Characteristics of Sustainable Building Materials

Responsibly Manufactured Building Materials

Products should be selected that make use of resource efficient manufacturing processes. When evaluating a building material the full life cycle of the product should be taken into account.  Important consideration should be placed on the environmental impacts associated with the extraction of natural resources, manufacturing process, installation, transportation and final disposal or recycling at the end of its useful life.  The social and economic sustainability of the company behind the product should also be taken into account.

Resource Efficient Building Materials

Resource efficiency receives more attention than most other characteristics of sustainable building materials and for good reason.  Whereas the decisions made in selecting say sustainable flooring have a one time resource and energy input impact at the time of construction, selecting resource efficient products delivers ongoing benefits.  Resource efficiency has two primary focuses, water and energy efficiency. 

Water efficiency can be achieved both inside and outside the home.  Inside, you can conserve water by selecting low-flow fixtures, tankless water heaters and grey water management systems.  Outside, the use of drip irrigation and rainwater catchment systems allows for much more efficient use of water than traditional systems. 

Energy efficiency can be maximized in a variety of ways and should not only be considered when selecting appliances, lighting and heating and cooling systems.  Granted the use of ENERGY STAR appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs and high efficiency or geothermal heating and cooling is an important part of any energy efficient home.  However, key components of your building envelope such as structural insulated panels, insulated concrete forms and high performance windows play just as central of a role in energy efficiency. 

Bottom Line

When evaluating whether or not a material is sustainable it is important to request product certifications from manufacturers.  In fact, to take advantage of the federal energy efficiency tax credits this is a requirement.  However, be sure to do independent research yourself to sort out the facts.  Where possible seek out builders or homeowners from your same region who have used the product themselves and get their feedback as to the real life performance of the material.  Most importantly though, choose products that meet your unique taste and needs.

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