Many property owners have been considering the use of eco-friendly building materials for new homes and renovations — and why not? These materials are very sustainable, and they contribute to energy efficiency. Additionally, they can complement any style that you might be aiming for.

Typically, eco-friendly materials are manufactured with less energy — unlike conventional construction materials, which need a considerable amount of energy in order to be produced. Eco-friendly building materials are also known for their durability and for having good insulation properties; this means less energy is required for heating and cooling your home.

Here are some eco-friendly materials that you can ask your new home builders to use:

Timber

Timber is a highly flexible material, and it can be re-used as well. You can even use it as compost if you think there’s nothing more you can do with it. However, make sure that your timber did not come from overmature trees or endangered hardwoods; it would be best to obtain timber from sustainable plantations.

Strawbale

Strawbale is basically straw that’s bound with mud and compressed by wires to form blocks. Making it is quite tedious, but this material offers a handful of benefits. Just like timber, straw is renewable—meaning, it absorbs carbon dioxide (C02) as it grows and retains it even when it’s already being used as a building material. Apart from that, strawbale also provides great insulation and sound insulation, and it can be mulched too.

Mudbrick

Mudbricks are made from clay earth and water mixture; sometimes, straw is also included as this material helps stop the bricks from cracking. The mixture is placed into moulds and then dried under the sun. It’s a simple process, which makes it a good option for owner builders. Mudbricks are quite long-lasting as well.

Rammed Earth

Rammed earth, also called pise, is a mixture of sand, gravel, silt, and clay. It requires a small amount of energy in order to be produced, but it’s quite labour intensive.

Steel

Although manufacturing steel takes up a lot of energy, the material is considered to be very durable. It can be recycled and re-used, and its lightweight characteristic makes it cheaper to transport. Because of these advantages, steel can be identified as an eco-friendly material.

If you’re on the fence whether to use conventional or eco-friendly building materials, it would be best to hear what professional new home builders have to say. They can advise you which material suits your needs and building requirements.