Eco-friendly materials for construction. Eco-friendly building materials Eco-friendly building materials
Probably everyone strives to turn their apartment into a cozy nest where the whole family would feel comfortable. For this purpose, almost all building materials are used. But, unfortunately, in the pursuit of beauty, few people ask themselves the question: “How safe and environmentally friendly will my home be?”
Meanwhile, this question is the most pressing in modern conditions. With the growth of technology, which makes it possible to produce more and more new cheap materials, manufacturers do not always pay due attention to their safety. Some composites sold in stores are not intended for finishing residential premises at all, so the choice of building material must be taken extremely seriously.
Why you need to carefully select materials
Very often, the safety of building materials is directly determined not only by what is included in their composition, but also by how these materials are processed and used in the future. In stores you can find building materials that are by definition toxic, since they contain a high number of toxic substances. But it is also worth noting that there are Construction Materials, which can harm your health due to exposure to external factors. For example, wood, which is a natural material, when interacting with a humid environment can cause the appearance of fungus, a rotten odor and become a favorable environment for the development of bacteria. Therefore, to prevent your apartment from causing disasters, it is necessary to select natural, pure composites and apply them correctly.
Of course, when selecting materials for construction and finishing of an apartment, it is necessary to consult with the seller. He has accurate information regarding a specific product and can answer all your questions on the spot. In addition, he is able to tell you which material is better to choose and tell you about the features of its application. But the seller strives to sell the product at any cost, so you should not completely rely on his opinion; it is better that when you come to the store, you already know what exactly you need and have some useful information.
Of course, it is best to buy environmentally friendly materials. They can be identified by the corresponding marking and manufacturer.
The most famous eco-material labels:
- EcoMaterial (RF);
- “Leaf of Life” (RF);
- "Northern Swan" (Switzerland);
- "EU Flower" (EU Countries);
- "Blue Angel" (Germany);
- "Ecosign" (Japan);
- "Green Sign" (USA);
- "Environmental Choice" (Canada).
Most eco-labeling programs are organized into the Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN).
Stretch ceilings can be considered a good solution for implementing various design ideas. But it is worth remembering that most of them are made of PVC. It is considered safe when used in residential areas, but it is still not recommended to use suspended ceilings in bedrooms and children's rooms. It is highly undesirable to use it in the kitchen and bathroom, as high temperatures can cause the release of toxic substances into the air. For the same reason, the suspended ceiling should not be allowed to come into contact with water supply pipes and heating systems. PVC ceiling is perfect for the living room and corridor.
For the bathroom and kitchen, finishing plastic can be a solution. However, it should be remembered that it is also not intended for a children's room and bedroom. It should also be remembered that some types finishing plastic require good air circulation in the room.
The most suitable solution for use in absolutely all rooms is to paint the ceiling with water-dispersed paints. This is probably almost the only ceiling material that can be safely called environmentally friendly, clean and safe.
The most common material for wall decoration is, of course, wallpaper. You can use vinyl wallpaper for the living room and kitchen. Simple care allows them to be used even in rooms with little humidity. But do not forget that this is still wallpaper, and in “extreme” conditions it requires Special attention Therefore, it is best to finish part of the kitchen wall and the bathroom with special tiles.
For other rooms it is better to use ordinary ones - paper wallpaper. They will become a wonderful part of the interior and will not hit your budget.
Both textile and plant wallpaper made from natural plant materials. Such wallpapers are highly wear-resistant and do not contain toxic components. The only disadvantage may be their high cost.
The adhesive composition is another important component of the right apartment. Here you can use adhesives based on starch and other natural substances.
It is not recommended to paint walls oil based. They may contain heavy metal impurities. In addition, due to their base, such paints retain harmful substances for a long time. organic matter, used in their production, and their weathering can last more than a month.
In an apartment it is difficult to recreate flooring from a solid board, so the best replacement may be a parquet board. This material is environmentally friendly and natural, which guarantees safety for you and your loved ones. Due to its safety, this material can be used in almost every room. Combination high strength, environmental friendliness and relatively low price make parquet an indispensable material.
Another building material with similar characteristics is planed edged board. Being completely natural, this material is suitable for children's rooms, bedrooms, living rooms and other rooms.
It is also worth paying attention to the method of treating the floor. In addition to various varnishes, which are not always safe, you can choose alternative way woodworking – brushing. This is the processing of a board by “sanding”, that is, removing and polishing its top layer with a metal brush. This method is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest, and the result will delight even the most sophisticated esthete.
An alternative to wooden flooring is ceramic tiles, which are also made from eco-friendly materials.
Linoleum can be considered the least safe material. Despite its widespread use, it is an extremely toxic material. In its production, a lot of chemical additives are used to give it certain properties, so it is not recommended for use as a home floor covering.
Carpet can be used in the living room, but since it can cause allergic reactions, it should not be used in kitchens and bedrooms.
A good solution for an apartment would be wooden windows, moderately expensive, but absolutely environmentally friendly. Such windows allow air to renew even when they are closed. Another advantage is that they provide a kind of thermoregulation: in the summer it will never be hot in a room with such windows, and cold in the winter. The downside may be poor sound insulation.
Plastic and PVC windows provide good sound insulation. Although now almost all such windows are produced in large factories, you should still carefully consider the choice of manufacturer, do not trust little-known or even unknown companies, and buy only in specialized stores with a good reputation. Otherwise, you risk getting more than just poor quality window, but also life-threatening. Minus PVC The disadvantage of windows is their poor thermoregulation: they retain heat well, which, on the one hand, is a plus. Especially in cold winter, and on the other - a big minus in the hot summer, since even with ventilation plastic window accumulates heat.
Another option could be aluminum window and a plastic window with aluminum inserts. Properly manufactured, it does not heat its inner surface, while providing more effective thermoregulation. We can say that such windows combine the advantages of both plastic and wooden windows, while they are devoid of their disadvantages. The only drawback here is the price, but it lives up to expectations, because aluminum and aluminium-plastic windows are superior to their alternative windows in terms of reliability and durability.
Markings on building materials
Many manufacturers put different labels on their products depending on how environmentally friendly they are. The most common marking is Ex, where x is the degree of contamination of the material.
- E1 - the material is completely safe for all residential premises.
- E2 – the material is suitable for social and domestic premises and technical purpose(pantries, kitchens).
- E3 - the material is not suitable for residential premises.
Thanks to your observation and perseverance in selecting building materials for the construction and decoration of your apartment, you can not only make your family home cozy, but also environmentally friendly. By choosing building materials wisely, you thereby protect your health and the health of your loved ones, and this is what is so necessary in a metropolis.
Security is not just bars on windows, steel door And angry dog, protecting your peace. It is also a healthy, comfortable microclimate in your home, the reward for which will be your good health.
IN explanatory dictionary the word “safe” is interpreted as “non-threatening, protecting.” In relation to a home, this means protecting from bad weather and unwanted guests, and at the same time creating a healthy, comfortable microclimate in the house.
From an environmental point of view, building a house has a set of requirements. It includes the chemical composition of water, air, noise levels, radiation, vibration, electromagnetic fields, microclimate parameters, quality of finishing and building materials, and soil cleanliness.
Ecology of the site
If a house claims to be “environmentally safe”, it must be located outside the radiation or chemical pollution. High-voltage power lines located near the site are undesirable - sources of strong electromagnetic field. It is bad if the future building is located in a geopathogenic zone - this is the name for areas that have an impact on negative impact for humans, animals and plants. Geopathogenicity of the site can be caused by anomalous zones and faults earth's crust, underground lakes, intersections of water streams, ore deposits, etc. The proximity to cemeteries, mines, landfills, etc. does not characterize the house as safe either.
Project and geological research
The right place for your home is half the battle. Firstly, there must be a project. Secondly, it must be completed by a licensed architectural designer. And thirdly, the house should only be built by a construction organization that has the appropriate license. Construction according to the project is not just a requirement building codes. The project allows both to avoid mistakes during construction and to use materials rationally.
A modern project for 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 the environment, electrical wiring, fire and criminals.
As for geological research, it should be carried out even before the project. Because subsequent stages of housework, even if done perfectly, may lose all meaning. The conditions of the soil will show whether it is even possible to build a house on this particular site. And if possible, then how.Otherwise there may be cracks in load-bearing structures, and deformation of the foundation, and flooding of basements.
Environmentally friendly materials
The house must be environmentally safe. Building materials must not contain lead, heavy metals and released harmful substances. If it is not possible to use natural materials, then you need to choose those that will cause minimal harm to humans and nature.
Modern building materials can be divided into two types: absolutely environmentally friendly and conditionally environmentally friendly.
Eco-friendly materials- These are materials of natural origin. These include wood, stone, cork, genuine leather, natural drying oil, straw, bamboo, slate, etc. Man has used such materials for the construction and furnishing of houses since ancient times. But, speaking about their use, you need to remember: if they themselves are environmentally friendly, 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, wooden house manual cutting
, built using the “old-fashioned method”, there is no doubt about its environmental friendliness. It is warm and supportive optimal microclimate and there is always a unique wonderful aroma in the air. But everyone knows that wood is most susceptible to burning, rotting and the action of biological pests, such as wood-boring beetles, bark beetles, mold, fungus, moss, blue stains, algae, and bacteria. It is undesirable to use wood without protection from biological destruction. At the same time, wood treated with antiseptics already becomes conditionally environmentally friendly. And if the product is chosen incorrectly, it can even cause harm to people living in a wooden house.
Stone durable and reliable. But in nature it is capable of accumulating radiation harmful to the human body. Therefore, before using a stone, experts recommend checking it for background radiation.
Among roofing materials, it is considered absolutely safe from an environmental point of view, including due to its natural origin. slate. This a natural stone with a parallel (layered) arrangement of the minerals included in its composition. Slate is capable of splitting into separate plates, which is why 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 a house for a long time and protect it from bad weather, it must be laid correctly.
Conditionally environmentally friendly materials made from natural materials. They do not harm people or the environment, and at the same time have high technical performance.
Of the conditionally environmentally friendly wall building materials, brick is in first place. ceramic blocks and cellular concrete. Brick and ceramic blocks made from natural material– clays – without the use of chemical additives and dyes. Finished goods fired in a kiln at high temperature. Walls made of these materials are strong, durable, resistant to harmful environmental influences, and “breathe.” It is warm inside ceramic houses in winter and cool in summer.
Aerated concrete block- view cellular concrete. It is an artificial cement stone with evenly distributed pores. Lightweight material, durable, good “sound insulator”. Fire resistance is not inferior to ceramics, has no odor, and is resistant to chemical and atmospheric factors, as well as fungi, insects and rodents.
Among roofing materials, natural tiles rank first in terms of environmental friendliness.
Natural tiles durable (it has stood the test of time - it has been used in construction for hundreds of years), environmentally friendly (fired 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 the roof structure (rafters).
Harmful building materials
Environmentally unsafe materials for building a house have become a part of our lives, as they have made it possible to create a delightful interior for little money. These are mainly inexpensive materials, the production of which uses synthetic raw materials, which have a detrimental effect on the environment both during the production process and during operation. The list of low-environmental materials is quite large, but this does not mean that they should be completely excluded from construction. In fact, harmful building materials should simply be used for their intended purpose, in the right combination with others. In addition, you should pay attention to the compatibility of materials. For example, paper wallpaper is environmentally friendly, but together with low-quality glue it will harm the environment and home owners.
Plastic windows, vinyl wallpaper and linoleum are widely available and easy to maintain, which explains their popularity. Such attributes of modern interiors allow you to create a clean and neat… plastic box for little money! It's easy to wash, but difficult to breathe in. Synthetic materials, which have come into our homes to replace natural ones, are increasingly becoming the cause of “diseases of technogenic civilization.” The heavy metals, carbon dioxide, phenols, formaldehydes, hydrogen chloride, hydrochloride and a long list of harmful and life-threatening substances they release provoke deterioration of 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 don’t forget that the microclimate of your home is of paramount importance!
Choosing the right materials:
- Pay attention to the smell that shouldn't be there! No matter how much the sellers convince you that the chemical smell will disappear in just a couple of days, do not decide to buy. A pungent “aroma” indicates low quality of the product and a violation of the production recipe.
- Request a health and hygiene certificate in the store, which is issued upon examination of the product and confirms its compliance sanitary standards and health safety.
- Be careful: study the marking and its meaning! Thus, markings from E0 to E3 indicate how many harmful substances releases the product into the environment. E3 is the category of the most dangerous products. E0 - the safest. This marking is valid for almost all construction 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 choosing almost any building and finishing materials. After all, in addition to plastic, modern houses There are enough environmental hazards emanating from concrete and reinforced concrete (which shields electromagnetic radiation), foam plastic, drywall, chipboard, thermal insulation, paints, varnishes, etc. All these materials are, to one degree or another, environmentally harmful, releasing phenols, formaldehydes, heavy metals, ammonia and others. chemical compounds, which accumulate in the apartment and literally float in the air, contributing to the general deterioration of health, affecting the immune system and, as a result, provoking the development of various diseases. Moreover, fumes from hazardous construction and finishing materials negatively affect the development of children, inhibiting it.
For example, many wall paints contain lead, which is one of the main causes of growth retardation and mental retardation in children. According to WHO, lead is the cause of 600 thousand mental disorders in children recorded annually.
Unfortunately, the lead content of paints is not indicated on the can. Its presence can only be determined by laboratory analysis. But according to the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP), lead paint will be completely eliminated from stores by 2020. In the meantime, experts advise choosing water based paints, which, as it turns out from recent studies, contain virtually 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 environmentally friendly alternative. For example, PVC linoleum is being replaced by natural linoleum , made on a backing made of jute fibers (natural textile fiber from the plant of the same name - jute). This eco-linoleum is radically different from its synthetic counterpart in its composition, which includes oxidized linseed oil, wood flour, lime filler, cork chips, hardwood resin. The pigments used to color natural linoleum are exclusively of natural origin. This linoleum is especially recommended for rooms where there are children and people with respiratory diseases.
Vinyl wallpapers, which emit formaldehyde fumes, can be replaced with beautiful paper ones, to which it is high time to change our attitude. For a long time it was believed that paper wallpaper was 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, wallpaper can be easily 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 construction and finishing materials, you should choose the same safe finishing coatings and adhesives. Otherwise, the effect of using natural materials will tend to zero.
Biological safety at home
Biological safety - guaranteed absence of mold fungi, pathogenic bacteria, insects, rodents, etc. in the house. To do this, use materials that do not allow fungi, bacteria, insects to enter the premises, or take measures to neutralize them. In this case, we are primarily talking about wood. It is, as already mentioned, in most cases treated with an antiseptic to protect it from atmospheric influences, decay and destruction. By the way, it will provide not only resistance to moisture and the effects of wood-destroying fungi, but will also allow you to give the wood an additional shade. And to protect wood from fire, it is treated with fire retardants.
But, having set ourselves the goal of building an environmentally friendly safe home, in no case should we forget about other aspects of safety! Such as fire, mechanical, physical, engineering.
Fire safety at home
Fire safety is no less important. The threat of fire is always high if fire prevention rules are not followed. fire safety. Remember that modern building materials easily catch fire, and natural materials must be treated by special means, which reduce the risk of fire. And you should always observe caution and safety rules.
Mechanical safety
Mechanical safety means, above all, reliability building structure, no deformation. The first step in creating a house that is reliable from this point of view is a properly designed and constructed 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 materials of the house’s construction and the future load. A poorly designed or improperly executed foundation can cause the house to sag and cracks in the walls. The design of the walls must have the same durability as the house, and also perform two functions: to 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, external walls must have appropriate existing standards heat-protective qualities and ensure the required 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 sound insulation properties.
Physical Security
Physical security involves protecting people living in the house from cold, noise, 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 corrugated sheets. These materials are becoming increasingly popular among our compatriots. Metal tiles, for example, imitate natural tiles and are relatively harmless roofing material, but has a drawback - it makes noise when it rains. Therefore for comfortable home Under metal tiles and corrugated sheets, sound insulation is required.
When choosing insulating materials should be guided by the principle of their maximum harmlessness.
It’s not just natural factors that can affect the safety of your home. Sometimes an apartment needs to be protected from intruders and scammers. As for protection from unwanted guests, this issue will be solved by reliable locks, a security and video surveillance system, and to store valuables you need to install a safe. In this situation, you need to pay attention to the installation burglar alarm. Moreover, installation can be carried out immediately fire alarm system, which combines both protection from external penetration and monitoring the occurrence of a fire. Such a security system will be able to scare off an attacker and, depending on the situation, transmit information to the police or fire department on duty.
Engineering safety
In general, home engineering safety involves preserving the existing ecosystem, economical energy consumption and reasonable use natural resources.
There should always be in the house Fresh air, good lighting, no pathogens of any kind. Moreover, this can be achieved through the safest equipment possible. If we are talking about air conditioners, then these are, first of all, inverter-type models, with a “smart eye” function, using ozone-friendly refrigerants that have “zero” ozone depletion potential. In such models, the “smart eye” function reacts to movements in the room and turns on an economical temperature mode if there is no one in the room.
Security is also certain measures related to the elimination 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 to electrical safety must be taken very seriously. When building or renovating a house, you must ensure that the cables are laid in accordance with the project standards. Wiring must match the power of all electrical appliances that you have or plan to use. In case of an emergency shutdown, you must have backup source nutrition. This is especially true for a private home. Not only the electrician, but also a common person. And for this it is not at all necessary to tear off various wires; an accident may occur due to damaged wiring. Or even a 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 amenities and completely protect themselves should remember about the design of the electrical supply.
When it comes to supplying heat to a home, engineering safety involves the use of renewable energy sources.
For example, wind generators will convert wind energy into electrical energy and will allow you to both save significant financial resources and at the same time gain environmentally friendly, complete energy independence.
And if you want to fully implement the theme of environmental safety in your home, build an eco-house. It must meet the following characteristics: energy efficiency, non-aggressiveness towards 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
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We try to take care of our health - by training the body and choosing healthy foods food, natural cosmetics, household chemicals. However, it often happens that the last thing we think about is the environmental friendliness of our renovations. But in vain, since this is one of the important components of our well-being.
The problem of choosing safe building materials for our homes in modern world– is quite relevant due to the release of toxic substances from many materials, often not visible or felt, but accumulating in our body. The modern chemical industry offers a fairly wide range of materials for finishing houses and apartments, often placing priority on durability, beauty, but not on health safety. 
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 use in a private house and apartment.
Let's start looking at external finishing, 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 best qualities owns a house from wooden beam, brick, stone.
Experimental materials - aerated concrete, cinder blocks, foam blocks, expanded clay concrete, polystyrene concrete, sandwich panels - have not been fully studied, and 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 of pine needles, peat, clay). 
An important issue remains the problem of using insulation for the home; mineral wool, foam glass and other inorganic materials (polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam) are usually used. Manufacturers convince of their safety, but there are studies that over time, the smallest particles of glass begin to be released along with dust in our home, without benefiting health.
Therefore, organic ones are best. natural insulation materials– ecowool (cellulose, paper, wood fiber), a layer of flax processing waste, cork. 
Ecological materials in apartment decoration
Choose the material from which it is built apartment house most often this is no longer necessary, but it happens that residents want to insulate the walls of their rooms, especially those living in corner apartments, so advice on choosing insulation for walls will be relevant for them, as well as for homeowners.Ceiling.
Suspended and stretch ceilings, despite their beauty, are made entirely from non-natural materials and are capable of releasing toxic volatile compounds into the air, this is especially true for top floors and rooms where intense heating by the sun's rays occurs.
Therefore, most often it is better to give preference to painting the ceiling with water-dispersed paints or paints based on natural essential oils(polyester). You can also cover the ceiling with ordinary paper wallpaper, or stretch natural cotton fabric, with which you can give the ceiling a varied design.
Walls.
Most often, people try to cover them with wallpaper, but most people use modern vinyl wallpaper made from PVC, which is not the safest material. However, they are being replaced by natural materials - bamboo wallpaper, fabric wallpaper, glass wallpaper, wallpaper made from natural plant fibers(reed, reed, etc.) and of course, the most reliable are paper ones. 
For lovers natural aesthetics- still relevant wooden lining.
Don’t forget that the glue for them should also be environmentally friendly (based on starch and casein).
Floor.
For floor finishing, the most environmentally friendly materials are cork and parquet, inexpensive options made of solid wood, natural carpet and natural linoleum, porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles, bamboo flooring. 
But laminate and linoleum, synthetic carpet are safe only if they are produced in compliance with all standards and purchased from expensive and well-known brands.
As we see, modern market offers many natural and safe analogues to traditional materials for home decoration, so when planning a renovation you should study these materials. Naturally, they will cost you more, but would you agree that health is priceless?
Environmental problems are usually associated with the consumption of fossil fuels and the use of Vehicle with engines internal combustion. However, a significant part of environmental pollution comes from buildings. For the most part, construction is a process that has a significant impact on the environment. And in Lately The efforts of many engineers and scientists are focused on development.
According to the Global Monitoring Institute (an independent organization that analyzes the most important global problems), one quarter of all wood and one sixth of fresh water used in construction. Over time, due to population growth and migration of people towards the city, the situation will worsen. The demand for resources will constantly increase, and vital resources, especially water, will become scarce.
Modern eco-friendly materials
Eco-friendly alternative to drywall
Typically, drywall is made from gypsum, which requires significant heat and several mixing steps during production. After cement and steel, it is the third largest source of greenhouse gases among building materials. The United States alone produces 50 billion square meters drywall, resulting in 200 million tons of carbon monoxide being released into the atmosphere. A product called EcoRock is an analog regular drywall, but in its creation a substance is used that does not require the use of kilns and is obtained through natural chemical reactions, which allows you to reduce energy consumption by 5 times compared to traditional production.
Eco-friendly concrete production
Production of Portland cement, the binder in concrete, accounts for 7 to 8 percent total number greenhouse gases produced by human activities. But fly ash, a waste product from coal-fired power plants, can be used to replace at least half of the cement used to make concrete. In addition to the environmental benefits, using fly ash reduces the cost of concrete and improves the quality of the product.
Bamboo as an environmentally friendly building material
Bamboo is a durable building material that is increasingly considered an environmentally friendly material. Bamboo is five times lighter than steel stronger than concrete and can grow to about 0.8 meters per day. Its rapid growth makes it more economical to use than lumber from conventional trees, which take years to grow. In addition, it absorbs four times more carbon dioxide than most trees. Bamboo grows on most continents, so many countries import it, although it can also be grown in Russia.
Compressed straw
Pressed straw is one of the most environmentally friendly building materials that can be used to insulate houses. This material is made from straw left in fields after harvesting rice, wheat and other grains. Usually these by-products are burned, but compressed straw is quite durable and provides excellent insulation.
In the future, the use of green technologies in construction should lead to significant savings in natural resources and improve living conditions for people around the world. In Russia this area is still very poorly developed, but it is still gradually developing. It remains to be hoped that thanks to more conscious attitude people to environmental problems, the level of green technologies used will increase more and more rapidly, and they will be applied everywhere.
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Today there are many different types of building materials on the market. Therefore, sometimes it is quite difficult to choose an environmentally friendly material that would not harm health. High-quality building material will create a microclimate that will have a beneficial effect on humans. Therefore, having decided to start building a house, you need to take the choice of this or that material quite seriously, having studied their characteristics and properties in detail.
So for building the walls of a house, environmentally pure material there will be wood, brick, stone.
As for brick, it is the most popular building material and has been for several hundred years. Its direct use is environmentally friendly for both humans and the environment.
Sand-lime brick is made from limestone, sand and water; it is worth noting that all these components are natural and environmentally friendly. This type The building material is available in two colors: white and white-gray. But the Pavlovsk plant also produces this brick in other colors, for example: blue, yellow, emerald, pink, terracotta, brown, etc., so you don’t have to worry about the aesthetic appearance of your future home.
Brick painting is volumetric, that is, the entire composition is painted sand-lime brick, which in turn ensures its absolute color reliability. It is also worth noting that decorating this material consists not only in its coloring, but also in the fact that a relief surface can be created on it. Accordingly, a variety of textures and colors will give your home a certain atmosphere of comfort and aesthetics.
Wood is also an environmentally friendly material. It is one of the first building materials used to build houses. Walls made of this material “breathe”, as they tend to allow air to pass through, in both directions. If we look at the sanitary and hygienic requirements, then timber and log walls are the most comfortable. They have good properties thermal insulation. As for durability, there are no shortcomings here. The only drawback is low bio- and fire resistance, but for this there are various antiseptics that will extend the life of the house several times. The most common materials today are profiled timber and rounded logs. A house made of rounded logs is assembled quite quickly and at the same time has a rather attractive and neat appearance. As for profiled timber, its logs tend to deform during aging.
An important role in the construction of a house is played by such material as insulation.
One of the environmentally friendly types of this building material is ecowool. It does not contain volatile substances that would be harmful to health. Ecowool also has fairly high heat-insulating properties. Its thermal insulation capacity is much higher than that of slab types insulation materials, due to the absence of cracks, joints, seams and a fairly tight fit of the material itself to the base. Ecowool is also a material that is difficult to ignite, this in turn is confirmed by a certificate. It tends to perfectly retain its insulating ability during a fire, thereby significantly slowing down the spread of fire. When heated, it does not emit toxic gases. It should also be noted that this insulating material protects the insulated surface from fungi, rotting, rodents, and insects, and this happens due to boron antiseptics in its composition. 
Foam glass is an environmentally friendly material used for insulation of premises. This material has a certificate confirming its environmental safety. It has such properties as water resistance and moisture resistance, fire resistance and non-flammability, strength, durability, chemical resistance.
Another environmentally friendly material is insulation made from flax production waste. This material is called “Wave”. This material is a mat that consists of flax production waste, which in turn are bonded together using a low-melting polymer. This insulation can be used both for insulating the internal walls of a building and for external ones, and is also used for sound insulation. During formation, the mat is treated with special antiseptic and non-flammable preparations.
It is worth noting the fact that a metallized perforated film can be introduced into the design of this material, which will provide the effect of a thermos due to the reflection of heat rays. Due to this, “Volna” insulation can be widely used in conditions of a sharp continental climate; during the day it can save from heat, and at night, respectively, from cold.
One of the new products in the field of insulation materials is environmentally friendly insulating boards of wood origin Kronotherm FG. They are characterized by high insulating parameters and good operational properties. These wood boards are diffuse-open insulation, which in turn “breathe”. They are used to insulate roofs, walls and roofs.
Another type of environmentally friendly insulation is balsate insulation. 95% of this material consists of natural material, 5% is binding materials. Balsat insulation has good sound insulation and meets all fire safety requirements. Can easily withstand temperatures of 900 degrees Celsius. It is advisable to use it for roof insulation or wooden floor, in buildings that are easily flammable. It is also characterized by resistance to any chemical, mechanical and biological influences. It should also be noted that all materials included in this material comply with sanitary and hygienic standards, which is confirmed by a certificate.
Modern environmentally friendly Ursa insulation is used for both sound insulation and thermal insulation. It does not contain phenol and formaldehyde, which makes it absolutely safe. It is also fireproof and moisture resistant. This insulation looks like cotton and has White color, and there is no dust from it.
An important factor when building a house is the roofing, and therefore the use of environmentally friendly materials for this. Today there are many various types roofing materials.
A natural, environmentally friendly material for roofing is ceramic tiles. To make tiles, clay is used, which subsequently goes through the firing stage. This type of tile has been used for quite a long period of time, which takes more than a century. Ceramic tiles include several subtypes: engobed tiles, grooved ceramic tiles, “beaver tail”, etc.
The advantages of ceramic tiles are that they have good sound insulation, frost resistance, and low thermal conductivity. One of its main characteristics is bending strength. Besides all this, she looks quite noble and elegant.
A fairly popular roofing material is metal tiles. It looks quite stylish, basically imitates ceramic tiles. In addition to being environmentally friendly, it is also wear-resistant, reliable, does not melt, does not burn, and does not deform. Metal tiles are quite easy to install and are light in weight. This material is made from galvanized sheet, which is protected by a multilayer coating. To make the product durable and reliable, protective primers are applied to steel sheets. If we consider in more detail, the first layer is a finishing layer, the second is a primer layer, the third is a conversion layer (phosphate), the fourth is a layer of zinc, which is applied to the inside of the cold-rolled sheet, including a layer of zinc, a layer of phosphate and a layer of protective painting. from the front side.
The advantages of metal tiles are that they are mechanically strong, resistant to ultraviolet radiation and weathering, fireproof, waterproof, durable, resistant to biological influences, and reliable.
Flexible bitumen shingles are also considered environmentally friendly. It is made from fiberglass which is impregnated with modified bitumen. For protection and decoration, special stone granules are applied to the back of the tile, and its lower part is covered with a layer of glue.
This type of tile is rich in the variety of its shapes; it is also worth noting that it can be laid in cases where laying other types of tiles is impossible. Its installation is quite simple, it itself is very light and thin. Its advantages are that it is a good sound and heat insulator, is not subject to corrosion, rust, rotting, and is resistant to chemical acids, mosses, fungi, lichens, waterproof, dielectric, does not fade.
Corrugated bitumen sheet - resembles slate, but it is made from more environmentally friendly materials. The advantages of this material are that it is resistant to different climatic conditions, does not rot, does not rust or corrode, is durable, does not contain asbestos, and is therefore considered environmentally friendly.
There are also such environmentally friendly materials as reed, reed and straw; this material can be called somewhat exotic, since roofs were covered with this material many decades ago, but even today this material is applicable, although quite rarely.
Almost impossible during construction and finishing works do without paint or varnish. In such cases, it is very important to pay attention to environmentally friendly materials; to find out, you should pay attention directly to their composition. So, what is the difference between natural paints and non-natural ones (alkyd, acrylic, etc.). Some non-natural paints contain petroleum, but since petroleum itself is quite resistant to chemical changes, it is repeatedly treated with aggressive reagents, such as ozone, chlorine, etc. And as a result of these manipulations, a product is obtained that has a rather harmful effect on human health.
The production of natural paints completely prohibits the use of components such as petroleum and any of its derivatives. Natural paints are made from eucalyptus, orange, linseed, rosemary, lavender oil, as well as from vegetable dammar resin, milk casein, clay, natural plant and earth pigments. For example, such paints are manufactured by AURO. 
It is easy to distinguish natural paint from non-natural one; you should pay attention to the label; manufacturers of natural paints always indicate its full composition. It is also worth noting that natural paints do not emit any harmful fumes during their use. An important difference is the absence of a film on the surface being painted, and this in turn allows the paint coating to breathe, so to speak, thereby extending its service life.
As for interior decoration at home, then here, too, not everything is as simple as it would seem. When purchasing this or that material, it is necessary to read its sanitary and epidemiological conclusion, since if the product is truly of high quality, it must have this conclusion.
If the material has an unpleasant toxic odor, then it is immediately clear that it contains harmful additives. But even in cases where there is no smell, you shouldn’t delude yourself; it’s better to check it anyway.
When choosing wallpaper, you should pay attention to paper wallpaper, they tend to breathe. They are also of higher quality and safer. Good environmental performance and textile wallpaper(contain fabric fibers). Wallpaper made from natural raw materials is considered environmentally friendly.
there can be reed wallpaper, jute and bamboo. Their advantage is that they are more wear-resistant.
As for flooring, the safest material is parquet. This is quite a beautiful material, and both parquet and parquet boards are used, they are safe for health.
Cork coating is also harmless and quite durable. Carpet also does not emit any toxins or harmful substances.
As for laminate, it can hardly be called an environmentally friendly material, since it can release toxic substances.
It is also not recommended to use linoleum, nitrolinoleum and relin. They are not recommended for use in any premises, only on the condition that it is made of high quality; it is permissible to use it as a floor covering for the hallway and kitchen.
Ceramic tiles are also an environmentally friendly material, but, unfortunately, they cannot be installed in all rooms.
Considering the state of our environment today, it is very important to have an environmentally friendly corner, and it is very important that this be your home, because this is where most of life, children grow and are raised.