Green home building is very popular in the United States today, but many people do not know that Europeans have been building green homes for decades. We have many technologies that are just emerging in the United States that seem to be new and innovate...they are not. Green home building is usually discussed in such a way that people marvel about these new technologies, but they are really only new to us.
In Europe, for example, there is a building material called Autoclave Aerated Concentrate, or AAC, which has been used in new construction for years. GreenHomeBuilding.com says that this substance is popular in Europe because it is completely fire proof, highly insulating, and very lightweight. It can be easily transported in large quantities, which will conserve fuel. Additionally, AAC is made of water, sand, cement, lime, and aluminum powder. The main ingredient in AAC is air, which makes up over eighty percent of it composition. The most important benefit is the fact that its production does not produce any byproducts. Builders have been using this building material in Germany for almost a century; however, it was introduced in the United States in 1996 and still is not widely accepted.
An additional green home building material that is used widely in Europe but not in the United States is the Wood Fiber Board. This type of board is created from the wood chip waste which is a byproduct of sawmills. According to GreenHomeBuilding.com, these boards are free of allergens and they do not emit any toxins during their manufacture. They are very inexpensive to produce, and they are totally compostable. They are not used much in the United States. We prefer cutting more trees, I guess.. It seems as though we prefer not using something we already have, but rather wasting to create new products.
Europe is way ahead of us when it comes to green home building practices. People in Europe have been using such construction methods for about a century, so it is nothing new for them...it is a way of life. We have a long way to go, but we are finally in the right frame of mind here in the United States to begin conserving resources... I just hope it is not too late.

View PDF | Print View
by: hugatree
Total views: 76
Word Count: 392

About the Author

Find more info regarding general, visit buildingagreenhouse.comparizons.com.

Comments

Add Comment