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How to Use Ecologically Sustainable Building Materials in Your Own Home

Wed 26 Aug 2009 - 15:48

How to Use Ecologically Sustainable Building Materials in Your Own Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Maria_Faith]Maria Faith

If you are feeling more than a little guilty because of the environmental impact that home building takes on nature, you are not mistaken - and you are not alone, either. As more and more people are learning that good households can coincide with environmental protection, the idea of using ecologically sustainable building materials in homes is rising in popularity. There is good reason behind this, as well, with millions of square kilometers of land and plenty of energy being consumed each year all over the world simply to construct buildings. Here are some of the ways for you to help nurture Mother Earth while attaining the real estate of your dreams.

Materials galore
First, check out the wide variety of materials that you can use to construct ecologically safe real estate properties. One material to use is bamboo, which is a very cheap and accessible material that grows quickly and does not harm the environment. Using bamboo for your home can begin with the scaffolding used to build the outline of your home. You can also create walls that are made entirely from bamboo. A versatile plant, even the leaves are sometimes used in traditional Asian homes for roofing. Check out stones, rocks, and clay for building the foundations as well as the walls and fences of your home, since these are also ecologically friendly and will last a long time. They can, however, be expensive especially if you are using materials that are expensive. Wood is also one of the most frequently used of the ecologically sustainable building materials. Keep in mind, however, that wood logged from old growth forests are to be avoided.

Aesthetic benefit
Apart from the advantages of sustainability, these materials also have the added benefit of providing aesthetic appeal in themselves. While concrete walls need to be painted or covered with wallpaper, the use of wood, bamboo, or stone for construction gives the home an instant texture and character that is otherwise difficult to achieve. In fact, some interior designers go to the trouble of covering concrete walls with bamboo strips, or wood panels. Here are some of the common real estate elements where ecologically safe materials can be used.

Walls and flooring
The walls and flooring are some of the best places to use ecologically friendly building materials. Parquet floors are some of the most popular wood floors, while wood panels can also be used as walls instead of concrete. Partitions between parts of homes that do not need thick divides can also be made of bamboo partitions. Homes that need better ventilation can also benefit from the use of bamboo sliding walls which allow air to circulate especially in small spaces which are one of the primary characteristics of homes today - such as apartments and condominiums in the city.

With the right use of ecologically sustainable building materials, the environment and your real estate property does not have to be at odds with each other. So go ahead, go green while enjoying yourself in your new home.

For real estate options that make use of ecologically friendly materials, check out [http://www.sandiegoareamlslistings.com/]San Diego Houses for Sale and [http://usrealty4u.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/san-diego-houses-for-sale/]Real Estate in San Diego.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Faith http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Use-Ecologically-Sustainable-Building-Materials-in-Your-Own-Home&id=2809863


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