Green Building 101: Healthy, Environmentally Sound Materials

Last time in GB101 I talked a little bit about Indoor Environmental Quality – implementing design ideas to enhance natural daylighting, ventilation, thermal comfort and reduce toxins for healthier, more productive and energy-efficient indoor spaces. A large part of IAQ is determined by material choices.

The materials we use in construction have an impact on the environment during harvesting, manufacturing and transportation. They also have an impact on health, many lasting long after construction is complete. Often, the best choice for the environment is also the best choice for people.

Materials in green building cover a wide spectrum of environmental concerns, including labor practices, conservation, resource management and so on. Ideally we can choose materials that are local, durable and produced according to sustainable principles, like made of high-recycled content or FSC-certified wood (check out Key Questions at Healthy Building PDF). And reduce waste of those materials with diligence about sizing, ordering and returning unused products to a functional purpose.

Although material selection has a broad application, here at Daily Tomorrow we’ll concentrate on the health issues associated with building materials. For instance, many building products contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen. (see Clearing The Air on Formaldehyde) Other materials, like paints, finishes and adhesives can emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds), a wide variety of chemicals that have both long and short term health effects.

Healthy Home Institute has a great article on Choosing Healthy Building Materials – a succinct read covering everything from floor to ceiling. Pollution in People has a similar resource in Less-Toxic Home Repair & Construction Materials. For info and product information on paints and finishes, check out the Green Home Guide’s Green Paints & Coatings Know-How section. Green Home Guide also covers other materials, like flooring and countertops.

For more (from the Blogroll):

• Healthy Home Institute
• Green Home Guide
• USGBC Green Home Guide
• Green Seal
• Inhabitat Green Building 101: Materials & Resources Part I and Part II

Looking for something else? or have a question about green building and health? or got a great tip for our readers? Let me know – shoot me an email or leave a comment.