The Pros and Cons of Using Sustainable Building Materials
Over the last couple of years the consciousness of people about constructing environmentally friendly buildings has increased significantly.
Therefore, within this movement sustainable building materials have emerged as the key focus.
They benefit its implementation in several ways, outlining, however, certain difficulties as well. Below, we explore the pros and cons of using sustainable building materials through an examination of three main categories:
This includes the environmental features of impact, the economic characteristics and the feature of performance.
Environmental Impact
a. Reduced Carbon Footprint
The use of sustainable building materials has also the advantage of reducing carbon emissions.
Some of these have included use of bamboos, recycled steel, and reclaimed wood as they are innovative and less energy intensive and have an added value of low carbon footprint to a building assignment.
This is good for the environment caused by fumes from industries, which leads to reduced effect of climate change.
b. Natural Resources Management
Sustainable building materials may have originated from renewable resources or have originated from recycled products.
For instance, using recycled timber has the added advantage of obtaining timber from a source other than trees where the timber was taken from.
As the old adage is ‘conservation for the least capable’ this serve the interest of conserving the most vulnerable by supporting biodiversity and maintaining ecosystems through forestation as they are central for the health of our planet.
c. Circular Economy Promotion
The employment of sustainable building materials ensures realization of circular economy.
Here, goods and services developed bear the attribute of being recycled thus enhancing its lifespan.
This helps to reduce landfill sites and promote the new ways of thinking about how things are produced – not from the “take-make-dispose” logic.
d. Enhanced Indoor Air Quality
Energy-efficient building materials usually also result in higher acceptable indoor air quality by lowering levels of VOCs and other pollutants.
Natural wooden products, low-VOC paints and nontoxic insulates provide a healthier environment in which people live or work.
This is especially good for people with respiratory problems or allergies as it reduces the probabilities of polluted air indoors.
Economic Factors
a. Initial Cost Considerations
On the same note, one of considerable disadvantages of using sustainable building materials is the initial cost.
Since production and sourcing of sustainable building materials entail differentiated procedures, their procurement is relatively costly than the usual materials.
For example, putting solar panel or using recycled steel might be costly compare to using other conventional methods.
b. Long-Term Savings
It has also been established that despite having a higher initial outlay sustainable materials have great potential for long-term cost-saving.
As seen from the energy efficient insulation, for instance, they help to save energy used in heating or cooling thus cutting down heating and cooling costs, while bamboo flooring or recycled composite decking, for instance, lasts longer than the traditional products and therefore it means there are few replacement and maintenance costs.
c. Job creation and local economic
Sourcing sustainable building materials is generally beneficial because it tends to strengthen local demand for available materials.
This can lead to the employment opportunities in recyclable industries, manufacturing industries and in the sustainable forest.
These activities promote local industries which have the effect of improving the economy while at the same time reducing emissions from transportation.
Performance and Practicality
a. Durability and Strength
Many sustainable building materials, like rammed earth, recycled steel and engineered woods have a longer life cycle than traditional building materials.
These materials may look many times as resistant to wear and tear as traditional materials or even be more resistant.
For instance, recycled steel has superior strength to that of normal steel and does not corrode as faster as virgin steel.
b. Limited Availability
One of the core issues is the fact that not all sustainable building materials are produced as commonly and hence, can be accessed easily.
This can lead to problems with the delivery systems or an increase in transportation costs that negate most of the environmental changes they bring about.
It is also challenging for builders to secure some materials used in green building and could be out of reach in terms of time.
c. Trends Appearances & Design Variability
A whole spectrum of sustainable material choices is now available to architects and designers that can match the conventional building materials.
Some new developments in the field have enabled architects to construct beautiful structures that incorporate environmental friendly materials.
Nonetheless, some of the materials, for example, recycled plastic composites can often come in a very inadequate colour or texture range which may limit a designer.
d. Potential Learning Curve for Builders
Implementing sustainable building material they may have some head-ache because new to such construction they are used to the ordinary way of construction.
New environmentally friendly products may take longer to install, or need special skills for their correct handling and fitting.
This can result in increased project delivery time and possible increased levels of cost if teams require specialized skills or directions.
Conclusion
Thus, the choice of employing Sweets in constructing dwellings has pros such as low impacts on the community and long-term cost advantages together with cons such as higher cost, and scarcity.
These materials are rather helpful towards a more sustainable future but their usage must be managed in ways that some of the drawbacks they present, are managed.
Lastly, as technology of sustainable building material, its availability, and concerns of environmental conservation continue to enhance, the prospect of using it in construction will be even better for cautious building constructors and homeowners.
Also read: Sustainable Building Materials for Affordable Housing Projects