Sustainable Materials
New Construction requires the use of lots of new materials. All of these materials must be extracted as raw materials, processed, and shipped before they can be used on a construction site. That makes for a large carbon footprint. It is best to use sustainable materials as much as possible.
Sustainable materials are sourced from renewable sources that do the least harm to ecosystems and put off the least amount of pollution in their cradle to grave analysis. In addition, they should be long-lasting.
At New Ground Custom Green homes, we are constantly searching for new and innovative materials to use in our homes. Some are too expensive to be practical for many of our clients but we work to incorporate as many sustainably sourced materials as we can. Following is a list of some of our favorites but please let us know about any other sustainable materials that you would like to see included in your project and we will do our best to make it happen:
* Forrest Stewardship Council wood: We choose FSC certified wood products for framing and finish work as much as possible. Wood is a renewable resource but deforestation threatens our atmosphere as well as our ecosystems when forests are not responsibly maintained. FSC is an international standard that ensures wood products are produced in a sustainable manner.
* Reclaimed Wood Flooring: Beyond FSC certified wood, reusing old flooring that will otherwise end up in a landfill is a great way to conserve resources and you can end up with truly amazing floors.
* Cork Flooring: Cork is considered a highly sustainable material because the cork tree grows very rapidly and can produce a large amount of the raw material required to make flooring in a short time.
* Local stone materials: Anytime we can incorporate locally sourced materials, we are greatly reducing our carbon footprint. Local stone can often be incorporated in a home’s masonry or even flooring.
* Low or no VOC paints & finishes improve indoor air quality.