Home building materials play a significant role. Since the Three Little Pigs first wiggled their curly little tails, we’ve been aware of the importance of building materials. But, while they had only three choices, we have more … a lot more.

Today, it’s not only about the strength and durability of the home but also about economy, ecology, aesthetics, style and personal choice. With universal building codes the way they are, we can usually expect them to meet at least minimum standards of quality and longevity.

Knowing Your Options for Structural Materials

Over the years, I’ve worked with many different structural materials choices for homes. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I’ve concluded that there may be no “perfect” choice. Nothing seems to stand head and shoulders above all the rest. That being said, there’s every reason to believe that of the many choices, you could find one perfect for you.

If you are exploring options for the structural components of your new home, start with these choices. You can expand from here:

Traditional 2×4 and 2×6 stick built homesIn North America, this is the most common approach to home building. These can be site built or pre-framed, factory built homes. Builders for this method are the easiest to find and these homes are usually the least expensive to build.

Steel Framed HomesThese are constructed much the same as the wood framed homes and can also come in pre-framed, factory built panels. They offer some additional green building benefits, being thought of as more sustainable by some authorities.

SIP built homesStructural Insulated Panels are gaining popularity. These are structural panels that utilize insulation as part of the strength of the wall system. There are several different kinds of panels and methods of construction. They are often used … Read the rest

As the green movement started to develop, they have encouraged more and more people to build environment-friendly homes. Their members have started to educate people about the different health hazards that toxic building materials could bring. They have also explained how the irresponsible use of these harmful materials could actually become a big threat to our environment.

If you do not want to have a home filled with toxic and harmful building materials, you should think of a way to find environment-friendly supplies that you could use to construct your home. Here are some characteristics of sustainable building materials that you should watch out for while canvassing for the best construction products.

Minimal energy needs

One of the most important characteristics of sustainable building materials is their minimal energy needs. This means that they do not need to consume a lot of energy while they are being processed, harvested, or delivered to your location. Local materials that could be immediately located in your local area possess this characteristic. Since they are found in almost any corner of your area, they would have less need for transportation and nonrenewable oil.

A perfect example of a local material that fits these characteristics is adobe. Since it is found almost anywhere in neighborhoods, it has minimal energy needs for transportation. In addition, it could also serve as an insulator that could reduce intense heat and cold inside your home. Hence, its thick nature would allow you to minimize the need for using air conditioners during summer and furnaces during winter. You would definitely feel the difference of living in a home made from adobe once you see how much money you were able to save due to its insulating properties.

Renewability and Reusability

Other important characteristics of eco friendly construction materials … Read the rest