substances provoke a deterioration in health, allergies, asthma, headaches, skin diseases, and can even cause malignant tumors and organ dysfunction. So it turns out that the ecology in the house is often much worse than the ecology outside the window. But do not forget that the microclimate of the home is of paramount importance!
Choosing the right materials:
- Pay attention to the smell, which should not be! No matter how sellers convince you that the chemical smell will disappear in just a couple of days, do not dare to buy. A caustic “aroma” indicates a low quality product and a violation of the production recipe.
- Ask for a health certificate in the store, which is issued upon examination of products and confirms their compliance with sanitary standards and safety for health.
- Be careful: study the label and its meaning! So, marking from E0 to E3 indicates how many harmful substances the product releases into the environment. E3 is the category of the most dangerous products. E0 is the safest. This marking is valid for almost all building and finishing materials - from linoleum and chipboard to paints and adhesives. At the same time, environmentally friendly materials can be marked with other signs.
These recommendations are valid for the choice of almost any building and finishing materials. After all, in addition to plastic, in modern homes there is enough environmental danger emanating from concrete and reinforced concrete (which shields electromagnetic radiation), foam plastic, drywall, chipboard, thermal insulation, paints, varnishes, etc. All these materials are environmentally harmful to one degree or another, releasing phenols, formaldehydes, heavy metals, ammonia and other chemical compounds that accumulate in the apartment and literally hover in the air, contributing to a general deterioration in health, affecting the immune system and, as a result leading to the development of various diseases. Moreover, fumes from hazardous building and finishing materials adversely affect the development of children, inhibiting it.
For example, many wall paints contain lead, which is one of the main causes of stunting and mental retardation in children. According to the WHO, lead is responsible for 600,000 mental disorders in children each year.
Unfortunately, the content of lead in paints is not indicated on the bank. Its presence can be determined only by laboratory analysis. But, according to the resolution of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP), by 2020 "lead paint" will completely disappear from stores. In the meantime, experts advise choosing water based paints, which, as it turned out from recent studies, contain practically no lead additives.
Alternative materials
If you don't want to guess how safe paint, linoleum or washable wallpaper is, you can always find an eco-friendly alternative. For example, PVC linoleum is being replaced by natural linoleum, made on a substrate of jute fibers (natural textile fiber from the plant of the same name - jute). Such eco-linoleum is fundamentally different from its synthetic counterpart in its composition, which includes oxidized linseed oil, wood flour, lime filler, cork chips, and hardwood resin. The pigments used to color natural linoleum are exclusively of natural origin. Especially such linoleum is recommended for rooms where there are children and people with respiratory diseases.
Vinyl wallpapers that emit formaldehyde fumes can be replaced with beautiful paper ones, to which it is high time to change your attitude. For a long time it was believed that paper wallpaper is the cheapest and not very beautiful material for wall decoration. But today paper wallpaper- one of the most current trends in the interior. Their selection is huge! And in the kitchen, the wallpaper can easily be replaced ceramic tile, considered one of the most environmentally friendly materials due to its natural composition (clay, sand, mineral additives), chemical and physical inertness.
When choosing environmentally friendly building and finishing materials, you should choose the same safe finishes and adhesives. Otherwise, the effect of using natural materials will tend to zero.
Biosecurity at home
Biological safety - guaranteed absence of mold fungi, pathogenic bacteria, insects, rodents, etc. in the house. For this, materials are used that prevent the penetration of fungi, bacteria, insects into the premises, or measures are taken to neutralize them. In this case, we are talking primarily about wood. It is from atmospheric influences, decay and destruction, as already mentioned, in most cases it is treated with an antiseptic. By the way, it will provide not only resistance to moisture and the effects of wood-destroying fungi, but also allow you to give the wood an additional shade. And in order to protect wood from fire, it is treated with flame retardants.
But, having set a goal to build an environmentally friendly house, in no case should we forget about other aspects of safety! Such as fire, mechanical, physical, engineering.
Fire safety at home
Fire safety is equally important. The threat of a fire is always great if fire safety rules are not followed. Remember that modern building materials ignite easily, and natural materials must be treated with special means that reduce the risk of their ignition. And always be careful and safety rules.
Mechanical safety
Mechanical safety implies, first of all, the reliability of the building structure, the absence of deformations. The first step in creating a reliable home from this point of view is a properly designed and arranged foundation. The calculation of the construction of the foundation is carried out by the designer, taking into account both the characteristics of the soil (for which geological studies are carried out), and the specifics of the house construction materials and the future load. Poorly designed or improperly executed foundations lead to house distortions and cracks in the walls. The design of the walls must have the same durability as the house, and also perform two functions: protect from rain, snow, wind, sun, overheating and temperature changes, and load-bearing - to withstand the load transferred to them from structures, equipment, furniture.
Also, the outer walls must have heat-shielding qualities that comply with existing standards and provide the necessary temperature and humidity conditions in the premises at any time of the year. The walls, depending on the required degree of fire resistance of the house, must have a flammability group and a fire resistance limit not lower than those established by fire safety standards. In addition, both external and internal walls must have sufficient soundproofing properties.
Physical security
Physical security means protecting the people living in the house from cold, noise, and intruders, etc. In the first case, the problem is solved by heat and sound insulation. The last method of protection is especially relevant for metal tiles and profiled sheets. These materials enjoy ever-increasing popularity among our compatriots. Metal tile, for example, imitates natural tiles, is a relatively harmless roofing material, but has the disadvantage of making noise when it rains. Therefore, for a comfortable home under a metal tile and profiled sheet, soundproofing is required.
When choosing insulating materials, one should be guided by the principle of their maximum harmlessness.
Not only the natural factor can encroach on the safety of the house. The apartment sometimes needs to be protected from intruders and scammers. As for protection from unwanted guests, reliable locks, a security and video surveillance system will solve this issue, and a safe should be installed to store valuables. In this situation, it is necessary to pay attention to the installation of a burglar alarm. Moreover, it is possible to immediately install a fire alarm system, which combines both protection against external penetration and monitoring the occurrence of a fire. Such a protective system can both scare off an intruder and, depending on the situation, transmit information to the police or fire department on duty.
Engineering safety
In general, the engineering safety of the house implies the preservation of the existing ecosystem, the economical consumption of electricity and the prudent use of natural resources.
The house should always have fresh air, good lighting, and be free from pathogens of any kind. At the same time, this can be achieved by using the most secure equipment. If we are talking about air conditioners, then these are, first of all, inverter-type models, with the “smart eye” function, on ozone-friendly refrigerants, which have a “zero” ozone-depleting potential. In such models, the “smart eye” function reacts to movements in the room and turns on the economical mode of maintaining the temperature if there is no one in the room.
Security is also certain measures related to the destruction of any threats to human life. The most visible danger is electricity. It has long been part of our everyday life, and we cannot do without it. But electrical safety must be taken very seriously. When building or repairing a house, it is necessary to ensure that the cables are laid in accordance with the project standards. The wiring must be suitable for the power of all electrical appliances that you have or plan to use. In case of an emergency shutdown, you must have a backup power source. This is especially true for a private house. Not only an electrician, but also an ordinary person can get under voltage. And for this it is not at all necessary to tear off various wires, an accident can occur due to damaged wiring. Or a generally harmless attempt to hang a picture and screw a screw into the wall may not end very well if the same electrical wiring is found in the wall. Therefore, those who want to live in comfort with conveniences and completely protect themselves should remember about the design of the power supply.
When it comes to supplying a house with heat, engineering security implies the use of renewable energy sources.
For example, wind turbines will convert wind energy into electrical energy and will both save significant financial resources and at the same time obtain environmentally friendly full energy independence.
And if you want to embody the theme of environmental safety in your home as fully as possible, build an eco-house. It must meet the following characteristics: energy efficiency, non-aggressiveness in relation to its inhabitants and the environment, maximum autonomy of life support systems.
Behind a wall of such security measures, you can feel calm, no matter what happens. In any case, it is better to save on beauty than on safety. Because a house that ceases to be a fortress ceases to be a home.
"Construction Rules", No. 47 /1, August 2014
The copyright holder of all site materials is Construction Rules LLC. Full or partial reprinting of materials in any sources is prohibited.
We try to take care of our health by exercising the body and choosing healthy foods, natural cosmetics, and household chemicals. However, it often happens that we are the last to think about the environmental friendliness of our repair. And in vain, since this is one of the important components of our well-being.
The problem of choosing safe building materials for our housing in the modern world is quite relevant, due to the release of toxic substances by many materials, often not visible and not felt, but accumulating in our body. The modern chemical industry offers a fairly wide range of materials for finishing houses and apartments, often prioritizing durability and beauty, but by no means safety for health. 
Therefore, when choosing materials for repairs, consumers have to take care of their health.
Let's try to figure out which materials are the safest for health, considering them from the point of view of application in a private house and apartment.
Let's begin to consider exterior finish, which is more relevant for private houses.
Ecological materials in home decoration
Let's start with the fact that the material from which the house is built must also be environmentally friendly and safe, of course, a house made of wooden beams, bricks, and stone has the best qualities.
Experimental materials - aerated concrete, cinder blocks, foam block, expanded clay concrete, polystyrene concrete, sandwich panels have not been fully studied, studies about their dangers periodically appear.
Therefore, many new or well-forgotten environmentally friendly materials are now appearing: geokar (bricks made of peat), adobe blocks (made of clay and straw), kerpen (bricks made of ceramics), soil blocks (bricks made of sawdust needles, peat, clay). 
An important issue remains the problem of using insulation for the home, usually mineral wool, foam glass and other inorganic materials (polyurethane foam, polystyrene) are used. Manufacturers make sure they are safe, but there are studies that over time, the smallest particles of glass begin to stand out along with the dust in our home, without benefiting our health.
Therefore, organic natural heaters are best suited - ecowool (cellulose, paper, wood fiber), a layer of flax processing waste, cork cloth. 
Ecological materials in the decoration of the apartment
Most often, you don’t have to choose the material from which an apartment building is built, but it happens that residents want to insulate the walls of their rooms, especially those living in corner apartments, so advice on choosing wall insulation will be relevant for them, as well as for homeowners.Ceiling.
Suspended and stretch ceilings, despite their beauty, are made entirely of non-natural materials, and are capable of releasing toxic volatile compounds into the air, this is especially true for the last floors and rooms where there is intense heating by the sun's rays.
Therefore, most often it is better to give preference to painting the ceiling in water-dispersed paints or paints based on natural essential oils (polyester). And you can also paste over the ceiling with ordinary paper wallpaper, or stretch natural cotton fabric, with which you can give the ceiling a variety of designs.
Walls.
Most often, people try to wallpaper them, but most use modern vinyl wallpaper made from PVC, which is not the safest material. However, they are being replaced by natural materials - babmuka wallpaper, fabric, glass wallpaper, wallpaper made from natural plant fibers (reed, reed, etc.) and, of course, the most reliable - paper. 
For lovers of natural aesthetics, wooden lining is still relevant.
Do not forget that the glue for them must also be environmentally friendly (based on starch and casein).
Floor.
For flooring, the most environmentally friendly materials will be cork wood and parquet, inexpensive solid wood options, natural carpet and natural linoleum, porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles, and bamboo flooring. 
But laminate and linoleum, synthetic carpet are safe only if they are produced in compliance with all standards and expensive and well-known brands are bought.
As we can see, the modern market offers many natural and safe alternatives to traditional materials for home decoration, so these materials should be studied when planning repairs. They, of course, will cost you more, but agree that health is priceless?
Bamboo products
The key factor in which they prefer to use bamboo, of course, is environmental friendliness. It grows in countries with high humidity and very clean air, so there are no harmful substances in its fibers.
Initially, bamboo was used almost unchanged, just cutting its shoots to create elementary items. But day after day, designers perfected the processing technology of this plant, which made it possible to achieve its versatile use.
It is an excellent natural material for creating floor coverings, furniture, interior decoration items.
concrete structures
- Hero of our time. It is based on coal processing products (ash, slag, etc.), so it practically does not contain harmful and toxic impurities. Concrete, together with natural ventilation, is able to maintain a healthy indoor climate.
It is called an energy accumulator, as it can retain heat for a long time. Concrete is successfully used as a finish, as well as to create unusual interior items.
Aesthetic external data, the highest strength and durability, as well as expressive colors create a positive image of this material.
Cork flooring
Natural cork is one of the most environmentally friendly raw materials. Coatings made of this material have many positive characteristics. They protect against heat loss and have good sound insulation. Cork does not accumulate foreign odors and static electricity. She is not afraid of chemicals, so it is very easy to care for her.
An unusual way to decorate the interior - decorating the wall with cork
Cork coatings are very wear-resistant and not subject to deformation. They do not emit harmful substances into the environment, because the basis of this material is cellulose, nitrogen and oxygen.
Another advantage of cork is hypoallergenicity. It does not develop pathogenic microflora and mold.
LED light bulbs
In modern interiors, standard incandescent lamps are practically not used. They have been replaced by LEDs. This is one of the most environmentally friendly and safe sources of lighting.
During the production of such lamps (if the company complies with environmental standards and requirements), the use of harmful substances, especially mercury, is excluded. They do not pose a threat in case of failure or damage to the housing.
LED lamps consume a minimum amount of energy and have a very long service life. This allows you to change light bulbs less often, and therefore less likely to dispose of them.
natural paint finish
The main difference between environmentally friendly paints and varnishes from their counterparts (paints based on acrylic or alkyds) is their chemical composition. The basic raw materials for the production of synthetic materials are oil and refined products. Despite the fact that this is a natural mineral, it is very actively modified under the influence of chemical reagents, such as chlorine.
Unlike synthetic paints, natural and environmentally friendly paints do not contain volatile compounds. Clay, natural pigments, vegetable oils and resins become their basis. Such paints are safe for both humans and the environment.
Safe plaster
The basic component for the production of standard plaster is gypsum. Its extraction causes irreparable harm to the environment. And to obtain various effects, gypsum is mixed with aggressive plasticizers and pigments that contain volatile compounds that are dangerous to humans.
An innovative product - environmentally friendly plaster - is the result of hard work of chemists and builders. Gypsum was excluded from its composition, and in order to obtain the necessary shade of the coating, natural dyes and natural pigments are used.
Recycled wood
Modern trends dictate fashion for environmental safety and environmental protection. Recycled wood was the first to hit the trend. For these purposes, they use everything that comes to hand - old fences, floors, doors and even wooden boats.
Recycled wood makes very interesting furniture and decor items. With its help, you can create an unusual interior design in style or vintage. Recycled wood products look very authentic and antique.
This approach to materials makes it possible to preserve rapidly shrinking forests and give a second life to forgotten objects.
Mosaic of broken glass
Many unusual accessories are obtained from a once broken bottle or an old stained glass window. Glass is sent to be melted down and given a second life. From the fragments, garden paths of extraordinary beauty are obtained, if each piece is pressed into the concrete that has not yet hardened.
Such a peculiar mosaic will decorate many interiors. Broken glass is also used in the production of kitchen countertops.
The fragments are mixed with plasticizers and porcelain stoneware, and work surfaces are created from the resulting mixture.
Recycling aluminum
Banal aluminum is found everywhere: in cans and soda cans, in unnecessary trash in the form of toothless forks and bent spoons. The modern idea of remelting recyclables has a good reason. Such production consumes less energy and causes less harm to the environment compared to casting metal from scratch.
The recycling of aluminum is very much in demand in the conceptual directions in interior design, and a whole picture is devoted to an ordinary soup can.
waste paper
Recycling paper is perhaps the only way to extend the life of trees and save the environment for a new album or notebook. Waste paper products are not only office supplies.
Recycled paper is used to make cardboard packaging, insulating materials, kraft packaging, personal care products, disposable tableware and even decor items.
Mankind intuitively tries to return to its roots and tries to use natural materials in its home. The modern trend of merging with nature is an opportunity to preserve health and the environment.
A house made of eco-friendly materials is now like a panacea for raising heating tariffs, and living in it is much more pleasant than in a stone counterpart. It can be built with your own hands without certain building skills and other people's help. There are several options for the construction of such houses, they depend on the chosen material.
What materials can be used to build an eco-house?
On a private plot, you can build housing from improvised means, so some start building literally from the earth and other easily accessible materials. Consider the most common building materials that can be purchased "for a penny."logs
Houses made of wood again began to be in demand. For their construction, fallen trees, waste obtained from a sawmill are used. Outwardly, such houses look like stone, but upon closer inspection it immediately becomes clear that they are made of logs.Logs are stacked on top of each other, just as firewood is stored under a canopy to kindle a fireplace. They are held together with concrete or clay mortar. If the logs have a diameter in the range of 30-90 cm, then they can be used for the construction of frameless structures or using a frame. Recently, the cement mortar that binds the logs has been replaced with an adobe mixture.
rammed earth
This is ancient technology. The process of forming building materials from an earthen base is not much different from its ancient counterpart.To get the right earthen raw material, you need to mix clay, gravel, concrete and wet earth. All these components end up as a compacted solid material that perfectly regulates the temperature of the building. It is able to give warmth in cold weather, and coolness in warm weather. Such a structure is resistant to termites, durable and fireproof. It costs "penny", as the land in free access lies under your feet.
The construction of an earth building takes place without large columns of dust, as is the case with the use of stone materials and cement. Now rammed earth is not so popular, but still in some countries houses are built from it.
Straw
When first considered as a reliable building material, it seems that this is the worst option, but in practice it turns out that straw pressed into bags has excellent strength and high thermal insulation properties. It can be used for the construction of load-bearing walls and used in piping with vertical bars.
Pressed straw is laid on top of the stone foundation. Packages with the main building material are fastened together using bamboo flexible poles or wooden racks.
The outer part of the thatched building is treated with soil or lime plaster. Both of these coatings have good air conduction, thereby preventing the accumulation of moisture inside the building and preventing its dampness.
Hemp
It is used as a heat-insulating and basic building material. This plant is natural and non-toxic. For the construction of buildings, hemp concrete is used, which consists of hemp fires, cement (lime), water and sand. The low density of the resulting material makes it light, but at the same time gives it good thermal insulation properties, thanks to which you can significantly save on heating. The resulting hemp material allows air to pass through, but retains moisture, so mold and harmful bacteria do not appear on its surface.Soil bags
To build such a house, you need to stock up on numerous polypropylene bags, and to fill them, use the ground under your feet.The process of obtaining building material consists in filling the bags with moist earth and then tamping them. When stacking stuffed bags, the material is tied with two rows of wire. If a tall building is being built, then it is better to provide a platform on which the bags will be stuffed so as not to lift them up. Wet earth weighs lightly.
Soil bags are used for housing construction where the soil contains little clay. Of these, it is optimal to erect rounded building decoration elements, such as domes. From the outside, they can be covered with earth and planted with grass or flowers; this is an unusual and warm home.
Adobe
It is made from clay, sand and straw. Cubic shapes are formed from the mixture. When solidified, these bricks are very strong and durable - any buildings can be made from them. The material is very warm and resistant to weather and even fire. A house built with it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.
Glass bottles
They are durable and strong material, one might argue that they are easy to break, but they are not. Subject to the proportions of the cement mortar binding them and the correct arrangement of the bottles in a row, a solid residential structure can be achieved.When building a glass structure, there are several subtleties. The bottles are still hollow and there is air in them, so in cold regions, if the bottoms look outward, then they need to be insulated from the inside. Such buildings are rarely used for housing, more and more often they are used for household and household structures.
The building of multi-colored bottles will be a real decoration of the site, it looks like a three-dimensional mosaic.
Building an eco-house from logs with your own hands
It consists of several stages:Foundation devices
Log houses are often made in a round shape. A strip or point foundation is laid under them (). First, a shallow ditch is dug, then an air cushion is made of rubble. In the case of using a point base, pits are dug around the perimeter of the proposed building and filled with concrete.If the building is round, then there is no need for a frame, cement bonding and so perfectly recreates a monolithic structure. In the case of the construction of a building with corners, it is necessary to provide for a frame of beams in them, between which the building material will be laid.
You need to stock up on logs in advance and prepare them: the harvested logs are freed from the bark and dried. This is necessary so that the walls of the building do not shrink. It is better if all the logs are from the same type of tree.
The solution can be made of cement or clay mortar. It is made from clay and sand, which are taken in equal proportions. Straw, sawdust or hay is added to them - they serve as reinforcement. To obtain a homogeneous mixture, it must be kneaded for a long time.
First, a part of the solution is laid out on the foundation, and then logs are laid on it (see also). A solution is poured between them and leveled. Instead, a clay mixture is sometimes used. The edges of the logs should protrude slightly from the edge of the wall being created. It is necessary to immediately consider the location of windows and doors and leave openings for them when erecting walls.
Sometimes, for better thermal insulation, only the outer and inner walls are cemented, and the space between them and the wooden chocks is filled with sawdust or straw. As soon as the walls are erected, they need to be covered with a roof so that moisture does not get inside the structure. If the material for it has not yet been purchased, then you can install its temporary version. The walls dry out completely after six months, so such a house is not suitable for a cold climate.
Roof for the house and decoration
To make the structure completely environmentally friendly, the roof can be made of reeds or tied straw.
Such a house does not need external decoration, but if its owner is not satisfied with protruding chocks, then he can crate the walls and level the walls, and then plaster them.
Energy-passive cheap eco-houses with your own hands (video)
From the video below, you can see how the new eco-friendly houses differ from their stone counterparts. The owner of the site talks about his original round house, built of straw, which endures natural disasters. The unusualness of the house also lies in the fact that it was erected in an unusual way: first, the foundation was poured, and then the roof was covered, and after it the walls were made. The roof was carried out first because of the need to cover the main building material, which does not tolerate moisture.The foundation of the house turns out to be inexpensive, since it is not made as wide and deep as for stone houses. You can save even more on it if you lay ordinary glass bottles, they will fill a certain space and due to this, less cement mortar will go to the foundation. And the durability and thermal insulation of bottles is much greater than the same brick. Straw is five times better than wood and brick at keeping heat indoors.
Ecology and economy are the main advantages of straw construction, which have been confirmed for several years. It is noteworthy that even high-rise buildings can be built from such a fragile material as straw. In the following video you can see an overview of the modern eco-house that the family built with their own efforts:
Eco housing is gaining momentum, and many people, having looked at their new projects, are now doubtful about building stone houses. After all, an eco-house can completely replace full-fledged housing, and besides, save money on construction and operation. All of the above options for eco-houses have good thermal conductivity and reliably protect from rain and wind. They are most often chosen by innovators who are a few steps ahead of others and are thinking about their environmentally friendly future.
Dialogue between a buyer and a sales assistant in a building supermarket
We want to buy thermal insulation and finishing materials for walls. Recommend us something cheaper.
- How often do you plan to visit the cottage?
We are going to live there all summer, and to retire completely.
And how to choose these eco-products?
In the variety of different types of products on the market or in the store, it is quite difficult to navigate and make the right choice. This article will focus on building materials that are safe for health. We will try to answer the questions: which materials are considered environmentally friendly and which are not, how to choose environmentally friendly products, which companies produce safe products, and why environmentally friendly materials should be preferred for repair and construction.
Which materials are considered sustainable and which are not?
Building materials can be environmentally friendly (safe) or emit harmful substances. For construction and repair, it is wiser to choose safe products. Most of all, natural materials that have been used by man since ancient times meet the criteria for environmental friendliness. It is wood and stone. They are absolutely safe for health, create a favorable microclimate in the room.
Stone and, to a greater extent, wood are renewable materials: with the right use of these resources, they are completely restored over time. But natural materials are not always suitable for modern construction due to significant drawbacks: for example, wood does not have sufficient fire resistance and strength. Stone is an expensive material and is not suitable for the construction of multi-storey residential buildings.
Therefore, materials based on natural materials are often used - concrete, glass and others. Such good quality products are also safe for human health.
However, there are materials that emit toxic substances during operation. Usually these are polymers and products with the use of various additives to improve their properties: strength, ductility, and others.
For example, polyurethane-based thermal insulation boards emit toxic isocyanates, and foam plastics emit styrene, which provokes the development of thrombosis and myocardial infarction. Insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene contain hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), which is used to reduce their flammability. The risk of using this substance was recently recognized by the European Chemicals Agency, which found HBCDD to be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic and ranked it first in a list of 14 substances of very high concern.
PVC-based materials that have recently become fashionable - linoleum, decorative film, vinyl wallpaper - can be a source of high levels of heavy metals in the air, which accumulate in the human body and contribute to the development of tumors.
But, perhaps, the very first in the list of hazardous materials are low-quality varnishes, paints, mastics containing copper, lead and a number of narcotic compounds - toluene, cresol, xylene.
To preserve your health, when choosing building materials, pay attention not only to the appearance and useful qualities, but also to their safety. Naturally, a completely logical question arises: how to choose a material?
What should be considered when buying building material?
Products must have a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion.
This requirement applies to absolutely all products sold in the construction markets and in stores. Such a certificate is issued after the study of the material, during which its compliance with sanitary standards and safety for health is revealed.
Be sure to investigate whether the product emits harmful substances. This is especially true for a group of building materials, in the manufacture of which chemical additives were used to give the product the necessary characteristics, for example, strength.
As such additives, wastes from various industries are used - textile, chemical and others. But it is impossible to do without them in the production of, for example, bitumen, fiberboard, chipboard, polymeric materials, so such materials are in the "risk group".
After passing special testing, in case of compliance with the permissible standards for the content of harmful substances, the products receive a sanitary and hygienic certificate. This document is available from the seller or supplier.
Materials should not be a source of a specific smell in the room
If you feel that the material emits an unpleasant "chemical" smell, most likely it releases toxic substances. A bad smell is a kind of "indicator" that suggests that a product may be hazardous to health. But it should be noted that most of the "harmful" construction products do not emit a suspicious odor, so it is more reliable to familiarize yourself with the sanitary and hygienic certificate of the selected product and ask about the reputation of the manufacturer in the construction market.
More reliable products of well-known companies
Before going to the market or to a store for building materials, it’s a good idea to analyze the information: find out which companies are leading in the production of certain materials, which products meet environmental requirements and your needs, and then compare prices.
Thanks to the Internet, this entire procedure can be carried out quite quickly - fortunately, all leading manufacturing companies have websites with detailed information about products, prices, and deliveries to stores. The company's website usually has all the documentation, including sanitary and hygienic certificates.
Imagine that you are looking for wallpaper, flooring and thermal insulation (insulation) for a bedroom or children's room.
Step 1 is to find the most commonly used types of materials on the market.
Step 2 - identify their features and scope.
Step 3 - determine the brand you need according to the given parameters.
Wallpaper
Vinyl wallpapers are not environmentally friendly, but they wash well, are dense, so they can be suitable for the hallway and kitchen. Textile wallpapers (containing fabric fibers) are beautiful, fade resistant, but difficult to glue. Such wallpapers are suitable for residential premises, except for counterparts made on the basis of foam rubber with glued synthetic threads.
Linkrust is original, durable, but the presence of mastics (vinyl chloride and others) in the composition limits the scope.
Vegetable wallpapers (jute, based on golden flower, bamboo, reed) are safe, as they are made from natural materials, are wear-resistant, and can be used in the bedroom.
Paper wallpapers "breathe", are made from environmentally friendly materials. Due to the pleasant price-quality ratio, the paper version is most often bought for a nursery, living room and bedroom.
The oldest wallpaper manufacturers AS Creation and Eco Tapeter use expensive French and Belgian papers for their production. The products of these brands are of high quality.
Floor coverings
Parquet, parquet board - the most environmentally friendly, durable coating. However, it is important for him to choose the right varnish. It should be as safe as possible. Then parquet without fear can be laid in living quarters, including nurseries and bedrooms.
Cork flooring is hypoallergenic, durable and safe and is also used in nurseries and bedrooms.
Carpet does not emit harmful substances, but is contraindicated for allergy sufferers because of micromites that can settle in carpet fibers.
Laminate has a great parquet-like appearance, but can release harmful compounds.
Linoleum is the least environmentally friendly. Particularly dangerous are nitrolinoleum, relin, PVC-based linoleum. Even high-quality types of products are recommended to be used only in the hallway, bathroom or kitchen.
Ceramic tiles are durable, reliable, environmentally friendly material, but you can’t lay them in the bedroom or hallway.
So, for residential premises we choose between parquet, parquet board and cork flooring. The latter has recently become very popular. The technologies of the German company Meister in this area are considered advanced.
insulation
Expanded clay (expanded clay gravel) - environmentally friendly, durable, but inefficient and difficult to install. Not used for interiors.
Glass wool is an effective insulation, but it frays a lot and can “sag” over time and leave uninsulated areas.
Styrofoam, expanded polystyrene are durable, affordable, but they do not remove vapors from the premises to the outside, forming condensate and fungus on the walls, they are combustible and emit harmful substances in case of fire.
(mineral wool based on stone) protects well from heat and cold, safe for health, recommended for use in children's, health facilities and residential premises. It is a non-combustible material that does not emit toxic gases in case of fire.
The leader in the production of stone wool is the international Rockwool Group of Companies headquartered in Denmark. Insulation under this brand has been produced since 1937.
The above list of products and eco-friendly subspecies, of course, is not complete. Before going to the store, you should study in detail the information about the composition of the product you are interested in and the availability of the necessary documentation.
Why choose sustainable building materials?
The answer is extremely simple - to be healthy and keep your loved ones healthy.
The problem of using environmentally friendly materials in construction has begun to be widely discussed by the public relatively recently. One of the reasons for the close attention of the press to this topic was the facts of people turning to doctors with complaints of headache, nausea, eye irritation and various other allergic manifestations.
All patients have one thing in common - living in new or recently renovated apartments using non-environmentally friendly building materials. The first acute reaction to the toxic substances emitted by such materials is called "housing syndrome", the symptoms of which disappear over time. If you live in such an apartment, your health may gradually deteriorate due to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body.
All this may not happen if you find out in advance what the cottage or house where your apartment will be built from is built, and when choosing materials for repairs, give preference to the most environmentally friendly ones. High-quality eco-friendly products are not cheap, but is it worth saving on your own safety and family health?