By J.C. Carroll
Better Building:
(NC)—Canadians recognize the long-term, cost-saving value of building a home with sustainable materials. Recession or no recession, survey findings show that in the next five years, the 'green' building market in North America is expected to double with up to 20 percent of us insisting on the use of sustainable materials.
“A green home uses less energy and natural resources,” says Todd Blyth at Nudura, a Canadian company known for its concrete building system to replace wood. “An environmentally responsible structure creates less waste and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Other equally important benefits include lower energy and water bills, reduced exposure to mould, mildew and other indoor toxins that are often associated with traditional building methods. As a result, the net cost of owning a sustainable home is comparable to cost of a conventional one.”
When talking to your builder, ask for materials and systems that meet established green criteria and work in conjunction with each other.
“Concrete is a good place to begin,” says Blyth, referring to the award-winning, Nudura building system. This greener process builds walls to the roof with a method that entails interlocking forms with two layers of polystyrene, steel reinforced, and filled with concrete.
“The resulting walls deliver far superior performance than the traditional wood frame method. A home constructed this way will improve your lifestyle—and if combined with our ceiling and floor insulation, you will see even greater benefits to the environment, to your operating costs, and to the overall re-sale value of the house.”
The forms can be ordered in a variety of sizes and shapes so that your walls and ceilings can be built to any design. As importantly, concrete walls eliminate the risk of mould growth and allergens, so common with wood. This concrete system provides a superior sound barrier and is resistant to uncomfortable cold spots, drafts, and mustiness. Concrete walls are also reported to be nine times stronger, far more fire resistant, sound resistant, and with very promising equity growth over the long run. More information is available online at www.nudura.com.
- News Canada