Industrialization and the rapid advancement of technology have each brought about their own improvements in the lifestyle of a lot of people. Like everything else in the world, building materials have also been changed and improved. This presents some competition for the normally available options of wood and stone

Although wood is a natural resource and one that is easily available, it has not proven to be the ideal building material. Unfortunately, it is subject to attacks from mold, mildew and termite infestations. Even when the wood is treated with the appropriate chemicals it is still not exactly the perfect product to use. It may last a lot longer than untreated wood; but it still will not last a lifetime. It will either warp or crack along any of the many weak spots that may have been created by too much exposure to moisture. These weaknesses are serious problems that just can not be repaired or eliminated.

Composite wood, which is a man-made material, is in my opinion the best product to use. It is a made of recycled scrap lumber and plastic which are held together by resin. It is compact and strong and available in four different shades. It does not require the cutting down of any of our very important trees. Therefore, it does not harm the environment in any way. It even eats up a lot of the recyclable plastics that would otherwise overload our landfill areas. Composite patio decking materials also have the advantage of looking very similar to real natural wood; as it still has some of the natural grains of wood showing through it.

Luckily for the homeowner, it is maintenance free and it is very easy to install. This material has a natural resistance to mold and mildew. Because there is a good amount of plastic in the mixture, it is also very easy to clean. The sudden appearance of any kind of stubborn stains is something that the homeowner will never ever have to worry about. This mixture of recycled wood scraps and recyclable plastic pieces has the same density that natural wood has.

However, composite wood is definitely more expensive that any other kind of decking material would be. This is probably the main reason why many homeowners still end up choosing a natural wood product for their new patio. They simply cannot afford to pay the price that composite wood demands; which runs about five times higher than the price of any natural wood deck.

Today the home owner has the opportunity to choose from alternative green building materials and make a difference.

Insulated Concrete Forms: These preformed blocks are made with expanded polystyrene (EPS) and metal rebar which can be stacked to build your frame. They are then filled with concrete to create an insulated and exceptionally strong wall!

The Benefits of Building a Home with Insulated Concrete Forms

* Ease of Use – These building blocks are very easy to use. They require much less crew and take significantly less time to build than a traditional home
* Energy Efficiency – The insulation properties of polystyrene and the high thermal mass of the concrete help to reduce the internal temperature fluctuations to create a more efficient and comfortable indoor environment.
* Noise Reduction – Insulated Concrete form walls make an enormous difference in the reduction of noise transmission.
* Fire-resistance – This product is highly rated for fire-resistance and has been proven in some products to have a four hour resistance rating!
* Strength – These walls are exceptionally strong and can be built to hurricane/seismic standards.
* Mildew/Rot – These walls will not support the growth of mildew and mold.

This alternative building material is an excellent home structural choice for those living in areas where their homes are exposed to severe weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

These blocks are made using concrete which does raise some environmental concerns. Concrete depends on cement and the production of cement is an enormous environmental hazard! However there is now in existence cement substitutes which are being implemented into green build design.

If you are interested in building a home using these blocks insist that your builder uses a concrete with a high concentration of fly-ash.

Structural Insulated Panels

SIP’s are high performance building panels that are used to form and build walls, floors and roofs both for commercial and residential purposes.

They are made by sandwiching foam insulation between Oriented Strand Board (OSB). OSB is an engineered wood product that is formed with wax and resins and compressed.

This building material has all the same benefits of ICF’s however they do not compete with insulated concrete forms for fire resistance although they do meet fire testing standards.